Don’t Be an Idiote

A citizen is a member of a state who owes allegiance to that state. The state’s government, in return, is responsible to protect that citizen. Democracy is based upon self-rule. Around 500 BCE, Greek soldiers assumed self rule in Athens with only free, males of Greek ancestry becoming the citizens.

Greek citizen-soldiers Pericles, born in 495 BCE, was their leading general and political leader; Socrates, the teacher and philosopher was born in 469 BCE. He was the model citizen-soldier.

A Greek walled town was called a polis; Acropolis was an example. Their word for organized community watch was “police”. The organized community of Greek citizens was the “politeia” but “idiotes” were unconnected, private persons who cared more for their own personal concerns, than for those of the polis. Don’t be an idiote!

This is how Athenians ruled themselves: all operated by citizens. Military generals; A legislative assembly of 6,000 citizens ; An executive branch called the Council (volunteers were chosen by lot to serve one year terms of office) ; and The 600 person juries (chosen by lot ).

Roman citizen soldiers Romans revised the self rule structure based upon their Centurian citizen-soldier. Originally, only men from the Italian Peninsula could become Centurian citizen- soldiers creating the Roman Republic.

The Romans spoke Latin. The Latin word for city is “civis”, Civicus is Latin for “of a citizen.” Eventually, Rome turned into an empire controlled by emperors, not the citizens. The original citizen soldiers were replaced by soldiers recruited from throughout the Empire. In another 1,500 years, a third state would try self rule, based upon citizenship.

American citizen soldiers When colonial militias first opposed the British soldiers and mercenaries at Lexington and Concord, citizens were once again seeking to rule themselves.

George Washington Lead Americans to military victory and as President.

But upon returning to life as a private citizen, he warned Americans to… "...avoid the necessity of those overgrown military establishments, which, under any form of government, are inauspicious to liberty, and which are to be regarded as particularly hostile to Republican Liberty."

Citizens are involved in civic life. Today, civic life means to take be concerned with the affairs of communities and the common good, rather than solely in pursuit of private or personal interests. Remember- don’t be an idiote!