Classical Greece and Rome: Society, Politics, and Language

Society in Classical Greece

The Athenian Society

Athens was a democracy with two main groups: citizens and metics.

Citizens: Men over 20 years old with Athenian parents who enjoyed full rights.

Metics: Foreigners in Athens with limited civil rights, often engaged in commerce.

Slaves: Represented over half the population, had no rights, and performed various jobs.

Spartan Society

Sparta was a militaristic state with three social categories: Spartans, Perioeci, and Helots.

Spartans: Warrior caste with full rights, descended from generations of Spartans.

Perioeci: Free foreigners living near Sparta under its control.

Helots: Slaves with no rights, often used for labor and military service.

The Organization of Classical Greece

The Polis

The Greek polis was characterized by:

  1. A territory with a main city.
  2. An independent political unit.
  3. Citizens who felt part of the same social body.

Greece was not a unified state but a collection of independent poleis.

Athenian Democracy

Political activity was reserved for male citizens who could participate in the assembly.

The Council: 500 citizens chosen annually by lot.

Judges: The most important were the 9 archons and a secretary.

The Spartan Military Regime

Sparta had a totalitarian government.

Kings: Two kings from royal families with hereditary positions.

Popular Assembly: All Spartan men over 30 who approved or rejected proposals.

Council of Elders: 2 kings and 28 members over 70 years old.

Judges: 5 ephors elected annually with military and political power.

The Roman Society

The Monarchical Era

Two main social groups: patricians and plebeians.

Patricians: Descended from Rome’s founders.

Plebeians: Commoners.

Slaves: Not as numerous as in later periods.

The Republican Era and Early Empire

Patricians and plebeians gained equal rights.

Free Men: Roman citizens or non-citizens.

Slaves: Property of their owners.

The Lower Empire

Decline of the Roman Empire and rise of insecurity.

Honestiores: The most honorable.

Humiliores: The most humble.

The Political Organization of Rome

The Monarchy

Rome had an aristocratic monarchy.

King: Elective position with broad powers.

Senate: Council of elders who advised the king.

The Republic

Republican regime lasting 5 centuries.

Magistrates: Representatives of state power.

Senate: Advised judges and directed the economy and foreign policy.

Centuries: Granted citizenship and managed foreign policy.

The Indioeuropean Language Family

The Indioeuropean language family was identified by Thomas Young and developed by Friedrich Von Schlegel and Franz Bopp.

The Indioeuropean Civilization

The Indioeuropean people lived in Central Europe and Siberia.

Their economy was based on agriculture and livestock.

They were organized into tribes.

Greek

The Greek language is the oldest surviving Indioeuropean language.

It evolved into different dialects, with Attic becoming the dominant literary language.

Koine Greek became the lingua franca of the Hellenistic world.

Latin

Indioeuropean peoples arrived in Italy in two waves: Latins and Osco-Umbrians.

Latin gradually spread throughout Italy due to Roman expansion.