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Athens: Empire and Democracy (478-462 B.C.)

Athens: Empire and Democracy (478-462 B.C.). Valerij Gouschin , Higher School of Economics - Perm.

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Athens: Empire and Democracy (478-462 B.C.)

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  1. Athens:Empire and Democracy(478-462 B.C.) ValerijGouschin, Higher School of Economics - Perm

  2. ‘In the past half century it has often seemed paradoxical, and to the politically correct embarrassing, that Athens in the second half of the fifth century was democratic, and indeed a champion of democracy in the Greek world, and therefore admirable, but was also the head of the greatest empire in which Greeks controlled other Greeks, and therefore deplorable’ Rhodes P.J. (2007) Democracy and empire // The Cambridge Companion of the Age of Pericles. Cambridge. P. 24.

  3. (a) Ancient Sources (b) Modern Scholarship (a) Ancient Sources • Plutarch • And, henceforward, little by little, turning and drawing the city down towards the sea, in the belief, that, whereas by land they were not a fit match for their next neighbors, with their ships they might be able to repel the Persians and command Greece, thus, as Plato says, from steady soldiers he turned them into mariners and seamen tossed about the sea, and gave occasion for the reproach against him, that he took away from the Athenians the spear and the shield, and bound them to the bench and the oar (Plut. Them. 4)

  4. (b)Themistocles did not only knead up, as Aristophanes says, the port and the city into one, but made the city absolutely the dependent and the adjunct of the port, and the land of the sea, which increased the power and confidence of the people against the nobility; the authority coming into the hands of sailors and boatswains and pilots (Plut. Them. 19). (c) Aristotle, Politics 1274 a12-15, 1304 a 21-24, cf.: 1321 a15-14, VII. 1327 a40-b15 Xenophon, Athenian Constitution, 1.2 (d) For he who owes his safety to the pilot and the captain, and the oarsman, and all sorts of rather inferior persons, cannot rightly give honour to whom honour is due. But how can a state be in a right condition which cannot justly award honour? (Plato, Leg 707 b).

  5. P.Ceccarellidoubts that the idea of the connection among the sea power (thalassocratie) and democracy arose before the middle of the IV Cent. B.C. ( Ceccarelli P. (1993) Sans thalassocratie, pas de démocratie? Le rapporte entre thalassocratie et démocratie à Athènesdans la discussion du V et IVe siècle av. J.-C. // Historia. Bd.43. H.4.)

  6. Some historical Facts • 1) Anti-democratic plot in time of Plataeanbattle (Plut. Arist. 13) • 2) Democratic aspirations to democracy after Xerxes’ invasion (Plut. Arist. 22) • 3) Anti-democratic feelings in time of Tanagra battle (stop the Long Walls’ construction) (Thuc. I. 107. 1-5)

  7. (b) Modern scholarship • V. Buzescul: Themistocles’ Sea Program and Democracy • W.Schuller: Empire and Democracy • Ch.Starr, B.Strauss, J.Ober: close connection between Empire (Sea Power) andDemocracy

  8. But in the same time…(Historical strangeness) • Aristotle on Areopagus’ domination (478 – 462 B.C.) (Ath. Pol. 23. 1-2, 25.1, Politics, 1304 a20-21) M.Ostwald– pro P.J.Rhodes - contra

  9. Making of democracy or areopagus domination ? (a)Democracy Democracy – people’s assembly activity inscriptions, casualty lists (W.Schuller) • “Large numbers of citizens were actively involved in running the democracy, through machinery which required very high level of participation” (Rhodes 2007, 28). Not democracy but collective hegemony over the allies

  10. After this, seeing the state growing in confidence and much wealth accumulated, he advised the people to lay hold of the leadership of the league, and to quit the country districts and settle in the city. He pointed out to them that all would be able to gain a living there, some by service in the army, others in the garrisons, others by taking a part in public affairs; and in this way they would secure the leadership. This advice was taken; and when the people had assumed the supreme control they proceeded to treat their allies in a more imperious fashion, with the exception of the Chians, Lesbians, and Samians. These they maintained to protect their empire, leaving their constitutions untouched, and allowing them to retain whatever dominion they then possessed (Arist. Ath.Pol. 24. 1-2).

  11. (b) Areopagus Domination Cimon’ trial and acquittal (c. 463 B.C.) Did Areopagus really interfered in Cimon’s affair?

  12. Short Conclusion • Making of Democracy was not closely connected with Empire and Sea Power, e.g. Ephialtes’ reform of 462 B.C. was not its result.

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