Fundamentación de la propuesta

With the departure of Isagoras and the Spartans in 508/7, and the return of Kleisthenes, his reforms could proceed unhindered.

Kleisthenes’ reforms resulted in the political system undergoing major changes: the four Ionian tribes were abolished, and replaced by ten new ones, involving a division of Attica into trittyes and demes. Each new tribe was to contribute fifty members each year to the new boule, and the boule is increased in size, from 400 to 500 members. The main building block of the new organization was the demes, the villages of Attica, and in

the new system there were 140 demes. These were grouped into thirty units known as trittyes (sin. trittys). There were ten, ten inland and ten coastal trittyes (from the asty, mesogeios, and paralia); the number of demes in each trittys varied, but three trittyes went to make up each tribe. Each deme elected a number of members to the boule and was, in fact, a miniature polis, with its own assembly and officials, which voted on deme issues. The purpose of this re-organisation was to re-orientate Athenian politics and weaken regional ties. Each citizen was a member of a tribe, which was made up of one city, one inland, and one coastal trittys, and thus each tribe brought together Athenians from all over Attica into one group. Regional ties which were thought to be particularly strong received special attention (Aristotle Politics 1319b 19-27) and the tribes also obscured the origins of individual citizens: it was not possible to tell from the tribal affiliation whether someone was a new citizen or not. Kleisthenes encouraged the Athenians to call one another by the deme names, but was not successful in this, and while they adopted the deme appellation they still retained the patronymic (Ath. Pol. 21.1-6).

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Constitution of Kleisthenis

Kleisthenes also introduced the procedure of ostracism according to the Ath. Pol. The Athenians did not make use of this for many years, and the first ostracism took place after the battle of Marathon, in 488/7; The Ath. Pol 22.3-8states in explanation that the Athenians only then gained the confidence to make use of the procedure, and that they had hitherto been lenient towards the ‘friends of the tyrants’, who were the first victims. There was a quorum of 6000, and the procedure involved a debate in the sixth prytany of the year as to whether or not an ostracism would be held, with the ostracism actually held in the eighth prytany. i.e someone ostracized in a particular archonship was actually ostracized in the second half of the year, and sometimes, as with other dates known to fall in a particular half of an archon year, this is indicated by underlining the second year. While it is possible that ostracism was introduced as a means of preventing those hostile to the demos from becoming too powerful, it is unlikely that it was advanced directly against the supporters of the tyranny. The people had not been opposed to the tyranny, and had not effected its downfall, and an attempt to ostracize the tyrant’s supporters would have created a struggle between them and Kleisthenes. Hipparchos, probably Hippias’ grand son, the first to be ostracized, had in fact been eponymous archon in 496/5, indicating that the friends of the tyrants were still influential in 490s. It will only have been Hippias’ involvement with the Persian invasion at Marathon that discredited the tyrants and their friends in the popular imagination. The constitution established by Kleisthenes was definitely democratic in character, though the four Solonian census classes remained in use as the determinant for qualification to office. Further changes were to take place in the fifth century, notably the appointment of archons by a procedure using both direct election and lot on a tribal basis (Ath. Pol. 22.3-8), extension on the archonship

to the zeugitai, Ephialtes’ changes to the powers of the Areiopagos, and the introduction of pay for jury service (Ath. Pol 25. 1-4; 27.3-4). Yet it was the reforms of Kleisthenes that made Athens a democracy and subsequent reforms were only aimed at making the state even more democratic.

Learning Teaching Activities

Group Activity No. 1

On a map of Greece and Asia Minor, mark the locations of the major tyrannies. Argos – ruled by Pheidon

Corinta – ruled by the Cypselids (Cyselus, Periander, Psammetichus) Sicylon – ruled by the Orthagarids

(Orthagoras, Myron, Cleisthenes) Megara – ruled by Theagenes Athens – ruled by Peisistratids

(Peisistratus, Hipparchus, Hippias) Samos – ruled by Polycrates Miletus – ruled by Thrasybulas

Instructions

• The students can go through what they have studied on tyrannies and then make use of the list given and locate the places of the major tyrannies.

• Once it is done the teacher can display the map and locate the places together with the students.

Group Activity No. 2

Draw up a suitable chart based on your understanding of the information on the Spartan government and constitution.

Kings Gerousia Assembly Ephors Eligibility and Total Number Responsibilities Political Power Judicial Power Religious Power Privileges/ Honours Instructions

• The students can study the components of the Spartan government and then categorise the functions of them according to the chart given above.

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