Birth of the Athenian Community

<p><em>The Birth of the Athenian Community</em> elucidates the social and political development of Athens in the sixth century when as a result of reforms by Solon and Cleisthenes (at the beginning and end of the sixth century respectively) Athens turned into the most advanced and famous city or <i>polis</i> of the entire ancient Greek civilization. Undermining the current dominant approach which seeks to explain ancient Athens in modern terms dividing all Athenians into citizens and non-citizens this book rationalizes the development of Athens and other Greek <i>poleis</i> as a gradually rising complexity rather than a linear progression. The multidimensional social fabric of Athens was comprised of three major groups: the kinship community of the <i>astoi</i> whose privileged status was due to their origins; the legal community of the <i>politai</i> who enjoyed legal and social equality in the <i>polis</i>; and the political community of the <i>demotai</i> or adult males with political rights. These communities only partially overlapped. Their evolving relationship determined the course of Athenian history including Cleisthenes’ establishment of <i>demokratia</i> which was originally and for a long time a kinship democracy since it only belonged to qualified male <i>astoi</i>.</p>