Classical Athens: Political Success In Democratic Athenian Democracy

Political Success in Democratic Athens

The political atmosphere of Classical Athens was one to behold on a global scale. A style government that had not been so much as thought of anywhere else in the world was flourishing in the powerful polis, and proved to be the backbone of its success in the ancient world. Democracy did away with the tyrants, monarchs, and oligarchs of the past and instead offered a voice to every man in the state who so chose to participate. Many cities of the ancient world would shudder at the thought of offering a voice to commoners, and even the poverty stricken; but the Athenian mindset was prideful in the notion that any citizen of the great city was competent enough to take part in civil discourse and furthermore

The ability to stand and deliver, successfully and repeatedly, on issues regarding the state were what made ‘politicians’ of the time. Rather than have the backing of political parties we are so used to in today’s day and age; Athens’s politicians had no such safety net to represent their ideals, and instead had to rely on skills such as persuasiveness and eloquence to win over fellow countrymen with their viewpoints in council. It is no coincidence then that the most championed and well-respected leader of Athens in the Classical Age was Pericles, an eloquent, passionate aristocrat, who was already a sitting Athenian general. What set Pericles apart from other political figureheads were not simply his speeches in council, but rather his ability to connect and gain the trust of the people of Athens. His belief was that he was a servant to the state, present only to serve the Athenians; not amass some personal fortune as others had before him. It was this endearing quality that allowed him to become the extremely successful political leader that he was. The ability to connect to, and subsequently gain the trust of, all citizens of the state, from upper class aristocrats to those who dwell in poverty, was what made a

His approach to leadership was inherently different then that of former (and subsequent) Athenian leaders, in that he maintained an idea of what Athens and the idyllic Athenian should be like; and worked towards approaching this ideal with his fellow countrymen. Pericles speaks, at length, not only about the factual status of Athenian politics and militarism, but also about the festivals, hospitality, and his overall view of the disposition of Athens at the time, (Thucydides, Pericles’ Funeral Oration 2. 38-40). He speaks in great detail about what personal wealth should mean to an Athenian, and even more so about “good feeling” of the Athenian people; These passages in his speech can be interpreted as him projecting his ideals and values onto Athens. It is also worth noting that the language Pericles uses in his public addresses is very inclusive; he heavily uses terms such as “we” and “us” when addressing the public, observably to create cohesiveness and trust between he and his audience (Thucydides, Pericles’ Funeral Oration 2. 34-46). Pericles’ popularity was wavering however, with the second year of the Peloponnesian war bringing great stresses to Athens, citizens chose to depose