Describe the struggle of the demos for political power and the system of Athenian Democracy.

- Greek coloniazation (VIII – VI century B.C.)

-reasons: overpopulation, economic development

-results: flourishing trade, developing craftsmanship

-society: landowning aristocracy –> demos (peasants, merchants, artisans) –> slaves

-as a result the demos strengthened in the city states

-as another result: a temporary balance existed in society

-landowning aristocracy had the political power

-demos had the economic power (but they wer becoming stronger and stronger, and wanted to get the political power as well)

-Archons: they were the heads of the republic

-Draco (621 B.C.)

-made the first written code of laws in Greece, which were very harsh, but applied equally to everybody

-Solon (594 B.C.)

-abolished debts and debt slavery

-divided the society into four groups according to their property –> it became the basis for political rights –> even the poorest could be member of a jury

-introduced a new money- and measure system

-Tyranny: in the middle of the 6th century, certain aristocrats made use of the strengthening of the demo, and relying on them established tyrannies:

-the head of these was the tyrant:

-Pisistratus (560 – 527 B.C.):

-supported the demos by giving them land, carrying public building projects (they built canals, harbours, roads …)

-Hipparochos

-Hippias

-itinerary judges: they went around the country –> peasants didn´t have to go to the city

-tyrants were chased away, because the demos was strong enough to take the political power as well

-Cleisthenes (508 B.C.)

-reorganized the state

-divided the land into 10 phules (each had three parts –> coast, inner land, city)

-each phule sent 50 representatives to the Council of 500, which became the executive power in Athens –> it proposed and administered laws

-System of Athenian Democracy:

-executive power: Council of 500

-legislative power: Assembly (made laws, decided about war & paece, controlled officials:

-every Athenian citizen could participate in it: Athenian citizen = every free Athenian born adult male above age of 20) –> women, slaves, and foreigners were excluded

-judicial power: Jury

-members were chosen by lot

-to make sure that they prevented the return of tyrants they introduced ostracism –> they wrote the name of a person whom they suspected of tyranny on a piece of pottary, and the person who got the most vote exciled for 10 years)