Control system in ancient greece diagram. State structure of Ancient Greece (stages of Athenian democracy)

Plan

1. Features of the emergence and development of the state in Ancient
Greece.

2. State in Sparta.

3. State in Athens:

a) the formation of the Athenian state;

b) the reforms of Solon and Cleisthenes;

c) Athenian democracy in the 5th-4th centuries. BC.
4. Athenian law.

1. Features of the emergence and development of the state in Ancient Greece.

A new stage in the development of civilization was associated with the emergence of the ancient (Greco-Roman) society, which arose and reached its heyday in the 1st millennium BC. - the beginning of the 1st millennium AD The states of Ancient Greece, and then Ancient Rome, laid the foundation for the entire state and legal history of Europe, passing on the traditions of their political and legal culture to European and other peoples who grew up on the soil of a special ancient world.

The first centers of civilization and proto-state arose in southern Greece at the beginning of the 2nd millennium BC. (Cretan and Mycenaean kingdoms). They in many ways resembled the states of the Ancient East. The famous Trojan War (XITI in BC), known from the poems of Homer, dramatically weakened the Mycenaean and other early Achaean kingdoms, which led to their decline and death as a result of the conquest of the Greek Dorian tribes (XII century BC). ). The primitive communal system was restored for several centuries again, the decomposition of which and the new re-formation of statehood dates back to the 9th-8th centuries. BC.

The special natural and geographical conditions of Greece (mountainous terrain, humid maritime climate, lack of fertile land, the absence of powerful rivers with their floods, the presence of stone, wood, metal ores) contributed to the decomposition of the communal economy and the development of personal economy. Collective irrigation works were not needed here, as in the East. If the societies of the Ancient East were the civilizations of the great rivers, then the ancient world, and especially the Greek, was a maritime civilization. Here, trade relations, money economy, commodity production for the needs of the market and private property achieved high development.

The predominance of private property over state property led to the formation of a collective of equal citizens-owners who began to strive to directly influence the management of the state. In the classical period of the development of Ancient Greece (V-IV centuries BC), a civil society appeared, a developed civil consciousness, the very concept of "citizen" arose.

The states of Ancient Greece took the form policies - small political communities of citizens - private owners, united around the center of the policy - the city. Due to the mountainous relief of the country, the long isolation of the inhabitants of some valleys from others, many states-policies arose. A single, centralized state in ancient Greece did not work out.

The rapid development of private property, the growth of social stratification led to an acute socio-political struggle, the transfer of power from one class, party, social group to another and a change from one form of government to another. Various forms of republics, tyrannies and even monarchies were established in the Greek city-states. Comprehension of this rich experience led to the formation of political science in Greece. At the same time, republican forms prevailed - aristocracy, democracy, oligarchy, plutocracy, etc. Unlike the Ancient East, the citizens of the Greek city-states influenced the government much more strongly and participated in the formation of government bodies themselves.

In the VI-IV centuries. BC. the two largest and strongest polis-cities - Athens and Sparta - came to the fore in Greece. For a long time, they were directly or covertly at odds with each other in the struggle for hegemony in Greece. In Athens, a developed democratic republic took shape, and in Sparta, a military aristocratic republic.

2. State in Sparta

In the IX century. BC. The Dorian Greeks founded several settlements in the region of Laconia in southern Greece, which then merged into the city of Sparta. They either drove the large local population from the Achaean Greeks into the mountains or turned them into slaves - helots.

The Dorian conquerors themselves became full citizens - Spartans, collectively owned all the land and slave helots attached to the land. The Spartans themselves could only be engaged in military affairs, but not in agriculture, crafts, trade or arts. The reforms of the legislator Lycurgus (VIII century BC) finally conserved the social and state structure of Sparta.

