THE GROWTH OF ATHENS & DEMOCRACY

Transcription

1 y demokratia, Peisistratos THE GROWTH OF ATHENS & DEMOCRACY In prehistoric times Attica was a region that contained many tiny independent villages. Much later, in great days of Ans, stories were told of legendary King Theseus who, it was said, had united all villages into one state. Its capital was Ans. Its citizens, mostly still country-dwellers, were all Anians. The Akropolis The focus of unified state was great rock of Ans Akropolis ( high city ). From rock re were splendid views over land and sea. But Anians did not value views for same reason that tourists do today needed views to tell m when an enemy was approaching. A fortress was built on Akropolis. There families could shelter from an enemy. And if enemy tried to climb, slowly, steep sides of rock he would make an easy target for arrows, and for spears, stones and boulders hurled from above. Ans in early historical period, 6th-5th centuries BC Late 590s A bitter quarrel between rich and poor of Ans is solved. Spared a civil war, Ans has strength to expand. Not long afterwards Anians capture island of Salamis from neighboring Megara (see map) commands victorious forces. c.546 At third attempt Peisistratos manages to make himself sole ruler ( tyrant ) of Ans. Under tyranny fine buildings and beautiful painted pottery are made. c.5lothe tyranny ends in blood. Hippias, Peisis tratos son, who killed many citizens, is thrown out Beginnings of a new revolutionary style of government rule of people. Late 480s A big new supply of silver is found in Ans mines at Laureion. The Anians decide to spend it on building a large fleet of warships. This is just in time because Persia invades Greece with an enormous fleet and army (see pages 26-27). Although defeated, Persians destroy much of Ans. 479 on Anians return and hurriedly build a great defensive wall around ir city, and fortify a new port. It will become most famous in Mediterranean Peiraieus. V Sokrates made himself unpopular by asking difficult questions. What is true justice? What does knowledge mean? People could not answer and were embarrassed. Sokrates friend Kritias killed many democrats. When Sokrates too was seen as despising democratic courts, he was forced to drink deadly poison in 399 BC. F L Ostraka, bits of pot, with names of top Anian politicians: Aristeides, Kimon and Themistokles. P V When rival politicians put forward conflicting plans, Anians would sometimes vote with pieces of pottery to decide which politicians to banish. The loser was ostracized sent into exile for ten years. Broken pots were cheap and plentiful. <Attica became wealthy from producing olive oil. Silver from mines at Laureion enriched Ans and made its coins. By conquering great islands of Salamis (in early 6th century) and Aigina (mid-5th), Ans made safe its profitable seaborne trade into Phaleron and Peiraieus. 24

2 one I Politicians, voting and banishment 3 1\ V Sokrates made himself unpopular by asking difficult questions. What is true justice? What does knowledge mean? People could not answer and were embarrassed. Sokrates friend Kritias killed many democrats. When Sokrates too was seen as despising democratic courts, he was forced to drink deadly poison in 399 BC. <Attica became wealthy from producing olive oil. Silver from mines at Laureion enriched Ans and made its coins. By conquering great islands of Salamis (in early 6th century) and Aigina (mid-5th), Ans made sate its profitable seaborne trade into Phaleron and Peiraieus. A Ostraka, bits of pot, with names of top Anian politicians: Aristeides, Kimon and Themistokles. V When rival politicians put forward conflicting plans, Anians would sometimes vote with pieces of pottery to decide which politicians to banish. The loser was ostracized sent into exile for ten years. Broken pots were cheap and plentiful. I ll It <Disks such as se were used byjurymen voting in law courts. Each juryman was given two solid and one with a hole in middle. One meant not guilty, or guilty. As each juryman came to pot into which he dropped his disk, he kept his thumb over middle of it. That way onlookers could not tell how he was voting. A Aristotle came to Ans from a tiny country town to study and meet clever people. He wrote about physics and biology, politics and religion. A Thucydides, a rich Anian who owned a gold mine, became a general but was exiled. He wrote a history of war between Ans and Sparta. The beginning of people-power In every Greek state, so Aristotle tells us, re were a few rich people and a large number of poor. Rich and poor usually plotted against each or. Sometimes y even fought, in a civil war. Greeks called this quarreling stasis. Many states were weakened by it. One reason why Ans and Sparta became so powerful is that y both managed to avoid much stasis. Rich Spartan landowners dealt with problem harshly. They treated ir poor, helots, like slaves and terrified m into obedience. But Ans was fr gentler. There poor had great power and freedom. Poor citizens controlled chief decision-making bodies, assembly and law courts. This was demokratia. Demos, meaning ordinary people, and kratos, meaning power. So demokratia meant people-power. It was largely an Anian invention. Why did rich put up with peoplepower? Rich men, who could afford best education and learned public speaking, had most confidence. They could often persuade crowds of ordinary people. But re was no government by rich men, as every state has today. As such, re was no government at all. Shall we go to war? What taxes shalt we pay? Shall we spend our city s money on warships or on new buildings? Big questions such as se were decided by votes of thousands of ordinary citizens in assembly. It usually met on a hillside near Akropolis. 25

