02/18 Law and Politics

Shared Cultural Elements

• Greeks worship the same gods, forming a shared cultural identity.

• Polis: Greek word for city-state; not a unified country but separate entities with a common language.

Colonization and Competition

• Archaic Period: Greek city-states began colonizing regions, establishing over 500 colonies in the 8th and 7th centuries BCE.

• Metropolis: A mother city that has colonies.

• This colonization led to competition with the Persian Empire for resources in Ionia (modern-day Anatolia).

Persian Wars

• The competition sparked the Persian Wars, where Greek forces united against the Persians.

• Important note: Shared Greek identity allowed for cooperation despite lack of political unity.

• The Greeks won the Persian Wars but soon turned against each other.

Aftermath of the Persian Wars

• After the wars, Athens grew powerful and formed the Delian League.

• Athens developed a strong navy needing finances for upkeep, relying on contributions from allied city-states, leading to extraction of wealth from them.

• Athens' prosperity financed monumental structures like the Parthenon and significant cultural output during the Golden Age of Athens.

Conflict and Downfall

• Conflict arose between Athens and other city-states, leading to a destructive war lasting about thirty years.

• Major suffering in Athens, including plagues that devastated the population.

• Sparta ultimately won but was left weakened.

Athenian Democracy

Overview

• Athenian democracy first institutionalized by Cleisthenes in 508 BCE.

• Representative assembly called Boule met daily, drawing members from 10 tribes.

• Ecclesia: Assembly of all citizens with a quorum of 6,000, meeting four times a month.

• Courts featured juries randomly selected from a pool of at least 201 members.

Limitations

• Athenian democracy excluded metics (foreign residents), women, and enslaved people, allowing only about 10% of the population to vote.

• Often categorized as oligarchic due to exclusive voting rights, challenging the notion of an inclusive democracy.

Legal and Cultural Context

• Athenian democracy influences modern democratic structures but requires a clearer context of its limitations.

• Concept of autochthonous: Athenians viewed themselves as originating from the land, reinforcing their exclusive citizenship claims.

Spartan Governance

• Sparta functioned as an oligarchy with two kings, a council of elders, and an assembly, along with a five-member executive committee.

• Spartans enslaved local populations known as Helots, who performed most labor, allowing Spartans to focus on military training.

• Ratio of helots to Spartans estimated at 7 to 1, indicative of the reliance on enslaved labor.

Notable Law Givers

Draco

• Created a written legal code, known for harsh penalties, where most crimes carried capital punishment.

• Established legal distinctions between murder (deliberate) and manslaughter (accidental).

Solon

• Solon: Athenian statesman who reformed class structures, allowed citizens to bring lawsuits for others, and abolished debt slavery.

• He is often credited with setting foundations for Athenian democracy.

Legal Framework

• The Areopagus Council established to oversee homicide cases, showing a legal move towards juror assemblies.

• Legal speeches from antiquity emphasized procedural aspects but often lacked the preservation of actual laws.

Gortyn Code

• Preserved legal code from Gortyn on Crete, notable for being more favorable towards women compared to other ancient legal frameworks.

• The code focuses heavily on civil law and inheritance, contributing to discussions on women's rights in the historical context.

Conclusion

• This overview highlights important distinctions between Athenian and Spartan systems of governance, cultural identity among Greek city-states, and the legal progress made over time.