Why Athenian Democracy Failed

For 200 years, Athens was a democracy. The Deemos, the Athenian people met here at the Panix. It was here that some of the most consequential legislation in ancient history was passed. And here too that mistakes were made which doomed Athenian democracy. From the archaic period until the days of the Roman emperors, most Greek cities were governed by oligarchies. Although their citizens typically had the right to assemble and vote on matters of public interest, real power was exercised by a small group of wealthy citizens. Athenian democracy originally had oligarchic features and its leaders were almost always from prominent families. It evolved, however, into a system that gave unprecedented power to even the poorest citizens. All men over the age of 20 were allowed to vote in the ecclesia, the assembly. In theory, although practiced orators dominated debate, any citizen in good standing had the right to speak. Voting was done by a show of hands. The agenda for meetings of the assembly was prepared by the Boule, the council of 500. Its members selected by lot for a one-year term of service managed the daily administration of the government via committees that oversaw public finances and supervised officials. There were about 700 officials in the mature democracy. All served annual terms. Although most were chosen by lot, around 100 were elected. Of these, the most important were the 10 generals responsible for leading Athenian armies and fleets. The actions of the generals and other officials were reviewed and reinforced by the courts. Juries ranging in size from 200 to 6,000 were impanled about 200 times a year. They often dealt with political business most prominently by trying accusations of graph paranom the charge brought against those who proposed illegal measures in the assembly. In some respects Athenian democracy was as Pericles claimed in his funeral erration the school of Greece with the possible exception of Medici Florence. No other government in history has presided over such concentrated cultural brilliance. The democracy was also effective in political terms, building a maritime empire while maintaining stability at home. The democracy performed brilliantly during the Persian wars. In later crises, however, it was often impulsive and erratic. Toward the beginning of the Palpatinesian war, for example, the assembly voted to punish the rebellious city of Midolini by executing every male citizen and selling the women and children into slavery. The next day, regretting this extreme measure, the Athenians voted to spare the people of Midolini. The swift galley sent to stop the massacre barely arrived in time. An even more notorious incident took place near the end of the Pelpeneisian War. After defeating the Spartans at the naval battle of Argonusi, the eight generals in command of the Athenian fleet were prevented by a storm from rescuing the crews of 25 ships. Nearly 5,000 Athenians drowned. Fearing the assembly's response, two generals went into voluntary exile. When the other six returned to Athens, they were sumearily executed. Athenian democracy, in short, could be extremely fickle, an ultimately fatal flaw, as we'll see after a brief word about this video's sponsor. Every year, I guess, usually incorrectly, what my wife wants for Christmas. This year, fortunately, I don't have to guess because my wife asked for a Holo Karn watch. Holkarn makes watches, bandlets, and jewelry, all manufactured in limited quantities from the finest natural materials. I am giving my wife the Balos watch crafted from zebrawood and blue marble. I didn't even have to wrap it since the watch came in this stylish wooden case and green packaging. Holkarn offers free worldwide shipping. If you're in the US, your order will arrive in 5 to9 business days. Orders placed by December 19th will arrive by Christmas Day. So give an unforgettable gift. Follow the link in the description and use the code stone to save 15% on

all Holkarn products. Returning to our topic, the Athenian democracy was overthrown three times, but only once from within. That coup took place during the darkest days of the Pelpeneisian War. It began after the exiled general Elsabides sent word that the Persians would give Athens desperately needed money if they established an oligarchy. The Persians never actually agreed to this, but the idea of overthrowing the democracy took root. Meeting in the associations known as Hataii, young aristocrats plotted a campaign of terror against prominent democratic leaders. Several were killed. The rest were cowed. At the same time, some of the richest men in Athens proposed seemingly modest political changes, claiming that they intended to restore the ancestral constitution. A special meeting of the assembly was held outside the walls, apparently to discourage the participation of the urban poor. The attendees were browbeaten into approving a new government. A council of 400 was created. Its members, all wealthy men, were supposed to select and consult a broader group of 5,000 citizens. Instead, they seized absolute power. Anyone who dared to speak against the new regime was executed. The 400 tried to assert control over the Athenian fleet stationed on the island of Seamos. But the sailors, drawn overwhelmingly from the ranks of the poor, deposed their generals, elected new officers hostile to oligarchy and became in effect the democracy in exile. Back in Athens, the 400 were proving ineffective against Sparta. After peace negotiations failed, a faction among the oligarchs apparently conspired to admit Spartan troops into Pereus, the harbor of Athens. Amid the recriminations and political infighting that followed, the island of Yubia revolted. With that loss, after only 4 months, the regime of the 400 collapsed. It was replaced by a moderate oligarchy and soon after by the restored democracy. Democracy would be overthrown twice more in the classical period. First by the Spartans who installed the 30 tyrants after winning the Pelpeneisian War and then by the Macedonians who limited political rights to the wealthiest third of the population long before it disappeared. However, Athenian democracy was demonized. In large part, this was due to the fact that the Athenian authors who defined the classical literary cannon from Aristophanes to Xenopon almost universally disliked it. Plato, who never forgave the democracy for executing Socrates, dreamed of a state ruled by philosopher kings. Aristotle endorsed a moderate form of oligarchy. Enlightenment political theorists tended to present direct democracy as intrinsically unstable, regarding the mixed constitution of the Roman Republic as a more viable model for modern states. Contemporary scholars, however, are readier to recognize the virtues of Athenian democracy, which offers both a model of true government by the people and a lesson about how quickly the people can be disenfranchised. Follow the links in the description to check out my upcoming tours in Spain, Turkey, Egypt, and more. You'll also find links there to my other YouTube channels. On Scenic Roots to the Past, I'm in the middle of a series exploring the sites of ancient Greece. Tolden Stone Footnotes showcases the latest episodes of my podcast. Enjoy that content. Don't forget about Patreon. And as always, thanks for watching.