3 was seized to make t] digging along wall proving truth of th Themistokies, one o. ticians, tricked Spa wall was built. Hc preferred Aniar not at Ans but at the 5 mi away. He knew ti power was ir fleet. was brought in by sea. day an invading army and cut it off from th would move ir would from ho be free tha The long walls to Fe The people of An Akropolis, ir great had grown up near it. take part in enjoyable rock was ho1ie city s patron goddess. S V Ana, patron goddess and found anor way of wisdom and war, and being cut off. They I protector of city of Peiraieus, n, in tim Ans. She was born by springing fully formed roughly parallel long head and armed and Ans. This of her far, Zeus. from Anians and ir g between port and t. Symbol of power and i In early 440s Akropolis began (see F ruins left by Persi centerpiece of new of marble for Ana - built so well that muc nearly 2,500 years later To or Greeks, At] ings suggested power. money architec for fine have buik for war. The for Ans empire. Th Ans an attractive p Anaxagoras, who und( or Greeks, came to si one of world s gre study in Ans at Flab many or distingulsl ciated sheer beauty ATHENS, THE RADIANT CITY L The temple of Victory, When defeated Persian invaders left built in late 5th century. Ans in 479, y vented ir anger on its Far smaller than buildings. The Anians, who had been Parnon, it stands by refugees for a year, returned. Most were living Propylaia elaborate gateway to in poverty. They found ir homes and public Akropolis of Ans. buildings wrecked. Yet within 50 years city became jewel of Mediterranean, glit tering with marble temples and metal statues. How was reconstruction done? 7 The Akropolis and its surroundings heart of Rebuilding city wall ancient Ans. The plan First, Ans needed a great circular wall to shows buildings from defend it against future invasion. Children and several periods. Close to women joined men and worked at desper Akropolis are Pnyx ate speed. Toger y managed to build (where assembly met), ater of Dionysos, wall before suspicious Spartans could bring an and murder court, army to prevent it. Thucydides, historian of Areiopagos. Ans, wrote that even ornamental stonework 74

4 was seized to make wall. Archaeologists digging along wall have found some of it, proving truth of this. Themistokies, one of Ans cleverest poli ticians, tricked Spartans into delaying until wall was built. However, he would have preferred Anians to build ir new city 5 mi away. He knew that Anians great - - : I The long walls to Peiraieus between port and city. Symbol of power and wealth Akropolis Parnon. It was of marble for Ana r. -. not at Ans but at port of Peiraieus about power was ir fleet. Also, much of ir food was brought in by sea. He was afraid that one day an invading army would encircle Ans and cut it off from sea. li Anians would move ir homes to port, y would be free from that danger. The people of Ans would not leave Akropolis, ir great friendly rock, for y had grown up near it. They had climbed it to take part in enjoyable festivals. And on top of rock was holiest shrine of Ana, city s patron goddess. So y stayed at Ans, and found anor way to prevent city from being cut off. They built a wall to defend Peiraieus, n, in early 450s, a pair of roughly parallel long walls between Peirãieus and Ans. This corridor meant that Anians and ir goods could travel safely In early 440s beautification of Akropolis began (see pages 76-77). The burnt ruins left by Persians were cleared. The centerpiece of new buildings was a temple built so well that much of it is still in place, To or Greeks, Ans expensive build ings suggested power. If Ans had so much money for fine architecture, how much must it have for war. The buildings were propaganda for Ans empire. They also helped to make Ans an attractive place for Greek visitors. Anaxagoras, who understood eclipses before or Greeks, came to stay at Ans. Aristotle, one of world s greatest thinkers, came to study in Ans at Plato s Academy. They and many or distinguished immigrants appre ciated sheer beauty of rebuilt city. -.t r-- -,. I.f?_- - :1 I, -. nearly 2,500 years later. 7 Ana, patron goddess of wisdom and war, and protector of city of Ans. She was born by springing fully formed and armed from head of her far, Zeus. V The Parnon s roof was lost in explosion of gunpowder in When new, shining marble was seen from afar. The Parnon was called Ans pretty face. 75 The Propylaia (gateway) on Akropolis, begun in 437. The temple of Victory is at top right. No or city spent so much money on a gateway: it was as famous as Parnon.

