Greek Philosophers and Politicians

Who was Draco?

• The laws were supposedly written in 'blood, not ink'

• An Athenian noble

• In 621BCE was credited with putting down first written laws of Athens

• These laws were severe (modern English term draconian means 'severe' or 'harsh'

• These written laws meant that judges could not show favouritism or make up laws.

Who was Solon?

• Solon ended debate enslavement, cancelled land mortgages and limited the amount of land a person could own.

• In 549BCE he rewrote Draco's laws.

• His new laws helped the poor.

• All citizens could now participate in the legislature.

Who was Pericles?

• Pericles brought in 'radical democracy'. This meant that ordinary Athenian citizens were paid by the state to participate in public affairs. Previously only the wealthy could afford the time to participate in politics.

• The 'golden age of Pericles' occurred from 461 to 429 BCE - in this time he was repeatedly elected as strategus.

• Pericles made it that all citizens could hold public office and people were now paid for government services.

• The 'golden age of Pericles' also saw developments in art and architecture.

Who was Cleisthenes?

• Cleisthenes was responsible for a lot of political reforms in 508BCE, including enlarging the Athenian assembly and increasing its powers, and introducing ostracism.

• Citizenship was granted to some freedmen (former slaves) and to some immigrants.

• He created a council of 500 to represent the different classes. This council created and administered laws after they were approved by the Assembly.

• Officials were elected and he introduced executive power -> ten generals called strategi, which were elected for one year.

• Ostracism: names were written on ostrakon (pieces of broken potsherd) once a year. The individual with the most votes was put into 10 years of exile.

Who were Sophists?

• Existed in the 5th century BCE

• Measured everything by its usefulness

• Criticised gods, government, and conventional morality

• There is no absolute truth

Who was Socrates?

• He lived from 469 to 399BCE

• Socrates believed that there is absolute truth: "Know thyself" - Socratic dialogue

• Convicted of corrupting the youth - he was forced to drink hemlock.

• An Athenian political leader who was elected multiple times to the Assembly

Who was Plato?

• Alive from 427 to 347BCE

• He wrote the 'Dialogues', a written record of Socrates

• Wrote 'The Republic', an ideal state administered by philosophers

• He founded the Academy which lasted 800 years

Who was Aristotle?

• Lived from 384 to 322BCE

• Opened the Lyceum in Athens

• Macedonian student of Plato

• Tutor to Alexander the Great

• Created the basis for scientific inquiry.

Knowledge of the past for the Greeks consisted of myths and (a)   . The first true historians attempted to base their writings on fact.

____ (485BCE - 425BCE) was called the "father of history" and wrote 'The Inquiries' and 'The Histories'. He travelled to learn and write about the Persian Wars, and has extensive information about foreign customs, etc. ____ gave the gods a role in historical events.

(a)