THE ATHENIAN CITIZEN THE EXCAVATIONS OF THE ATHENIAN AGORA PICTURE BOOK SERIES 1. Brian A. Sparkes and Lucy Talcott, Pots and Pans of Classical Athens Democracy in the Athenian Agora (1959) 2. Homer A. Thompson, The Stoa of Attalos II in Athens (revised 1992) 3. Dorothy B. Thompson, Miniature Sculpture from the Athenian Agora (1959) 4. Mabel Lang, The Athenian Citizen (revised 2004) 5. Evelyn B. Harrison, Ancient Portraits from the Athenian Agora (1960) 6. Virginia R. Grace, Amphoras and the Ancient Wine Trade (revised 1979) 7. Alison Frantz, The Middle Ages in the Athenian Agora (1961) 8. Dorothy B. Thompson and Ralph E. Griswold, Garden Lore of Ancient Athens (1963) 9. Judith Perlzweig, Lamps from the Athenian Agora (1964) 10. Benjamin D. Meritt, Inscriptions from the Athenian Agora (1966) 11. Mabel Lang, Waterworks in the Athenian Agora (1968) 12. Dorothy B. Thompson, An Ancient Shopping Center: The Athenian Agora (revised 1993) 13. Sara A. Immerwahr, Early Burials from the Agora Cemeteries (1973) 14. Mabel Lang, Graffiti in the Athenian Agora (revised 1988) 15. Fred S. Kleiner, Greek and Roman Coins in the Athenian Agora (1975) 16. John Mck. Camp II, The Athenian Agora: A Short Guide (revised 2003) 17. Mabel Lang, Socrates in the Agora (1978) 18. Fred S. Kleiner, Mediaeval and Modern Coins in the Athenian Agora (1978) 19. John McK. Camp II, Gods and Heroes in the Athenian Agora (1980) 20. Carol C. Mattusch, Bronzeworkers in the Athenian Agora (1982) 21. John McK. Camp II and William B. Dinsmoor Jr., Ancient Athenian Building Methods (1984) 22. Robert D. Lamberton and Susan I. Rotroff, Birds of the Athenian Agora (1985) 23. Mabel Lang, Life, Death, and Litigation in the Athenian Agora (1994) 24. John McK. Camp II, Horses and Horsemanship in the Athenian Agora (1998) 25. Jenifer Neils and Stephen V. Tracy, The Games at Athens (2003) American School of Classical Studies at Athens 1 THE ATHENIAN CITIZEN Democracy in the Athenian Agora Mabel Lang Revised edition prepared by John McK. Camp II Photographs by Alison Frantz and Craig Mauzy American School of Classical Studies at Athens 2004 1. The Agora and northwest Athens in the second century a.d. 3 INTRODUCTION The government of ancient Athens concerned itself with many as- pects of the lives of its citizens. In the pure democracy of Athens the government was not only of the people and for the people but also by the people to a far greater extent than is possible in the large representa- tive democracies of the present. Because of the scope of governmental activity and the mass participation of the citizens, much machinery and paraphernalia of government were needed. It is through the material remains of this machinery found in the center of civic life, the Agora (1), that the pure democracy of ancient Athens can be most vividly illustrated. Fortunately for us, the stone, metals, and pottery which the Athe- nians used are relatively imperishable, so that we have much of this pri- mary evidence to supplement and illustrate the literature and history written by ancient authors. These material remains, as illustrated here, fall into several classes: records inscribed on marble or lead, currency, standard weights and measures, paraphernalia of the lawcourts, tokens, ostraka, and buildings. Most important of these, perhaps, are the laws and other records published on stone for the ancient Athenians them- selves. From these we may learn, through the Athenians’ own words, “what seemed best to the People.” 4 2. Model of the Agora in ca. 400 b.c., from the southeast SACRED GATE BOOF UKDNEIPRDYAALOMRNYE G ISKATOTOESNE THESEION STREET PHOASITKINILGES SSTTROEEAT ST. PHILIP STREET AGIV OCENRT. BA.C. RAILWAY ALTAR DESMAONSC T&U GARRAYC OESF ERIDANOS RIVER ST. PHILIP HEPHAISTOS STREET KOLHOANGEOOPSRHAIOASISTEIONBOULEUTERION THOLOS METROON APOLLOSTPOATA RO OOZFSE U S BGREATO DRAINOTUHE EPONYFMNOUS HER OESD AAGREO1AOYS2RCL F TAH SGTATAOHROREDNASES STREET OF THE PANATHENAIAPESHRQAIDSURTIAAYSNRHL ESEOTPRSEET VRYSAKIOU STREET DRAIN STRATEGEIDROAIN N? AIAKEION SOUTH STOA I GAPTIREAEUS HOUSE FOSU.NWT.AIN HOUSE FOHUOSNU.TESAE.IN MINT ACROPOLIS SHRINE PBOUIRLODSING 0 50 100METERS 3. Plan of the Agora in the fourth century b.c. 5 THE AGORA AND PNYX Center of public activity, the Agora was a large open square where all the citizens could assemble (2, 3). It was used for a variety of functions: markets, religious processions, athletic contests, military training, the- atrical performances, and ostracisms. Around its edges stood the build- ings needed to run the democracy: the Council House (Bouleuterion), magistrates’ headquarters, archives, mint, lawcourts, and civic offices. Boundary stones, such as the one shown below (4), indicate that the Agora had well-recognized geographical limits. 