5 mselves and were i by rich. One rich r Ans even horses anc full of self-confidence Ordinary people argl market about pric and salted foods birds. They might not eels groups of wealthy men robes, talking about po did, y might not app of se political or such as Thucydides, Kri ordinary Anians ar that democracy gave ti thought that ordir uneducated to run y mselves shoulc citizens of course reser sometimes punished a I 4?i,y; Z- EVERYDAY LIFE IN ATHENS great pitchers of water. Few houses had ir own water supply; most people had to visit a spring. He would carefully avoid slops and Ans in its great days (5th-4th centuries BC) was probably most colourful city of Mediterranean world. Travellers from remote Greek cities and from Persian Empire brought news, ideas and things to sell. Anian children in great port of Peiraieus would have heard sailors speaking in different languages. Street behaviour was generally res pectful, often noisy, but sometimes violent. Life in streets A simple Anian man awoke at dawn, scratching himself from insect bites. The walls of his room were of mud brick. (A burglar in Greek was called a wall digger. Burrowing into a house was obviously quite easy.) He n set off to do shopping, which, in Greece, was men s work. On his way to market our man mess which had been dumped overnight in had no sewer system. He Ans unlit streets might glimpse a woman or girl peeping out from an expensive house, but as soon as she saw him she would disappear, out of pride. At night streets became dangerous. Thieves specialized in attacking travellers in dark. Some men carried blazing torches as a V An Anian street. weapon as well as for light. Young men, drunk For lack of even simple machinery, Greeks carried after parties, roamed dark streets, battering many burdens on ir own at doors of women. backs. In Ans rich and Behaviour of citizens to one anor poor mingled easily. In Market-traders were generally looked down on men swept poor aside. streets of or cities, rich and had to be protected by law from insult. But Women escorted each would see slaves and very poor with large Ans was famous for its freedom of speech. or, ignoring stares burdens on ir backs, and women carrying Poor men and some slaves stood up for of men. 82

6 ir td -Ic ut and salted fish, honey and game foods Lie is. in sa rig on ut Dh. For V An Anian street. For lack of even simple machinery, Greeks carried many burdens on ir own backs. In Ans rich and poor mingled easily. In streets of or cities, rich men swept poor aside. Women escorted each or, ignoring stares in Ans 83 > A Greek barber at work. Barbers shops were favorite places for meeting and gossiping, like a party without wine as one writer described m. of men. ) Although made in sourn Italy, this vase shows an everyday scene fishmonger at work. Notice fish s Man plowing with oxen. Most Anians were in fact country-dwellers. Only occasionally did y crowd into city mselves and were not always intimidated by rich. One rich man complained that at Ans even horses and donkeys seemed to be full of self-confidence as y walked along. Ordinary people argued and joked in market about price of favorite Anian birds. They might not particularly notice small eels a head on floor. for shopping, festivals in or for protection wartime. groups of wealthy men strolling along in white robes, talking about politics or religion. If y did, y might not approve of m. For many of se political orists and philosophers, such as Thucydides, Kritias and Plato, despised ordinary Anians and disliked power that democracy gave m. Rich intellectuals thought that ordinary citizens were too uneducated to run city s affairs and that y mselves should be in charge. Poorer citizens of course resented this attitude, and sometimes punished a leading anti-democrat.