AR104 Lecture Notes - Lecture 15: Death, Gerousia, Helots
Document Summary
Heliaia (right of redress in court)= beginnings of equal treatment under the law. Greeks also introduced the right to appeal assembly. Equal rights under the law became a cornerstone of athenian democracy after several reforms. 546 bce: pisistratus established tyranny and was succeeded by his son hippias. Alcmeonid family expelled hippias in 510 bce with spartan help. 139 demes, became constituent units of athenian political life. Demes created from existing neighbourhoods of athens, each deme allocated to a zone. Male citizens enrolled in a deme at age 18. Cleisthenes created 10 larger groups containing city demes, 10 groups of country demes, and 10 groups of plain demes- called trittyes. Cleisthenes also formed ten tribes from the demes which were used as a basis for selecting individuals for administrative service in the democracy. Demes of attica were not equal in area/population due to urbanization.