The main organs of power were the council of elders (gerusia), 2 kings-arhagetes, a collegium of 5 ephors and a popular assembly (apella), which elected officials only from the nobility and could not then control them. It could be dissolved, and its decisions could be overturned by kings or elders. Thus, in Sparta, aristocracy(translated as “the power (kratos) of the best (aristos))”. The conservative state and political system of Sparta remained almost unchanged for several centuries.

3.State in Athens

A more complex state organization took shape in Athens.

According to legend, in the VIII century. BC. the mythical hero Theseus united 4 Greek tribes in the Attica region into a single Athenian people and became its first king - basileus.

Tribal nobility (eupatrides) received the exclusive right to hold public office. Peasant farmers (geomors),

artisans (demiurges), merchants, landless laborers (fetas) and other poor people, who together made up the majority of free indigenous people and united by a common name "demos"(common people) were removed from real power.

After the reforms of Theseus, the Eupatrides gained great political power. They limited the power of the Tsar-Basileus to the religious sphere, made it elective and equated the Basileus with other supreme rulers - archons, who were chosen only from the noble Eupatrides. The right to choose and control the archons, to exercise the highest judicial power passed to the council of the tribal nobility - Areopagus, which consisted only of eupatrides. The role of the people's assembly during this period sharply declined.

At the same time, the economic power of the tribal nobility also grew. Large sections of peasants fell into legal and economic dependence on the aristocracy, went bankrupt and mortgaged land and sometimes personal freedom for debts. The massive landlessness of peasants, the flourishing of debt slavery and enslaving conditions for leasing land led to a sharp increase in discontent among all layers of the demos and sharp social and political conflicts.

B) Reforms of Solon and Cleisthenes.

To unite all free indigenous people into a single community, deep socio-political reforms were required. He laid the foundation for them Solon, elected archon in 594 BC Debt reform and the abolition of debt slavery, census reform, the creation of new government bodies - heliums(court) and Council 400. Now the right to occupy the highest positions of archons belonged not only to the tribal nobility, but also to the wealthy elite of the demos. However, broad sections of the people were limited in political rights.

The reforms dealt a blow to the tribal organization of power and the privileges of the tribal nobility. However, the compromise nature of the reforms did not suit either the Eupatrides, who had lost unlimited power, or the demos, who were not fully admitted to power. The struggle between the aristocrats and the demos continued and led to the establishment of the tyranny of Peisistratus and his sons (560-527 BC), who consolidated the state order of Solon and carried out activities in the interests of the demos. The tyrant in Athens was considered to be an unlawful one-man ruler, who, however, did not necessarily establish a brutal regime.

Reforms continued to democratize the state system of Athens Cleisthenes(509 BC). The state system was based on a purely territorial principle.

The state was divided into 100 demos(peculiar areas), in each of which there was self-government. Demos united in 10 Phil(large districts), which also have self-governing bodies and their own elections

representatives in state bodies. The old clans and tribes were divided between different districts and regions, as a result of which the political influence of the clan nobility was finally undermined.

Composition of the State Council (boole) was increased from 400 people., who were selected earlier by clans and tribes from rich and well-to-do citizens, to 500 people, who were now selected exclusively by territorial districts (fila), regardless of property status. Tip 500 controlled the entire administrative apparatus, prepared draft laws, disposed of the treasury.

Collegium 10 was established strategists(one each from the phyla), who commanded the armed forces.

Later, a procedure of ostracism was introduced - a special vote of the people about the expulsion from the policy of that citizen whose activity caused the condemnation of the majority and could lead to the establishment of sole power.

v) Athenian democracy in the 5th-4th centuries BC.

The highest stage of democratic reforms in Athens was the activity of the leaders of the demos - Ephialta (462 BC) before AD) and Pericles(460-429 BC). The Areopagus, the council of the nobility, lost almost all powers of power and remained only a court of religious affairs. The flourishing of Athenian democracy is associated with the name of the strategist Pericles. Under him, the census reform of Solon lost its significance, tk. all full-fledged indigenous people, including the poor, received the right to be elected to all government positions. A guarantee of the participation of poor citizens in government was the introduction of state salaries, albeit low, for all officials (with the exception of strategists) and participants in popular assemblies.

