Greek City States Polis Expansion Sparta Athens

Polis Citizens who have Rights (most males) - ~10% asty + chora = polis. Asty is the Greek word for the city proper, the core of the polis. Chora means region or district; in our formula, it refers to the agricultural hinterland around a polis.

City-State Organization Acropolis – formal politics Agora – market; informal politics Pop. Range from few thousand to 300,000 Athens by 5 th century BCE Polis (plu. Poleis) = urban core + a rural zone Athens + Attica = Athenian polis; Sparta + Laconia = Spartan polis

Polis Rights with responsibilities Loyalty City-states = rivals

New War Style Old = cavalry aristocrats Hoplite warrior Phalanx formation Discipline Resistant to cavalry, so aristocrats no longer dominant

Expansion - Colonization Dardanelles Or “Hellespont” Bosporus

Colonization Causes Farmland Trade opportunities Effects Spread of Greek culture to peoples in colonized areas Economic advantage of control of waterways Hellespont Bosporus Created wealthy elite in cities Frustrated by lack of access to political power that was reserved for landowners

Colonization… Trade for food (+) = increase population (-) = rely on foreigners

Tyranny Seize power by force from aristocrats Not necessarily bad Cause: wealthy elite who made $$ from trade & industry joined with poor peasants in debt Hired soldiers Tyrant not always bad… In some places led to development of democracy

Sparta Conquered Laconians & Messenians “helots” Military! Government Ephors 5 men Council of Elders 2 kings 28 citizens over 60 Assembly of all male citizens vote

Spartans Isolationists Conservatives extreme Xenophobic Anti-education Simple, disciplined life Look down on merchants and trade

Athens Monarchy, then oligarchy, then democracy Problems by 600s BCE Farmers sold into slavery for debt Smaller number of aristocrats own larger amount of the land

Draco Circa 621 B.C., Draco codified the laws of Athens and posted them in the Athenian agora. This code was harsh “Draconian” Athens was, in principle, now ruled by laws, not by men.

Athens: Solon 594 BCE Reformer How can we avoid civil war or a tyranny? Aristocrat Cancelled debts Freed ppl enslaved for debt Refused to redistribute land Tyranny came anyway Right to vote = wealth “timocracy” Council of 400 sets agenda “initiative”

Peisistratus 560 BCE Tyrant, though of aristocrat class Help trade to appease merchant classes Redistribute land Rebellion against his son

Cleisthenes 512 BCE seizes power Participation based on residence, not birth or wealth Council of 500 Foreign affairs Treasury Propose laws Assembly All male citizens Pass laws Debate

Factors in the Development of Democracy Economic Military Philosophical

Interesting Ideas from Athens Ostracism “Hellenes” Individualism Oligarchy Tyranny Democracy Monarchy Aristocracy Rhetoric

Discussion Topics for Athens Tendency of wealth (i.e., land) to become accumulated into the hands of fewer and fewer over time Compare to Rome’s latifundia The phalanx as a contributor to democracy Compare to long bow in Hundred Years’ War Trade as alternative path to wealth but tendency of aristocracy to hang on Compare to commercial revolution in Europe 15 th century