Discuss the role of the polis in Archaic and Classical-era Greece, supporting your response with examples and detail from your reading.
The polis or city-state has had a significant impact on Greek society and culture for thousands of years. In the earliest period of Greek history, Archaic Greece, the polis was largely shaped by war and conquest. The city-states that grew up in this era could be called oligarchies because they shared power between their wealthy aristocratic families. By contrast, the polis becomes a more egalitarian place in Classical-era Greece as states become larger and more complex; Athens eventually becomes powerful enough to challenge Sparta (Landauer, 2021).
In Archaic Greece, the aristocratic families use their wealth to control the government. Often they will give out other important positions in government to their relatives and friends. This practice is called patronage, where rich families help poor ones. At this time these wealthy families are not accountable to any laws; however, they are still expected to obey traditional values based on honor and justice. In fact, during this period these families often will not even use money to purchase things. Instead, they will give gifts of food and drink to show their loyalty and honor (Landauer, 2021). For example, the most important unit of currency at this time was the “drachma.” In addition, a special type of religious cult was established in which worshippers would sacrifice animals in honor of their gods.
Another powerful member of society that is not affected by government is the warrior class, or hoplite. A hoplite was a citizen who fought in the hoplite phalanx, a type of military unit that consisted of twenty to forty soldiers. He fought with a spear and wore chain mail armor. He would fight as part of his assignment as part of the city-state’s army. He was usually hired by one of the aristocratic families. However, he did not have much say in how he was treated or used by the government.
While the government is dominated by men, women found ways to gain a voice in society and influence the government. For example, in the Homeric Hymns, women are mentioned as the ones who bestow gifts on the other gods. This shows that they may have had some personal wealth as well as honor. Another example would be in one of Sappho’s poems she says that it is springtime and she feels love for a young girl (Georgoulas, 2021). This shows that romantic and sexual love between women was not unusual in this time period.
In Archaic Greece, the randomness of war is seen as a major factor in affecting the culture and development of the state. During this time period, the constant warfare led to the development of military technology such as the phalanx which would play a crucial role in future Greek history. Additionally, all of this war contributed to various social changes such as the development of governmental offices and bureaucracy (Duplouy, 2018). These changes can be seen in the development of the Athenian democracy. For example, when Athens became powerful enough to challenge Sparta, their constitution allowed for a system of laws that allowed for even more freedom than before.
In order to do this, a new class of magistrates was created that had no real power but were chosen by lot rather than inheritance. These magistrates had the ability to override any decision made by the government head (the Areopagus) if they believed it ruled unjustly or unfairly. However, the Areopagus could veto any decision made by the magistrates. This system also allowed for more participation in government because, under this regime, any citizen could participate in politics and try to change the way they were treated.
In Classical-era Greece, around 500 BCE, the polis becomes much more democratic due to changes in city-state size and structure. During this time period there was no real central power or government; each individual state was responsible for its own foreign policy and wars.
However, the polis that grew up in this era had many of the same qualities as a modern democracy. The Athenian democracy was also a very powerful tool that allowed Greeks to gain political power and participate in government. This is because all citizens were part of the same government, regardless of age or social status. This system allowed all citizens to vote on decisions affecting their lives and helped keep the government democratic but still powerful. Further, the Athenian democracy had a court system, called the law-courts, that allowed the general population to participate in trials and solve disputes (Georgoulas, 2021).
The women of Classical Greece had limited but still notable rights. For example, they could own property and make contracts and wills that would be legally recognized by the state. The position of women in this time period was also made possible by an increase in trade and commerce that occurred at this time. This allowed for women to establish a public identity by expanding their role outside the home. It also allowed for greater freedom and less reliance on men in society.
In conclusion, during this period, the government in Athens grew from being a hereditary form of government to being a much more democratic government. It was also at this time that there was an even greater increase in trade and commerce as well as the use of money to purchase goods. These changes allowed for major social changes in Greece and led to the development of a highly democratic society.
References
Landauer, M. (2021). Demos (a) kurios? Agenda power and democratic control in ancient Greece. European Journal of Political Theory, 14748851211015331.
Georgoulas, S. (2021). The Classical Era. In The Origins of Radical Criminology, Volume II (pp. 9-73). Palgrave Macmillan, Cham.
Duplouy A. & Brock R. (2018). Defining citizenship in archaic greece (First). Oxford University Press.