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ancient Greek civilization. assembly. Ecclesia, (“gathering of those summoned”), in ancient Greece, assembly of citizens in a city-state. Its roots lay in the Homeric agora, the meeting of the people. The Athenian Ecclesia, for which exists the most detailed record, was already functioning in Draco’s day (c. 621 bc).
- Boule
The Athenian system largely influenced the organization of...
- Agora
agora, in ancient Greek cities, an open space that served as...
- Council of Five Hundred
It was one component of the Athenian system of government...
- Boule
In ancient Greece, an ekklesiasterion was a building specifically built for the purpose of holding the supreme meetings of the ecclesia. Like many other cities, Athens did not have an ekklesiasterion. Instead, the regular meetings of the assembly were held on the Pnyx and two annual meetings took place in the Theater of Dionysus. Around 300 BC ...
- Membership
- The Schedule
- Ecclesia Leadership
- Freedom of Speech
- Payment For Assembly Members
At 18, young Athenian males were enrolled in their demes' citizen lists and then served for two years in the military. Afterward, they could be in the Assembly, unless otherwise restricted. They might be disallowed while owing a debt to the public treasury or for having been removed from the deme's roster of citizens. Someone convicted of prostitut...
In the 4th century, the boule scheduled 4 meetings during each prytany. Since a prytany was about 1/10 of a year, this means there were 40 Assembly meetings each year. One of the 4 meetings was a kyria ecclesia 'Sovereign Assembly'. There were also 3 regular Assemblies. At one of these, private citizen-suppliants could present any concern. There ma...
By the mid-4th century, 9 members of the boule who were not serving as prytaneis (leaders) were chosen to run the Assembly as proedroi. They would decide when to cut off discussion and put matters to a vote.
Freedom of speech was essential to the idea of the Assembly. Regardless of his status, a citizen could speak; however, those over 50 could speak first. The herald ascertained who wished to speak.
In 411, when oligarchy was temporarily established in Athens, a law was passed prohibiting pay for political activity, but in the 4th century, members of the Assembly received pay in order to ensure the poor could participate. Pay changed over time, going from 1 obol/meeting—not enough to persuade people to go to the Assembly—to 3 obols, which coul...
It was one component of the Athenian system of government after the reforms of Cleisthenes, which are regarded as the foundation of Athenian democracy. The heart and centre of the Cleisthenic system in Athens was the Assembly ( Ecclesia ) of citizens, which met 40 times per year on the Pnyx, a hill west of the Acropolis .
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Apr 3, 2018 · Athenian Democracy refers to the system of democratic government used in Athens, Greece from the 5th to 4th century BCE. Under this system, all male citizens - the dēmos - had equal political rights, freedom of speech, and the opportunity to participate directly in the political arena. In Athenian democracy, not only did citizens participate ...
- Mark Cartwright
- Athenian democracy was a system of government where all male citizens could attend and participate in the assembly which governed the city-state. T...
- All male citizens of Athens could attend the assembly which made political decisions. In practice, this assembly usually involved a maximum of 6000...
- The Athenian statesman Pericles defined democracy as a system which protects the interests of all the people, not just a minority. He also said tha...
- Cleisthenes changed Athenian democracy becuase he redefined what it was to be a citizen and so removed the influence of traditional clan groups. No...
Definition. Ecclesia refers to the principal assembly of the citizens in ancient Athens, where important political decisions were made and democratic practices were enacted. It served as a central component of Athenian democracy, allowing male citizens to participate directly in governance through voting on laws, policies, and other civic matters.
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The ecclesia was the principal assembly of the citizens in ancient Athens, responsible for making decisions on important issues such as laws, war, and governance. This assembly played a crucial role in the political landscape of the Greek polis, marking a shift towards greater citizen participation in decision-making processes and laying the groundwork for the development of democracy in Athens.
