Athens Transformed, 404-262 BC: From Popular Sovereignty to the Dominion of Wealth (Routledge Monographs in Classical Studies)

During The Heady, Democratic Days Of The Fifth And Fourth Centuries, The Poorer Members Of Athenian Society, The Lower Two Classes Of Zeugitai And Thetes, Enjoyed An Unprecedented Dominance In Both Domestic And Foreign Politics. At Home, The Participatory Nature Of The Constitution Required Their Presence Not Only In The Lawcourts And Assembly, But Also In Most Of The Minor Magistracies; Abroad, They Were The Driving Force Of The Navy, Which Ensured Athens' Control Of The Aegean And The Black Seas. Their Participation At All Levels Was Made Possible By State Pay (for Jury Duty, Attendance In The Assembly, Public Office And Military Service). In The Fifth Century State Pay Was Financed Largely Through The Tribute Paid By Members Of The Empire, Supplemented By The Liturgical Contributions Of The Rich And, Beginning During The War, A Property Tax (the Eisphora). In The Fourth Century, Almost The Whole Burden Was Shouldered By Taxation Upon The Wealthy, Especially Those Who Owned Property. In This Book, Author Phillip Harding Traces The Major Changes That Occurred In The Administration Of The State That Eventually Deprived The Lower Classes Of Their Supremacy And Transferred Power Into The Hands Of The Wealthy Land-owners. Things Changed Radically After Athens' Defeat In The Lamian (or Hellenic) War In 322bc. Over The Next Several Decades, Restriction Of The Franchise, Elimination Of Pay For Some Public Offices, The Loss Of The Navy, The Increased Dependence Upon Local Grain From The Larger Estates In Attika, The Removal Of The Tax Burden From The Rich By The Ending Of Such Major Liturgies As The Trierarchia And The Choregia And The Abandoning Of The Eisphora All Contributed To This Transformation--from Publisher's Website. Sovereignty Regained: Oligarchs Vs. Democrats -- Sovereignty Regained : Foreign Policy -- Sovereignty Lost : At Home And Abroad -- By Land And Sea -- From Taxation To Benefaction -- Philokleon Would Not Be Amused -- Farewell Strepsiades, Bonjour Tristesse : The Peasant Leaves The Stage -- Epilogue -- Appendix 1: The Sources Of Information For The Fourth And Early-third Centuries -- Appendix 2: Historical Outline. Phillip Harding. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. "During the heady, democratic days of the fifth and fourth centuries, the poorer members of Athenian society, the lower two classes of zeugitai and thetes, enjoyed an unprecedented dominance in both domestic and foreign politics. At home, the participatory nature of the constitution required their presence not only in the law courts and assembly, but also in most of the minor magistracies; abroad, they were the driving force of the navy, which ensured Athens' control of the Aegean and Black Seas. Their participation at all levels was made possible by state pay (for jury duty, attendance in the assembly, public office and military service). In the fifth century state pay was financed largely through the tribute paid by members of the empire, supplemented by the liturgical contributions of the rich and, beginning during the war, a property tax (the eisphora). In the fourth century, almost the whole burden was shouldered by taxation upon the wealthy, especially those who owned property. In this book, author Phillip Harding traces the major changes that occurred in the administration of the state that eventually deprived the lower classes of their supremacy and transferred power into the hands of the wealthy land-owners. Things changed radically after Athens' defeat in the Lamian (or Hellenic) War in 322 BC. Over the next several decades, restriction of the franchise, elimination of pay for some public offices, the loss of the navy, the increased dependence upon local grain from the larger estates in Attika, the removal of the tax burden from the rich by the ending of such major liturgies as the trierarchia and the choregia and the abandoning of the eisphora all contributed to this transformation"--Publisher's website Cover 1 Title 6 Copyright 7 Dedication 8 Contents 10 Preface 12 Maps 14 Abbreviations 16 Introduction 18 1 Sovereignty Regained 20 Oligarchs vs. Democrats 20 The Constitution 26 The Sociology of Attika 33 The Peiraieus 37 Suggested Reading 40 2 Sovereignty Regained 42 Foreign Policy 42 Feeding the People 63 Suggested Reading 68 3 Sovereignty Lost 70 At Home and Abroad 70 The Population of Athens in the Late Fourth and Early Third Centuries 87 Suggested Reading 90 4 By Land and Sea 92 Defending the Democracy 92 Athens' Military in the Post-Democratic Period 97 Suggested Reading 100 5 From Taxation to Benefaction 101 Financing the Democracy: Taxation 101 After Democracy: Benefaction 108 Suggested Reading 114 6 Philokleon Would Not Be Amused 115 The Demise of the Jury-Courts 115 Suggested Reading 121 7 Farewell Strepsiades, Bonjour Tristesse 123 The Peasant Leaves the Stage 123 Aristophanic Comedy 123 Menander and New Comedy 131 Suggested Reading 135 Epilogue 138 Appendix 1: The Sources of Information for the Fourth and Early Third Centuries 140 Appendix 2: Historical Outline 162 Index 192