Athenian democracy

E56562

direct democracy political institution system of government

Athenian democracy was the pioneering system of direct citizen rule developed in classical Athens, where eligible male citizens participated personally in legislative and judicial decision-making.

Observed surface forms (5)

Surface form	Occurrences
Athenian Assembly	1
Athenian citizen body (demos)	1
Athenian constitution	1
Athenian democracy after the Peloponnesian War	1
Athenian reforms of Cleisthenes	1

Statements (49)

Predicate	Object
instanceOf	direct democracy ⓘ political institution ⓘ system of government ⓘ
associatedWith	Cleisthenes ⓘ Pericles ⓘ Solon of Athens ⓘ surface form: Solon
characterizedBy	direct participation of citizens ⓘ majority rule ⓘ ostracism ⓘ payment for public office ⓘ popular assembly ⓘ rotation of office ⓘ sortition ⓘ
citizenEligibility	adult male citizens ⓘ free-born of citizen parents (in later period) ⓘ usually over 18 years old ⓘ
developedIn	Classical Athens ⓘ surface form: classical Athens
emergedAfter	reforms of Cleisthenes ⓘ
emergedInCentury	5th century BCE ⓘ
endedAfter	Macedonian domination of Athens ⓘ
excludesGroup	resident foreigners (metics) ⓘ slaves ⓘ women ⓘ
hasCouncil	Boule ⓘ Athenian Council of 500 (Boule) ⓘ surface form: Council of 500
hasInstitution	Areopagus ⓘ surface form: Areopagus (with limited powers)
hasJudicialBody	Heliaia ⓘ people's courts ⓘ
hasLanguage	Ancient Greek ⓘ
hasLegislativeBody	Assembly of the Demos ⓘ Ecclesia ⓘ surface form: Ekklesia
hasMechanism	ostracism vote ⓘ
hasReform	Cleisthenes ⓘ surface form: Cleisthenic reforms Periclean building program ⓘ surface form: Periclean reforms Solon of Athens ⓘ surface form: Solonian reforms
hasVotingMethod	secret ballot (in some courts) ⓘ show of hands ⓘ
influenced	concept of direct democracy ⓘ modern democratic theory ⓘ
influencedBy	hoplite citizen-soldier culture ⓘ polis structure ⓘ
limitedBy	imperial control over allies ⓘ social inequality ⓘ
locatedIn	Athens ⓘ Greek Antiquity ⓘ surface form: ancient Greece
reachedPeakDuring	Age of Pericles ⓘ
timePeriod	5th–4th centuries BCE ⓘ
usesSelectionMethod	lottery ⓘ sortition of officials ⓘ

Referenced by (27)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Athena Parthenos → associatedWith → Athenian democracy ⓘ

Athenian drachma → associatedWith → Athenian democracy ⓘ

Battle of Arginusae → associatedWith → Athenian democracy ⓘ

Battle of Marathon → associatedWith → Athenian democracy ⓘ

Iphicrates → associatedWith → Athenian democracy ⓘ

Parthenon sculptures → associatedWith → Athenian democracy ⓘ

Pericles → associatedWith → Athenian democracy ⓘ

Treasury of the Athenians → associatedWith → Athenian democracy ⓘ

Athenian army → governedBy → Athenian democracy ⓘ

this entity surface form: Athenian Assembly

Heliaia → governedBy → Athenian democracy ⓘ

trial of Socrates → hasLegalSystem → Athenian democracy ⓘ

subject surface form: Trial of Socrates

Age of Pericles → hasPoliticalSystem → Athenian democracy ⓘ

Classical Greece → hasPoliticalSystem → Athenian democracy ⓘ

Classical period → hasPoliticalSystem → Athenian democracy ⓘ

Meletus → historicalContext → Athenian democracy ⓘ

this entity surface form: Athenian democracy after the Peloponnesian War

Peloponnesian League → opposedIdeology → Athenian democracy ⓘ

Ecclesia → originatesFrom → Athenian democracy ⓘ

this entity surface form: Athenian reforms of Cleisthenes

Boule → partOf → Athenian democracy ⓘ

this entity surface form: Athenian constitution

Ecclesia → partOf → Athenian democracy ⓘ

Anytus → politicalAlignment → Athenian democracy ⓘ

Periclean building program → politicalContext → Athenian democracy ⓘ

Athenian army → socialBasis → Athenian democracy ⓘ

this entity surface form: Athenian citizen body (demos)

Demosthenes → supported → Athenian democracy ⓘ

the Parthenon → symbolOf → Athenian democracy ⓘ

subject surface form: Parthenon

Attica → wasCenterOf → Athenian democracy ⓘ

Aristophanes → workSubject → Athenian democracy ⓘ