Evolution of Democracy and the Athenian Constitution
Democracy is defined in modern times as government by the people. To
put that in perspective and better understand all that democracy
entails we must consider its origins. It is surprising indeed that
even today tyrannies and dictatorships exist in the world when more
than two and a half thousand years ago the ancient Athenians had
developed a functional and direct form of democracy. What contributed
to this remarkable achievement and how it changed the socio-political
scene in Athens is what will be considered in this paper.
The paper will have three sections, each detailing the various stages
of political development from the kings of Attica to the time of
Pericles when, in its golden age, Athens was at the height of its
imperial power.
The historical sources used are "On Democracy and Oligarchy"
attributed to Aristotle and Xenophon, "The Rise and Fall of Athens" by
Plutarch and "History of the Peloponnesian War" by Thucydides.
1
The first stage in Athenian history was the time of the monarchs of
Attica. Most of this period is shrouded in myth and legend. The
ancient kings had absolute authority and sovereignty. In those times
the king was the head of the state, chief priest, general and judge.
The obvious qualifications for this post were birth, wealth and
military power. The king may have been considered semi-divine [due to
his link with religious ceremony and hence the gods (Trumbach)] and
this is why even in the later times his successor, the King Archon,
was entrusted with the performance of the most sacred religious rites
as his chief responsibility.
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...icies or the force of their personalities.
These were either aristocrats with training in oratory and sophism
(and hence manipulation of people) or demagogues seeking to incite the
public. These factors often undermined the efficacy democracy and
subjected it to the whims of the influential. Perhaps this was what
contributed to an extent to the Athenian defeat.
The popular courts were also instrumental in the functioning of a
viable democracy though in the last few stages they were often misused
for political ends. The aristocrats knew that, eventually, they could
find themselves brought before a popular jury and condemned, less for
their actions or any based on any solid evidence than for their
politics or general reputation. The lives of Pericles and especially
Alcibiades are clear illustrations of this fact.
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