LIFE OF ARISTOCRACY AND PEASANTRY IN ANCIENT GREECE

Aristocracy and peasantry in ancient Greece.

Learning objectives

After reading this article we will able to know about:

• Unique characteristics of the great Greek Civilization.
• About the reason for conflict between landed aristocracy and peasantry.
• About the great arbitrator Salon and his radical reforms, abolition of debt bondage.
• About the great tyrant leader Peisistratus and his reforms regarding the distribution of land among the peasants.
• Class system among the Atheniancitizen during the archaic period.
• Role of Areopagus and boule as a Council.
• Role of Tyranny that speed of the transition from only circle rule to democracy.

Introduction

Greece was unique in that it was the centre of a great Civilization but did not develop into an Empire or even a territorial large political state.c.800-500BC marks the beginning of archaic period and c800 BC classical age of Greece, the most glorious phase  of ancient Greek Civilization. The archaic period witnessed an intense conflict that landed aristocracy and peasantry throughout Greece. Consequently this led to the transition to democracy.

Conflict of landed aristocracy and peasantry.

Origin of struggle.

• The origin of struggle between landed aristocracy and peasantry may be traced to the latter half of the dark age when historical changes and placed landowing aristocracy in a strong position.
• Between 800 and 600 BC the landed aristocracy consolidated its hold over land and political structures of the Greek state. This led to improved impoverishment of the small landholders.
• In their desperation the small landholders put up a tough fight against the aristocracy. The constant upheaval caused by this struggle reached a point of crisis by 600 BC.
• Section of aristocracy realised that unless some way was found out of the crisis,  their own prosperity would be threatened. consequently they were forced to initiate reforms.

Radical reform by salon.

• 594 BC the Athenian resorted to the solution of nominating an arbitrator, named salon, to carry out reforms.
• The most radical reform of Salon was abolition of debt bondage.

Debt bondage-

•  Sometimes the poor peasants had to take loans from wealthy landowners. when they fail to repay their debts they were forced into bondage.
• Nevertheless Salon did not carry out redistribution of land.

Limitation.

• The abolition of debt bondage prevented the enslavement of impoverished presents but in the absence of land reform the aristocracy contained a large share of cultivable land.
• After 594 BC there was a shortage of rural labour . To solve this problem the big landowners increasingly employing slaves brought from outside.

Land Reforms by peisistratus.

        A new form of Government was emerging called Tyrants. A significant aspect of Greek tyranny was that it had considerable popular support mainly among the impoverished peasantry and from groups which had accumulated wealth through trade but had traditionally no access to political power. When pisistratus seized power he distributed the land among the peasants and also confiscated the property of some rich landholders.

Outcome

• The position of peasantry was stabilized.
• Monopoly of aristocracy or political structure was broken.

Establishment of democracy.

Causes

There are many causes which paved the way for the establishment of democracy. These are as follows-

Tyrants system transformed into dynastic rule.

After the death of peisistratus,his son Hippias succeeded the power and transformed tyranny into dynasty rule which caused much resentment among the people.

Hereditary basis of political power.

During the Archaic period the elite aristocracy enjoyed power not merely  because of their wealth but more significantly  by virtue of birth. The aristocratic families automatically held all executive, Judiciary and military positions. The tyrant's stroke at the roots of this oligarchical control, there creating conditions for the transition to democracy.

‘Polis’ the new political entities.

The polis was a territorially small entity. The size of the population was also relatively small. Given the constraints of ancient society,democracy would not have been functional had the polis been large either territorially or in terms of its habitants.. This point needs to be emphasized because Greek democracy was a direct democracy.

Concept of citizenship.

• The concept of citizenship was a restricted one. Only indigenous, native, residents of a  polis  were recognised as citizens.
• Citizenship rights did not extend to all inhabitants, not even all the free inhabitants.
• Women were excluded.
• All those who are not residents of the  polis  were considered outsiders.
• Citizens could not own land. All free adult males of the community were expected to render Military Service.

‘Arepaggus’ and ‘boule’ system.

• The old Athenian Council is called arepaggus and a new form of Council is called boule..
• The arepaggus was an organ of aristocracy and was hereditary in nature
• The Baul now became the main centre of political power. Membership of the boule was based on property qualification not on hereditary right.

Class system among the Athenian citizens.

Salon divided the  Athenian citizens into 4 classes. The property or wealth possessed by a citizen determined the class in which he was placed.

• Land which yielded at least 500 medimnoi-pentacosiomedimni.
• Land which yielded  at least 300 medimnoi-heppeise.
• Land land who yielded  at least 200 medimnoi-Zeugitai.
• Land which yielded  less than 200  medimdoi- Thetes.

        Membership of the Baul was open only two fast three classes.

Conclusion.

The Archaic and classical period witnessed some significant social and political development. Conflict of peasantry and landed aristocracy and subsequent transition to Greek democracy were important changes. The abolition of debt bondage  by Salon and redistribution of land among peasantry were some  radical reforms which played a crucial role in this regard.