Athenian Democracy

 6th Form Classical Studies Kapiti College 2000 Carol Wallis By Andrew Ririe 

• Athenian Democracy 

Democracy in Athens developed over a long period of time. Whether this was true democracy will be discussed throughout this essay. Four key ideas were put in place to establish Athenian Democracy. Citizens invented the idea of magistrates, who could better represent their views. They would be part of an assembly (Ekklesia) where all magistrates met to debate views and pass laws. The most important group of magistrates in the assembly was the boule (council of 500). Law courts were set up to enforce laws passed by the assembly. 

Magistrates were elected or chosen by lot. The citizens had a choice about who would represent their views. Magistrates were all free males over the age of 30 and only free males could vote for them. Representatives could not be elected twice with the exception of the strategy (Pericles was elected several times). This was to stop anyone from seizing power. Magistrates looked after various features of city life. 

They made sure roads were efficient, taxes were collected and markets were performing well. To reduce crime and make life fairer, safer, and more comfortable at the cost of charging taxes that would have been higher under an autocratic leader. Magistrates had the authority to arrest people on the spot and choose their punishment. Socrates criticized the idea of giving such power to individuals as being foolish because they were prone to foolish mistakes. 

The Ekklesia (Assembly) was where the magistrates held regular meetings. People who wanted a good place near the front had to get up early. There was no payment to members until the time of Pericles. Some magistrates gathered in groups to be more easily heard. This was an early attempt to form political parties. 

The Boule or Council of 500, was elected annually, a fair period of time since this took a lot of organizing. 50 males over the age of 30 were elected from each tribe. They were responsible for checking the actions and activities of magistrates, making sure they were not accepting bribes or doing any other unlawful activity.

After all, their purpose was to make the laws not break them. The Boule having 500 members also meant that ambitious politicians were unable to make bribes since it was not an individual but a large group that would have to be corrupted. It organized the meetings at the assembly, trying to make it less chaotic as magistrates shouted in attempts to be heard or fought their way to the front. Representing the entire city, the Boule met with foreign embassies to discuss relations and trade. An entire city was relying on the Council for its diplomacy with other city-states or nations. 

Law courts were established to enforce the laws passed at the assembly. Citizens could hold legal power if they were over 30 by being chosen as jurymen. This was another application of the age restriction rule. It is similar today with 16,18 and sometimes 20, being used as the age for restrictions in day-to-day life. Every year each tribe had to produce 600 jurymen from its number by a lot. Every tribe got a say in trials this way. Jurymen were divided into separate groups to