The Athenian Constitution
- Language:
- English
- Status:
- Complete work
- Authorship:
- Written by the author
- Condition of the text:
- No scanning noise detected (automatic measure over the whole text, not checked by hand)
- Extent:
- ~25,500 words · 121 passages
Cite this work
- APAAristotle. (n.d.). The Athenian Constitution. Digital reproduction: SigPhi. https://sigphiai.com/en/works/aristotle/the-athenian-constitution
- MLAAristotle. The Athenian Constitution. Digital reproduction, SigPhi, https://sigphiai.com/en/works/aristotle/the-athenian-constitution.
- ChicagoAristotle. The Athenian Constitution. Digital reproduction, SigPhi. https://sigphiai.com/en/works/aristotle/the-athenian-constitution.
Reference to the edition that SigPhi reproduces: SigPhi is its digital reproduction, not its publisher. The edition's year is not in the metadata (hence "n.d."), and the translator appears only when recorded.
What it is about
The history and description of the Athenian regime, lost for centuries and recovered from an Egyptian papyrus in 1879.
Context and history
The text was published in 1891 and remains one of the finds that have most changed what we know of the ancient world: the first part tells how the constitution of Athens changed from the earliest times to the restored democracy, through Draco, Solon, Peisistratus and Cleisthenes; the second describes how the system worked in the fourth century, magistracy by magistracy, with the lotteries, the pay and the courts. Without this text, much of what is said about Athenian democracy could not be said. It belonged to a collection of a hundred and fifty-eight city constitutions gathered in Aristotle's school; it is the only one to have survived. Scholars dispute whether he wrote it himself or a pupil did, and the question is still open.
Editorial context, not a citable source: unlike the passages of the work itself, these statements cannot be checked against the corpus.
Archons; for which latter reason the membership of the Areopagus is the only office which has continued to be a life-magistracy to the present day. Part 4 Such was, in outline, the first constitution, but not very long after the events above recorded, in the archonship of Aristaichmus, Draco enacted his ordinances. Now his constitution had the following form. The franchise was given to all who could furnish themselves with a military equipment. The nine Archons and the Treasurers were elected by this body from persons possessing an unencumbered property of not less than ten minas, the less important officials from those who could furnish themselves with a military equipment, and the generals [Strategi] and commanders of the cavalry [Hipparchi] from those who could show an unencumbered property of not less than a hundred minas, and had children born in lawful wedlock over ten years of age. These officers were required to hold to bail the Prytanes, the Strategi, and the Hipparchi of the preceding year until their accounts had been audited, taking four securities of the same class as that to which the Strategi and the Hipparchi belonged. There was also to be a Council, consisting of four hundred and one members, elected by lot from among those who possessed the franchise. Both for this and for the other magistracies the lot was cast among those who were over thirty years of age; and no one might hold office twice until every one else had had his turn, after which they were to cast the lot afresh. If any member of the Council failed to attend when there was a sitting of the Council or of the Assembly, he paid a fine, to the amount of three drachmas if he was a Pentacosiomedimnus, two if he was a Knight, and One if he was a Zeugites. The Council of Areopagus was guardian of the laws, and kept watch over the magistrates to see that they executed their offices in accordance with the laws.…