The People's Assembly became the supreme body of power. (ecclesia), whose decisions could only be canceled by itself. All adult full-fledged male citizens could participate in its work. The People's Assembly passed laws and private decrees, declared war and peace, elected and monitored the activities of all officials. Moreover, any citizen could be elected to any position. There were about 700 such positions in Athens in total. All citizens and officials had the right to initiate legislation.

Thus, a straight line was formed in Athens democracy(literally - "power of the people"), in which the bulk of full-fledged free male citizens directly participated in the implementation of power, and all governing bodies were elected by citizens, from among all citizens and were responsible to the assembly of citizens.

However, given the legal equality of indigenous citizens, their real equality was not. Conflicts between rich and poor citizens intensified, as well as contradictions between all citizens and unequal, but free foreigners (metecs), in Athens itself and Athenian citizens and other Greek allies in the Athenian maritime union. The contradictions between all free and slaves also intensified. Athenian democracy towards the end of V. BC entered into a long crisis, which deepened as a result of the defeat of Athens in the Peloponnesian war against Sparta. A sharp social and political struggle in the polis, attempts at oligarchic coups, the ruin of the peasantry, extremely weakened the Athenian state. In 338 BC. Athens, Sparta and other Greek city-states were defeated by Macedonia and actually conquered, losing independence and the previous political order. In 146 BC. Greece, along with Macedonia, was conquered by Rome and turned into a Roman province.

4. Athenian law

Athenian law was the most developed system of law in Ancient Greece.

At first, tribal customs were considered the sources of law, and from the end of the 7th century. BC. - legislative acts of the supreme authorities. The first historically famous lawgiver of Athens was a tyrant named Dra-cont (621 BC). His laws were devoted to the new organization of the court, punishments for various violations of the social order, bloody revenge was prohibited. For almost any crime, even for stealing vegetables from the garden or an idle lifestyle, the death penalty was imposed. Later, the expression "draconian laws" became synonymous with extremely cruel laws. Most of Drakont's laws were abolished by Solon at the beginning of the 6th century. BC, who himself drafted extensive new legislation. Solon's laws (594 BC) concerned the organization of state power, the legal status of citizens, debentures, the procedure for drawing up wills, securing private ownership of land, etc.

In the 5th - 4th centuries. BC. the main source of law was the numerous laws of the people's assemblies and the decrees of various officials. However, this legislation was generally disordered and often contradictory. Many of the basic institutions of civil and criminal law in Athens have not been developed quite clearly and fully.

The legal status of the population in Athens was quite clearly regulated. There was a sharp difference between the status of slaves and free, and among free - full-fledged slaves and half-fledged foreigners (metecs).

Ownership and Obligations. In Athens, the right to private property was developed, but there are no provisions on absolute property rights in it. The owner bore various duties in favor of the state.

Distinguished between "free" (from contracts) and "involuntary" (from causing harm) obligations. The development of trade determined the widespread distribution of contracts of purchase and sale, loan, rental, storage, partnership, etc. It was in Athens that the institute was first formed mortgages - mortgage of land or other real estate for the purpose of obtaining a loan. At the same time, the pledged property remained in the possession and use of the debtor, but without the right to dispose.

The family in Athens remained patriarchal. Women were limited in political and civil rights. Inheritance was recognized by law and by will.

In criminal law, crimes against the state and personal interests were distinguished, but the border between them was rather arbitrary. Among the punishments common to ancient law (death penalty, fine, confiscation of property, enslavement) in Athens, deprivation of political rights (atimia) could also be applied to citizens. Corporal punishment was only applied to slaves.

The trial was adversarial. The accusation usually came from individuals.

Independent work

Self-test questions

What was the difference between the state structure of Sparta and Athens?

What does it say about the presence of democracy in Athens?

Why can't we talk about democracy in Sparta?

