Ecclesia

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Ecclesia was the principal popular assembly of citizens in Classical Athens that exercised direct democratic control over laws, foreign policy, and major state decisions.

Aliases (1)

Statements (47)
Predicate Object
instanceOf Athenian political institution
democratic assembly
popular assembly
agendaPreparedBy Boule
authorizes public expenditures
composedOf male Athenian citizens
convenesFor debate on proposals
country Ancient Greece
decidesOn alliances
citizenship grants
military expeditions
ostracism
decisionRule majority vote
developedFrom earlier Homeric and archaic assemblies
elects certain magistrates
excludes resident foreigners (metics)
slaves
women
exercisedPowerOver foreign policy
lawmaking
major state decisions
war and peace decisions
governs Athenian polis
greekName ἐκκλησία
hasPoliticalSystem direct democracy
historicalPrecursorOf modern parliamentary assemblies
influenced concept of popular sovereignty
later Greek city-state assemblies
literalMeaning assembly
locatedIn Classical Athens
meetingFrequency about 40 times per year
meetsAt Pnyx hill
minimumAgeForParticipation 18 years
originatesFrom Athenian reforms of Cleisthenes
oversees magistrates’ conduct
partOf Athenian democracy
presidedOverBy prytaneis
quorumRequirement 6000 citizens (for some decisions)
ratifies decrees (psephismata)
relatedTo Boule
Heliaia
timePeriod 4th century BCE
5th century BCE
typeOfParticipation direct participation of citizens
usedLanguage Ancient Greek
votingMethod secret ballot (in some procedures)
show of hands

Referenced by (4)
Subject (surface form when different) Predicate
Athenian democracy ("Ekklesia")
hasLegislativeBody
Classical Athens
legislativeBody
Boule ("Ekklesia")
relatedTo
Boule ("Ekklesia")
subordinateTo

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