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As far as we know, the 5th-century B.C. Greek philosopher Socrates
himself wrote nothing. We discover his thoughts and deeds entirely
through the writings of his followers, disciples who accompanied
him on his walks through the Athenian Agora and engaged in dialogue
with him in the Stoa Basileios. Rather than examining his ideas in
abstract, this stimulating little book aims to place Socrates in
his physical setting, using textual references to follow his
progress through the material remains that have been uncovered by
the American School of Classical Studies at Athens since 1931. The
author not only sheds new light on the great philosopher's life,
but also provides a vivid reconstruction, through following the
career of one of its most famous citizens, of daily life at the
center of classical Athens.
Preserved beneath the surface of the Agora are thousands of
terracotta pipes, stone drainage channels, and lead pressure lines.
These form a complex chain of waterworks, constructed and repaired
over many different periods. This book discusses the complex
engineering that channeled fresh water into the Agora and disposed
of waste water, and shows some of the ornate wells and fountain
houses where ancient Athenians gathered to drink and bathe.
Like fragments of overheard conversations, the thousands of
informal inscriptions scratched and painted on potsherds, tiles,
and other objects give us a unique insight into the everyday life
of the Athenian Agora. Some are marks of ownership, or the notes of
merchants, but many are sexual innuendos, often accompanied by
graphic illustrations. Using her wide contextual knowledge, the
author suggests why these scraps of sentences were written, and
what they can tell us about one of the first widely literate
societies.
The artifacts and monuments of the Athenian Agora provide our best
evidence for the workings of ancient democracy. As a concise
introduction to these physical traces, this book has been a
bestseller since it was first published almost 20 years ago.
Showing how tribal identity was central to all aspects of civic
life, the text guides the reader through the duties of citizenship;
as soldier in times of war and as juror during the peace. The
checks and balances that protected Athenian society from tyrants,
such as legal assassination and ostracism, are described. Selected
inscriptions are illustrated and discussed, as are ingenious
devices such as allotment machines and water clocks, which ensured
fairness in the courts. The book ends with some of the lasting
products of classical administration; the silver coins accepted
around the known world, and the standard weights and measures that
continue to protect the consumer from unscrupulous merchants. Now
illustrated entirely in color, with updates and revisions by the
current director of excavations at the Agora, this new edition of
an acknowledged classic will inform and fascinate visitors and
students for many years to come.
Athens was a famously litigious city in antiquity, as the sheer
quantity of evidence for legal activity found in the Agora makes
clear. Every kind of case, from assault and battery to murder, and
from small debts to contested fortunes, were heard in various
buildings and spaces around the civic center, and the speeches
given in defense and prosecution remain some of the masterpieces of
Greek literature. As well as describing the spaces where judgments
were made (such as the Stoa Basileios, office of the King Archon),
the author discusses the progress of some famous cases (known from
the speeches of orators like Demosthenes), such as the patrimony
suit of a woman named Plangon against the nobleman Mantias, or the
assault charge leveled by Ariston against Konon and his sons.
A concise introduction to the workings of ancient democracy, The
Athenian Citizen has been a bestseller since the original edition
was first published almost 60 years ago by Mabel Lang. Using
archaeological evidence from excavations at the heart of ancient
Athens, this volume shows how tribal identity was central to all
aspects of civic life, guiding the reader through the duties of
citizenship as soldier in times of war and as juror during the
peace. The checks and balances that protected Athenian society from
tyrants, such as legal assassination and ostracism, are described.
Selected inscriptions are illustrated and discussed, as are
ingenious devices such as allotment machines and water clocks,
which ensured fairness in the courts. The book ends with some of
the lasting products of classical administration: the silver coins
accepted around the known world and the standard weights and
measures that continue to protect the consumer from unscrupulous
merchants. Illustrated entirely in colour, with updates and
revisions by the current director of excavations at the Agora, this
edition of an acknowledged classic will inform and fascinate
visitors and students for many years to come. (Greek language
edition)
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