Classics:
Classics collection contents
About the Classics collection
 Greek Hist. Overview
Art & Arch. Catalogs
Other Tools & Lexica
Plot:
sites in this chapter
sites in this document
dates in this document
Display text chunked by:
chapter (default)
section (default)
subsection (default)
subsubsection (default)
Contents:
Introduction to the Historical Overview in PerseusGeographical and Historical IntroductionThe Early Greek Dark Age and Revival in the Near EastRemaking Greek CivilizationThe Archaic AgeThe Late Archaic City-StateIntroduction to the Fifth CenturyClash Between Greeks and PersiansAthenian Empire in the Golden AgeAthenian Religious and Cultural Life in the Golden AgeContinuity and Change in Athenian Social and Intellectual HistoryThe Peloponnesian War and Athenian LifeIntroduction to the Fourth CenturyThe Aftermath of the Peloponnesian WarNew Directions in Philosophy and EducationThe Creation of Macedonian Power |
Thomas R. Martin, An Overview of Classical Greek History from Mycenae to Alexander
The Archaic Age
Your current position in the text is marked in red. Click anywhere on the line to jump to another position.
5.14. V. Aristocrats and Non-aristocrats in the City-state
For the city-state to be created as a political institution in which all free men had a share, non-aristocratic men had to insist that they deserved equitable treatment, even if aristocrats were to remain in leadership positions and carry out the policies agreed on by the group. The invention of the concept of citizenship as the basis for the city-state and the extension of citizen status to non-aristocrats responded to that demand. Citizenship above all carried certain legal rights, such as access to courts to resolve disputes, protection against enslavement by kidnapping, and participation in the religious and cultural life of the city-state. It also implied participation in politics, although the degree of participation open to poor men varied among the different city states. The ability to hold public office, for example, could be limited in some cases to owners of a certain amount of property or wealth. Most prominently, citizen status distinguished free men and women from slaves and metics (resident aliens), foreigners who were officially granted limited legal rights and permission to reside in a city-state that was not their homeland. Thus, even the poor had a distinction setting themselves apart from others.
The Annenberg CPB/Project provided support for entering this text.
This text is based on the following book(s):
.
OCLC: 33900145
ISBN: 0300069561
Buy a copy of this text (not necessarily the same edition) from Amazon.com.
|
