Use LEFT and RIGHT arrow keys to navigate between flashcards;
Use UP and DOWN arrow keys to flip the card;
H to show hint;
A reads text to speech;
31 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
|
Solon |
Athenian statesman known for his legislation in the 590s. Solon’s reforms addressed both the suffering of the poor and the privilege of the rich. They included economic, societal, and political measures that helped secure the stability of democracy in Athens. His legislation was remarkable for its creativity and scope. His laws established the principle that the Athenian citizens would guide the state. He virtually established the notion of citizenship itself. In fact he made it illegal for male citizens to have neutrality during times of civil strife. Solons laws were inscribed on tablets called axones that were set up in the agora where everyone could see them. He has been called the father of democracy. |
|
|
Solon’s economic reforms: |
Solon revised Athenian weights and measures which helped facilitate trade with other states. He also encouraged olive cultivation and prohibited the export of grain because it was needed at home. To attract Artisian‘s from other regions, Solon offered them citizenship if they would settle permanently in Athens. He was also credited with empowering the Council to inquire into every man’s means of supporting himself, and to punish those who could show none. |
|
|
Solon’s constitutional reforms |
Solon established a constitution in which political privilege was allotted in accord with income in order to deal with the grievances of the newly rich none-elite families who resented the Eupatrid (good fathered) monopoly of the aristocracy. He established 4 property classes. In this new system citizens were ranked according to agricultural wealth. The new class was the highest class- the Pentakosiomedimnoi, or “500 measure men” who could produce at least 500 bushels of agriculture. The second class was the Hippeis or horsemen, as they could afford to keep a horse- they produced 300 bushels. They were followed by the Zeugitai who could afford to own a team of oxen and produced 200 bushels, and finally the Thetes- poor farmers and agricultural workers who had less than 200 bushels. Medimnoi=Bushel |
|
|
Pentakosiomedimnoi |
The new high class added to Athens social classes by Solon. Consisted of those whose the states produced at least 500 medimnoi (or bushels) of produce. As the highest class they could participate in the chief magistracies. |
|
|
Hippeis |
The second highest property class according to solon’s reform. The word means horsemen as they were the man who could afford to keep a horse for the cavalry. They would produce between 300 and 499 medimnoi. As the second highest class they could participate in the chief magistracies. |
|
|
Zeugati |
The third class in Solon’s reformed property classes. They were men who could afford to own a team of oxen with 200 to 299 medimnoi. They could not participate in the chief magistracies but they could hold lower state offices. |
|
|
Thetes |
The lowest property class of solons property class reform. These men were poor farmers and agricultural workers and some artesian’s who produce less than 200 medimnoi. They could not hold any state offices but they could join the other classes in the assembly (ekklesia). |
|
|
Solon’s Legal reforms |
So long did not alter Draco’s homicide laws but he reduced the penalties for other crimes and created an amnesty for people exiled for crimes other than homicide or attempted tyranny. Solon also made it legal for men to adopt an heir by means of a will. The most revolutionary legal contribution to the Athenian judicial system was making it legal for any male citizen (not just the victim or victims relatives) to be able to bring an indictment if he believed a crime had been committed. |
|
|
Solons reforms regarding women and marriage |
Some of solons reforms greatly impacted women. For example if a man were to die without a male heir, solon required the man’s closest living male relative to have sex with the dead man’s daughter at least three times a month in order to produce a male heir to keep the property in the family. Also although solon made it illegal for fathers to sell their children into slavery he made an exception for men who found that their unmarried daughter was not a virgin. |
|
|
Peisistratus |
Tyrant of Athens, distant relative of Solon. Around 560 BC successfully carried out a coup amidst Athenian democracy. According to Herodotus, Peisistratus seized control of Athens by manipulating the assembly to give him a bodyguard whereupon he seized the Acropolis. He agreed to marry the daughter of Megacles, the leader of the coastal party. But when Megacles found out he would not consummate the marriage, he was furious and join with Peisistratus enemies and drove him out of power. In exile, Peisistratus formed an army and defeated his enemies at Marathon and re-gained control of Athens for the next 10 years until he died in 527. |
