The Old Oligach Analysis

One of the biggest critics of Pericles’ vision of democracy was Pseudo-Xenophon or (The Old Oligarch). The Old Oligarch first critics the common assessment of the Athenian Democracy that states that democracy does not work very well and that it is foolish and mistaken. The Old Oligarch responds to this common assessment believing that Athens is doing everything right with democracy in terms of what they wanted to achieve with all citizens getting a say in government as Pericles had visioned. However, the Old Oligarch criticizes the common people of Athens as ignorant and disorderly. The Old Oligarch does not agree that all Athenian citizens have merit over class like Pericles. Not being a supporter of the poor, the Old Oligarch finds the Aristocrats as the better sort of people. In passage 1.9, The Old Oligarch states, “But if you seek for good legislation, in the first place you will see the cleverest members of the community laying down the laws for the rest.” The Old Oligarch’s statement shows that he believed the aristocrats were designed to rule. They had money and time, the two biggest components to get an education at the time, and as a result the Old Oligarch believed the aristocrats since educated, could make the best legislation for Athens. The Old Oligarch belief is supported through history to when democracy fell in Athens after the consequences of the Sicilian Expedition. After the fall of democracy, Aristocrats were put in charge because they were seemed as the most educated. In addition, the Old Oligarch states in passage 2.17, “But in the case of engagements entered into by a democracy it is

They tend to make alliances with other democracies like themselves but those states are too weak. However, when they choose to work with those whose opinions who differ from their own meaning oligarchies, then they most often turn on them as did