Athenian Democracy in the Classical Age

Athenian Democracy is much praised but little understood. How did the largest city in the classical Greek world manage to govern itself on the basis of meetings, held less often than once a week, of those Athenian-born men aged over 18 who wanted to come?  How did a heterogeneous society whose size rendered many residents effectively anonymous maintain law and order without a police force or lawyers? 

This topic looks at the institutions of Athenian democracy, at the practice of democracy, at democratic ideology, and at Athenian theories about government. It analyses the make-up of Athenian society and tries to understand the contribution that groups without political rights, women, slaves and resident foreigners, made to Athenian democracy and the extent to which democracy determined the way in which these excluded groups were treated. Although details of Athenian military history and of Athenian imperial activity are not at issue, the topic does attempt to explain the sources and the effects of Athenian wealth and power. The literary and artistic achievements of classical Athens are here examined both as phenomena that need to be explained - why was it that it was at Athens that the most significant monuments in drama, architecture, painting and sculpture were created? - and as themselves sources of insight into Athenian attitudes and pre-occupations.

This topic combines well with both periods I.2 and I.3 of Greek History, with the core Greek literature paper and literature papers III.3 and III.4, and with the paper in Greek Art and Archaeology (IV.2).

If you offer this topic you are expected to show a familiarity with the texts listed in the appended Examination Regulations, in translation, from which optional passages for comment will be set.

Lectures on this topic take place in Hilary Term.