|
|
Peisistratus’ Tyranny |
Peisistratus gave his tyranny legitimacy by maintaining solons system in force while manipulating laws so that his friends and relatives were elected archons. His mercenary soldiers held potential opponents in check and he used opponents children as hostages. His last son was expelled in 510. Under the rule of the tyrants all opinions rich and poor found themselves in surprisingly similar circumstances. Therefore the Peisistratid tyranny had a surprising equalizing affect in Athens. |
|
|
Peisistratus Policies |
Like solon he was concerned about agriculture and commerce. He offered land and loans to the needy and encouraged the cultivation of olives, and Athenian trade expanded under his regime. |
|
|
Peisistratus currency reform |
Peisistratus or his sons issued the first “owls” -silver coins with the image of Athena on one side and an owl on the other that became the main currency in the Aegean. This coin was known as the tetradrachm because it was worth four drachmas. |
|
|
Foreign policy under Peisistratus |
Ambitious. Included installing his family, friends, and even enemies as tyrants at Naxos, Sigeum and the Hellespont. For example he sent Miltiades, a potential rival, to rule the Hellespont. |
|
|
Peisistratus Economic Reforms |
Peisistratos started building projects in Athens which provided jobs to the poor and focused attention on the city as the center of Attica. One of his most famous shifts was replacing private wells with public fountain houses which not only gave them jobs but also shifted from private to public patronage. All of the new jobs in Athens caused the population to grow. He also rebuilt the temple of Athena on the Acropolis and began to temple to Zeus. |
|
|
Peisistratus religion |
Peisistratus’ emphasis on religion in the arts enhanced both his reputation and that of the city of Athens. The worship of Dionysius flourished under he and his sons. He established two new festivals the greater and lesser Dionysia and introduced tragic dramas as part of these festivals that evolved into the tragedies of the fifth century. He also commissioned the first editions of homers Iliad and Odyssey and made recitations of these a regular part of the Panathenic festival celebrated every four years. |
|
|
Peisistratus’ Sons |
Hippias and hipparcus were co-tyrants after the death of their father peisistratus in 527. Like their father, they celebrated the arts and enjoyed much cultural prestige. However a man named Harmodius and his lover Aristigiton plotted to kill both of them after hipparcus insulted harmodius’ sister. They succeeded in killing Hipparchus in 514 leaving Hippias as the lone tyrant. |
|
|
Hippias Tyranny |
Hippias Tyranny lasted only four years until 510 when he was driven into exile by the alcmaeonids and the Spartans. In 510 Spartan king Cleomenes blockaded Hippias on the acropolis; when Hippias children were captured, he and his family surrender and left for Sigeum. This was the end of the Peisistratid Tyranny. |
|
|
The rise of Cleisthenes |
Factional strife followed the exile of hippias in 510. An aristocrat name Isagoras was elected arcon in 508. His rival Cleisthenes, the leader of the alcmaeonid family, won popular support. Isagoras exiled cleisthenes on the grounds of the old family curse. The Athenians forced Isagoras to surrender and invited Cleisthenes and his followers back to Athens. |
|
|
Cleisthenes’ tribal reform |
Cleisthenes, fearing the power of rich families, decided to break their power by severing old family ties. He he created 10 new Ionian tribes based on the four ancient tribes. He did this by dividing Attica into 3 Geographical areas, the coast, the city, and the plain. Each area was subdivided into 10 sections composed of residential units called Demes. There were 139 Demes. Each of the 10 new tribes was named after a local hero and had its own officials and sanctuaries. Cleisthenes required that citizens identify themselves by their demotic name instead of their fathers name to undermine family loyalty. |
|
|
Cleisthenes counsel reform |
The 10 new tribes form the basis of the new counsel the Boule the council of 500 with each tribe and only providing 50 members. Play’s the knees recognize the principle of proportional representation, an important advancement in government. The 50 slots for the Boule were distributed among the demes in accordance with the population of each. The use of the lot in determining the composition of each years Boule was a key democratic feature of the cleisthenic system. The boules chief functions were to prepair business for the Ekklesia and to manage financial and foreign affairs. Each tribe represented the whole Boule for a 10th of the year. During a tribes period Of service it’s members were called prytaneis. |
|
|
The creation of the Delian league |
