agenda - a list of topics that will be discussed in a meeting
decree - a decision made by people in authority
defendant - a person accused of a crime in a court
direct democracy - a government in which citizens vote directly on decisions
lottery - a draw by chance from a large number of choices
magistrate - a government official who works for the court
orator - a person who speaks in public
pillar - a support that holds up something
plaintiff - a person who brings a complaint about another person to the court
representative democracy - a government of people elected by the people to represent them and make decisions on their behalf.
tribe - a political group in Athenian society
Where did they meet?
In a large open area at the top of a hill called the Pnyx (pu-NIKS)
How often did they meet?
Took place every 8 - 10 days (40 times per year)
Who attended the assembly?
Thousands of citizens
What took place:
Citizens made speeches, debated, listened to others, discussed and voted
Members made decision on big and small issues
For example: grant citizenship to non-Athenian, develop treaties, discuss religion, tax...
Private complaints were brought up
Rules:
Members had equal right to speak
The Greek Leader, Aeschines [Es-HIN-ees] opened the pnyx by saying 'Who wishes to address the Assembly'
Voting was done through show of hands. Sometimes stones were used instead (white for yes and brown for no)
Council of the 500 (AKA: the Boule)
What was the Council of the 500?
The full-time government of Athens
Where did the Council of 500 meet?
In the Bouleuterion [voo-loo-TE-ree-on] at the agora
What was the term of the council (how long did they stay on council)?
One year
Who was part of the council?
Officials divided into 10 tribes with 50 members of each tribe over the age of 30
How were officials selected:
a lottery
maximum of two terms allowed to be served
The chairman or leader held his position for only 24 hours
The chairman was selected through a lottery
As we read through these notes below, respond to the questions on your paper. When we have finished, you will pass the notes to your desk partner to discuss the answers to and adjust any that you need to correct.
The Councils duties involved discussing and voting on decrees to be presented at the Assembly, planning of the agenda prior to an Assembly meeting and supervising the running of the government. Fifty members of the Council were on duty, at all times, in order to assist the chairman with emergencies. They stayed near the agora in the Tholos.
No laws or decrees were to be passed without the approval of a majority vote of the Assembly.
The Courts
The Magistrate
When an Athenian made a complaint, it was brought to the magistrate. The position of magistrate was selected through a lottery and they held the term for one year. The magistrate would sometimes set a fine, as a punishment or send the case to trial.
The Jury
Through a lottery system, male citizens over the age of 30, were selected to sit on the jury. Anywhere between 501 and 1500 jurors were selected, depending on how important the case was.
Sometimes women were part of a case, but if she was a defendant, in a trial, a male citizen had to speak for her. Metics could be involved in cases but could not be part of the jury. There was no such thing as a professional lawyer, back then, so the people had to argue their own case. These people had to be able to speak clearly and well. If the person was wealthy, they would hire a professional speech writer to help him prepare his arguments. After hearing both sides, the jury would vote on case and determine a just punishment.