CLAS 1000 Lecture Notes - Lecture 11: Eponymous Archon, Athenian Democracy, Codrus

• School: University of Guelph
• Department: Classical Studies
• Course: CLAS 1000
• Professor: John Walsh

Document Summary

Lecture 10 - october 1, 2014 athenian democracy. They tell us that early in their history they were ruled by a line of kings. Kekrops (autocthonus: grown out of the earth) was the first king of athens. Ericthonius was the son of athena, and hephaestus. Hephaestus tried to rape athena, however he ejaculated on her, and when it fell onto the ground, ericthonius was grown out of the ground. Codrus, the last king sacrificed himself to defend athens from an aggressive spartan army. This was around the start of the dark ages, and is about when the athenian monarchy ended. There was an eponymous archon (single year and head archon), polymarch (military leader), archon basileus (royal prestige and figurehead). These three archons had a council made of ex- archons, who met on the hilltop. Draco was the first to write down the laws of the culture.