How is Athenian democracy different from modern forms of democracy?

How was the status of a full citizen acquired in Athens?

How were the rights of poor and rich citizens different in Athens?

How was the participation of poor citizens guaranteed in the government of Athens?

What kind of relationship existed between the government and the people in Athens and Sparta?

What are the reasons for the limited democracy in Athens?

Could the noble and wealthy citizens in Athens seek to make the decisions they needed under a democratic system?

5. Organization of public administration

Based on the principles of the strictest accounting and control, the palace economy needed a developed bureaucratic apparatus for its normal functioning. The documents of the Pylos and Knossos archives show this apparatus in action, although many details of its organization remain unclear due to the extreme laconicism of the tablet texts. In addition to the staff of scribes who served directly in the palace office and archives, the tablets mention numerous officials of the fiscal department who were in charge of collecting taxes and overseeing the implementation of various kinds of duties. So, from the documents of the Pylos archive, we learn that the entire territory of the kingdom was divided into 16 tax districts, headed by the governors - the Koreters. Each of them was responsible for the proper receipt of taxes from the district entrusted to him into the palace treasury (the composition of taxes included primarily metal: gold and bronze, as well as various types of agricultural products). Subordinate to the koreter were officials of the lowest rank, who governed individual settlements that were part of the district. In the tablets they are called "basilei". The Basileians supervised production, for example, the work of blacksmiths who were in the public service. The Coreters and Basilei themselves were under the vigilant control of the central government.

The palace constantly reminded the local administration of itself, sending out messengers and couriers, inspectors and auditors in all directions.

Who set in motion this entire complex mechanism and directed its work? The tablets from the Mycenaean archives provide an answer to this question as well. At the head of the palace state was a man called "wanaka", which corresponds to the Greek "(v) anakt", that is, "lord", "sovereign", "king". Unfortunately, the inscriptions do not say anything about the political functions and rights of the vanakta. Therefore, we cannot judge with certainty what character his power had. It is clear, however, that the Vanakt held a special privileged position among the ruling nobility. The land allotment belonging to the king - temen (one of the documents of the Pylos archive mentions it) - was three times higher than the land allotments of other senior officials: its profitability is determined by the figure of 1800 measures. The king had numerous servants at his disposal. The tablets mention "the royal potter", "the royal cloth", "the royal armourer". Among the high-ranking officials subordinate to the king of Pylos, one of the most prominent places was occupied by the lavaget, that is, the voivode or military leader. As the title itself shows, his duties included the command of the armed forces of the Pylos kingdom. In addition to vanakt and lavaget, the inscriptions also mention other officials, designated by the terms "telest", "eket", "damat", etc. The exact meaning of these terms remains unknown. However, it seems quite likely that this circle of the highest nobility, closely associated with the palace and constituting the immediate environment of the Pilos Vanakta, included, firstly, the priests of the main temples of the state (the priesthood generally enjoyed a very great influence in Pylos, as in Crete). secondly, the highest military ranks, primarily the leaders of the war chariot detachments, which in those days were the main striking force on the battlefields. Thus, the Pilian society was a kind of pyramid, built on a strictly hierarchical principle. The upper level in this hierarchy of estates was occupied by the military priestly nobility headed by the tsar and the military leader, who concentrated in their hands the most important functions of both economic and political nature. In the direct subordination of the ruling elite of society were numerous officials who acted in the localities and in the center and made up, in aggregate, a powerful apparatus of oppression and exploitation of the working population of the Pylos kingdom. The peasants and artisans who formed the basis of this entire pyramid did not take any part in the government (there is an opinion that the term "damos" (people) found in the tablets of the Pylos archive refers to a national assembly representing the entire free population of the Pylos kingdom. However, another interpretation of this term seems more likely: Damos is one of the territorial communities (districts) that make up the state (cf. the later Athenian demos). Lower than they were the slaves employed in various jobs in the palace economy.

Mycenaean warriors