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History and Evolution:
By William E. Steinman:
Part 16, Democracy and Tyranny:
July 7, 2003:
We saw that Solon introduced many reforms and laid the foundations of democracy in Attica. However, his solutions were rather fragile compromises. He left the wealthy in possession of much of their holdings. In fact, the aristocrats still retained most of the power. Hence, there was much squabbled amongst them. In addition, the small landholders found themselves in a desperate situation. Though they had recovered their land, they lacked the wherewithal to achieve profitable husbandry. The major crop of Attica was olives and it takes some twenty years to bring a tree to fruition. To be sure, there was no help forthcoming from the former wealthy masters.
These difficulties continued until 546 BC when a strong man came to power in the person of Peisistratid. He was a true power dominant. He was called a tyrant because he did rule by force. He also came to power by force. With wealthy allies from outside Attica and support from within he raised an army of mercenaries with his own and his allies funds. Then he invade Attica, surprised the Athenian army, and soundly trounced them. After that he ruled Attica until his death in527 BC.
Rather than discard the laws implemented by Solon, Peisistratid began to enforce them with a firm hand. He did put some aristocrats into exile and he held families of others hostage. Others were more cooperative and were allowed to retain their positions. On the positive side, he did not change the nature of the basic reforms that Solon had begun. He just took charge of things. He built temples, encouraged religious cults, and supported literary efforts.
In the countryside, he made loans to the farmers to sustain their effort. This was many centuries before FDR's Farm Credit Act of 1933. He also brought justice to rural Attica in the form of traveling judges. To pay for this largess, Peisistratid instituted taxes on agriculture and shipping. He also exploited Attica's silver mines. His foreign policy was toward negotiated peaceful alliances. However, he also began building Athens into a naval power to be reckoned with. Internally, he began building roads which ultimately lead to the unification of Attica. The up side was, under his rule, Attica was stable and prospered.
Following Peisistratied, his son Hippias ruled until 510 BC. At that time, Sparta invaded Attica and deposed him. There followed a couple of years of power struggle until a new leader emerged in the person of Cleisthenes. This is the man who is credited with being the founder of Athenian democracy. From 525 - 524 he had served as chief magistrate so he had some political savvy.
In 508 BC, he gained the support of the general assembly and achieved his reforms in spite of the aristocrats. In spite of Sparta's meddling the assembly managed to reform the entire system of Athenian government. The foundation of political power which had been clan, kin, and family based was changed to a locality basis. Townships were set up, kept their own records, and elected their own officials. Citizens were identified not by their clan but by their township.
The political institutions built under Cleisthenes' direction were artificial and rather complex. He divided Attica into three regions and defined ten arbitrary tribes. In each region he set up ten townships each to have membership in one of the tribes. Then he replace Solon's Council of Four Hundred with a Council of Five Hundred. Each tribe then could elect 50 members to this council. Does this seem as complicated as a Gerrymandered American City? The whole purpose was to make factions, coalitions, and cliques difficult, if not impossible, to build.
Pretty much every citizen in Attica was somehow involved in the political process. From this beginning came the concept of equal rights for all citizens which we in America find embodied in our Declaration of Independence. Remember?
We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness...
Let us never forget.
A major feature of the Greek civilization was the uncooperative, often even hostile, behavior of the city-states toward each other. It seems they were forever meddling in each others affairs. Even in the face of foreign hostility they were unable or unwilling to show a united front. This was the situation in the Persian Wars. These began in 500 BC when Ionia on the coast of Asia Minor revolted against the Persian King Darius the Great. Ionia had been under the rule of Persia for several decades. Athens went to the aid of Ionia, but Sparta did not.
The important thing about the Persian Wars is the fact that
the Greeks ultimately triumphed. The turning point came at the
battle of Marathon wherein Athens defeated the invading Persians.
In this battle, the Spartans showed up a day late and missed all
the fun. The Persians made other attempts wherein the Spartans
did participate in the Greek defense and suffered severe losses.
The end came when the Persian fleet was destroyed by the Greek
fleet. The Spartans then finished off the stranded Persian army
in 479 BC. Thus ended the Persian threat and began the age of
Greek ascendency and the Athenian empire.
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