In 477 B.C. representatives from Athens and dozens of other Greek states met at Delo’s and took an oath binding themselves into an organization designed to fight the Persians. In exchange for annual contributions in ships or money Athens agreed to lead the league in military operations against Persia and to respect the internal autonomy of each polis and alliance. Policy was to be established by a league assembly but it would be executed by an Athenian high command that was also in control of the treasury. That’s from the beginning power in the league was concentrated in Athens. The goals of the league or clear containment of Persia gathering of treasure as compensation for damages done to Greece and simple revenge. |
|
|
Pausanias and the downfall of spartan power |
The Greeks in 478 decided that they didn’t like their naval commander pausanias who was regent for Spartan king Leonidus’ under age son. They allege that pausanias carried himself like an eastern king dressing like a Persian and fortifying his position with bodyguards. Sparta’s attempted to hold onto its position of primacy by sending out another commander was not successful and the Athenians took the chance to lead. Eventually‘s was accused of treasonous correspondence with the king of Persia and was starved in the temple by the Athenians. |
|
|
Aristides |
Athenian man Known for his honestly and affability. He was in charge of making sure the Athenians got paid by the other members of the league. |
|
|
Aristides |
Athenian man Known for his honestly and affability. He was in charge of making sure the Athenians got paid by the other members of the league. |
|
|
The end of Persian power |
The Delian league fought against Persia for over a quarter century. Led by Miltiades son Cimon the Athenians and their allies expelled the Persians from Europe and made it impossible for them to establish naval bases in Ionia. |
|
|
Cleruchies |
Cimon son of miltiades led the Delian league’s navy all across the Aegean, establishing colonies known as cleruchies. Unlike other Greek colonies, cleruchies were part of the Athenian territory and all of their inhabitants retained Athenian citizenship. The Athenian government sent poor Athenians to the newly acquired area and grant them a parcel of land- a klēros- hence the word Cleruchy. These cleruchies filled a double function: they were an outlet for the poor and they operated as garrisons in the empire to discourage rebellion from Athens. |
|
|
Cleruchies |
Cimon son of miltiades led the Delian league’s navy all across the Aegean, establishing colonies known as cleruchies. Unlike other Greek colonies, cleruchies were part of the Athenian territory and all of their inhabitants retained Athenian citizenship. The Athenian government sent poor Athenians to the newly acquired area and grant them a parcel of land- a klēros- hence the word Cleruchy. These cleruchies filled a double function: they were an outlet for the poor and they operated as garrisons in the empire to discourage rebellion from Athens. |
|
|
The rise of the Athen’s empiricism |
Cimon leaving yes onions and their allies sailed all over the Aegean compelling cities to join the Delian league. When the island of Naxos decided to leave the league the Athenians forcibly prevented it’s withdrawal and confiscated it’s fleet ordering them to pay their tribute in money rather than ships. These two events show that the Delian league was highly problematic. The league operated out of a necessity against Persian attacks. In 467, Cimon and his navy did too good a job squelching the Persians. Cimons success played a role in the revolt of 465 of the important island of Thasos. Athens exercised it’s power again like they had against Naxos and demanded money instead of ships as well as confiscated the Thasian mines. Athens refusal to permit states to be aloof from the league combined with the conversion of tribute payments from ships to Money sent a clear message to the rest of Greece that Athens was converting it’s naval alliance into an empire. |
|
|
Sparta and Athens relations |
During the time of the Delian league Athenian leaders disagreed about the proper relationship to Sparta. For example Themistocles encouraged competition with Sparta and the development of democracy where as Cimon favored Sparta and opposed any further democratization. |
|
|
Developments between Sparta and Athens |
Eventually Themistocles was accused of treasonous correspondence with the king of Persia and exiled. This left pro spartan Cimon in charge of Athens. A man named Ephialtes tried to convince the assembly to break with Sparta and for the growth of democracy. This debate climaxed when an earthquake destroyed most houses and killed thousands of Spartiates and the helots revolted. Sparta relied on the promise of protection from the Delian league and asked for Athens assistance. cimon, against Ephialtes’ exhortation, led 4,000 Athenian troops to Sparta. When they arrived they were immediately sent home. Cimon was ostracized for this miscalculation and Athens broke ties with Sparta and made an allegiance with Argos, Sparta’s enemy. |
