Key Sources

Thucydides 2.65

‘what was nominally a democracy was actually rule by the first citizen’

Plutarch, Pericles 14

Ostracism of Thucydides in 444 BC

Aristotle, Ath Pol 43-49

Composition of the Boule and the role of the prytany

Aristotle, Ath Pol 20-22

Cleisthenes reforming the Boule and the tribes

Old Oligarch 3.2

Describe the business of the Boule, including examining officials

Thucydides 4.27-30

Pylos debate between Nicias and Cleon

Thucydides 3.36-40

Athenians decide on a second Assembly to prevent Cleon’s plan

Aristophanes' Acharnians

Assembly meetings happen on the Pnyx at daybreak, only Dikaiopolis present

Thoudippos Decree

Shows details from inside an Assembly meeting where the people decide what to do with the tribute

Thucydides 2.22

Pericles prevents an Assembly meeting to stop the Athenians making a mistake

Thucydides 2.65

Assembly fine Pericles, then re-elect him general

Aristophanes’ Wasps 891-1008

Family squabble between Procleon and Anticleon, jurors dressed as wasps with stings

Aristotle, Ath Pol 62

Members of the jury courts were paid three obols

Aristotle, Ath Pol 63

Jury service open to men over thirty years old

Aristotle, Ath Pol 69

Every juror votes and their votes are equal

Plutarch, Nicias 4

Nicias is very wealthy and uses his wealth to give money to the people

Thucydides 4.27-28

Nicias yields his generalship to Cleon, backfires on him at Pylos

Plutarch, Nicias 9

Claims Nicias was responsible for the peace due to his pro-Spartan sympathies

Thucydides 6.8-25

Nicias loses the Sicily debate

Aristophanes’ Knights

Nicias mocked for being weak and is made the slave of the people

Thucydides 3.36-40

Cleon pushes for genocide in the Mytilene debate

Thucydides 4.27-40

Pylos debate, Cleon’s success at Pylos

Aristophanes’ Knights 255-300

The character Paphlagonian is charged with gluttony, prosecuted the rich and office holders

Aristophanes’ Acharnians 5-7

Dikaiopolis derides Cleon about being fined 30 thousand drachma

Plutarch, Nicias 8

Says Cleon is badly bred, arrogant and that he led Athens into chaos

Aristotle, Ath Pol 28

Says Pericles was the champion of the people

Thucydides 1.115-117

Samos incident, says how powerful and influential Pericles was as a military leader

Thucydides 5.43-48

Alcibiades humiliates Sparta in front of the Boule and makes a treaty with Argos

Thucydides 6.8-25

Athens follows Alcibiades’ lead in the Sicily campaign

Thucydides 8.86

Alcibiades prevents the navy at Samos sailing into Athens to stop the oligarchy, saved Athens in doing so

Plutarch, Alcibiades 13

Alcibiades works with Nicias to ostracise Hyperbolus in 417 BC

Thucydides 6.89-91

Alcibiades advises Sparta from 414-411 BC

Plutarch, Nicias 11

Says Alcibiades and Nicias had a bitter hatred for each other

Aristotle, Ath Pol 25

Ephialtes’ reforms deprived the Areopagus of all its duties except for jurisdiction over murder and some offences to the gods

Aristotle, Ath Pol 27

Pericles introduced paying jurors 2 obols

Old Oligarch 1.14

Critisises how the Athenian subjects are exploited through the law courts

Xenophon, Poroi

Talks of the metic tax and how metics form part of Athenian army

Old Oligarch 1.12

Metics engage in trade in Athens as well as rowing in the fleet

Plato, Republic

Set in the house of Cephalus whose son became an influential orator

Thucydides 7.27

20,000 Athenian slaves died because of Decelea

Thucydides 2.45

Pericles says that is noble that women are talked about least in society

Aristophanes’ Clouds

Attacked Socrates and partly led to his death in 399

Thucydides 8.67

The Oligarchy suspended the graphe paranomon to allow them to put through proposals

Xenophon Hellenica 1.7

Trial of the Generals

Plutarch, Aristides 7.4-5

Citizen has to write the name of the person they wish to be ostracised on an ostracon