4. Boundary stone of the Agora, ca. 500 b.c. In letters which run right to left the inscription reads: “I am the boundary of the Agora.” 6 5. Speaker’s platform (bema) on the Pnyx, fourth century b.c. The Agora is located immediately north of three rocky heights: the Acropolis, which was Athens’ citadel, sacred center, and treasury; the Areopagus, seat of Athens’ oldest and most august court; and the Pnyx, meeting place of the legislative Assembly (Ekklesia). It was on the Pnyx (5) that policies initiated by magistrates and committees in the offices of the Agora were submitted to the Athenian citizens. Stated meetings were held four times a month to enact legislation, hear embassies, and deal with such matters as food supply and the defense of the country. The meetings convened at dawn, and reluctant citizens were swept up from the Agora by slaves holding the ends of a long rope wet with red paint which would mark the clothes and thus make liable to a fine any- one who lingered or attempted to evade the call of duty. 7 CITIZENSHIP: TRIBES AND DEMES Every male Athenian, above and beyond the regular universal mili- tary training for service in the citizen army, was subject to universal political service. Besides being a member of the Assembly, he was al- most certain, at least once in his lifetime, to be chosen by lot as one of the Council (Boule) of 500 and to serve for a year in this body which prepared legislation for the Assembly and coped, by means of smaller committees, with the day to day exigencies of administration. In addition to his legislative responsibilities, each citizen was liable to executive duties. He might be allotted for a year’s ser- vice to any of a number of com- mittees or boards such as Treas- urers, Lessors of Public Contracts, Auditors, Market Controllers, Con- trollers of Measures, Grain War- dens, Port Superintendents, etc. Even many of the highest offices in the land were filled by allot- ment and so could fall on any 6.Oath stone (lithos) of the Athe- citizen; almost all offices could be nians, on the steps of the Royal held only for a single year. In this Stoa. Sixth century b.c. and later. way maximum participation was achieved, and every man was a public servant. All citizens about to serve the state took an oath of office, vowing not to transgress any of the laws or to overthrow the democracy. The oath stone (6) has been found in front of the Stoa Basileios (or Royal Stoa), headquarters of the Basileus, chief religious and legal magistrate of the city. The spread of responsibility also made necessary an equally broad system of judicial control. Here again the citizen was the court of first and last appeal. All citizens were jurors, and both the size of the juries (from 200 up) and the number of courts (up to 10 sitting simultane- ously) gave to all the opportunity to serve. 8 2 8 21 16 4 3 4 2 2 4 1 3 3 1 10 3 1 2 5 2 1 2 6 1 7?=+2125? 2 22 2? 45 1 6 11? 2 7 2 21 6? 21 34 3 2 34 5? 2 13 1 121 1126 1 21 1 67 4 4 21 4 5 21 7 2 10113211 1 2 1 67 9 11 1 8? 2 2 3 3 10 5 32 2 3 11? 5 5 6 3 9 5 6 6 2 9 6 4 1 3 2 6 9 3 5 7 11 10 2 12 2 3 3 11 3 11? 2 4 10 1 1 2 2 1 23 1 1 1 2 10 1 1 10 1 1 01 1 7. Map of demes and tribes. Each color stands for one of the 10 tribes, each mark for an individual deme. The lines link groups of demes that be- long to the same tribe. The number within each mark records the number of representatives sent each year to the Council (Boule) from that deme. 9 Thus, the legislative and judicial branches of the government were the people of Athens, who also, as individuals, served in executive ca- pacities and, as a group, elected the chief executives each year. Every man held his citizenship, which he inherited, through membership in a deme, a group which had its origin in a geographical unit (a neigh- borhood of the city or a village in the countryside) and which gave to each citizen the third element of his official name, e.g., Perikles, son of Xanthippos, of (the deme of) Cholargos. There were about 140 demes, divided among 10 tribes (7), which were the basic units for allotment, representation on boards, and military organization. THE EPONYMOUS HEROES Just as all governmental activity and policy stemmed from the indi- vidual Athenian citizen, so there was a center in the Agora from which the lines of power went out to all men in all fields of activity. This was the Monument of the Eponymous Heroes, a long base, surrounded by a fence, on which stood statues of the heroes from whom the 10 tribes took their names (8). Here, by the hero of his tribe, each man, holding his citizenship through tribe and deme, was in closest contact with the privileges and 8. Model of the Monument of the Eponymous Heroes. Notices concerning members of a given tribe would be posted below the statue of the appro- priate tribal hero. 10