This text comes from a pamphlet that was erroneously attributed to Xenophon in the manuscript tradition. Its anonymous author strongly disapproves of Athenian democracy. However, he explains to a fictitious audience of critics how democracy functions consistently and effectively in a way that benefits those who support it, specifically the poor and uneducated masses. Of the various dates proposed by scholars, we accept its placement in the first half of the years 20s of the 5th century BC.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the passage in question, the author complains that in Athens it is not possible to immediately distinguish a citizen from a non-citizen, be they a metic or a slave. In fact, the law prohibits the beating of slaves and metics precisely to prevent Athenian citizens from being beaten by mistake. In response to a hypothetical observer wondering why the Athenians allow their slaves to become wealthy and display no fear of the citizens, unlike in Sparta, the author explains that this is an inevitable consequence of being a naval power, where masters depend on their slaves\u2019 wealth. Therefore, it is in their interest for their slaves to earn money and avoid being extorted by others. The implicit reasoning behind the answer is probably that the Athenians need to maintain a large fleet, which requires substantial funding; this makes it crucial for them to enrich themselves by employing their slaves in various trades that generate substantial earnings for their masters and, in turn, the slaves themselves. Following this line of thinking, the author argues that in Athens freedom of speech would also be granted to metics and slaves in the presence of citizens precisely because the city needed them for the numerous trades involved in maintaining the fleet \u2013 and, one might add, the related industries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Setting aside the arguments put forward by the anonymous author, it is worth noting here that this passage is often used by scholars to show how difficult it was in Athens to distinguish between citizens and non-citizens. In reality, citizens and non-citizens tended to mix and mingle, despite the barriers created by civic status, frequenting the same workplaces and social spaces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to Vlassopoulos (2007), the difficulty of distinguishing between citizens and non-citizens can be attributed to several factors: the size of the city and the Athenian territory, meaning that most community members did not know each other; the presence of a large non-citizen population; widespread internal migration within Attica; and the fact that slaves could work far from their masters. However, the main reason was the peculiar nature of the political regime. Athenian democracy allowed political participation not only to landowners but also to the numerous citizens who worked as artisans and traders, i.e., the same trades in which most metics and a large number of slaves were employed, while in other poleis<\/em> the distinction was based on land ownership. Therefore, in Athens it was not immediately possible to determine whether an artisan or trader was a citizen, metic, or slave. As craftsmen and traders could not be discriminated against because many of them were citizens, a certain level of protection and freedom also extended to metics and slaves practicing the same trades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n (10) \u201c\u03c4\u1ff6\u03bd \u03b4\u03bf\u03cd\u03bb\u03c9\u03bd \u03b4\u1fbf \u03b1\u1f56 \u03ba\u03b1\u1f76 \u03c4\u1ff6\u03bd \u03bc\u03b5\u03c4\u03bf\u03af\u03ba\u03c9\u03bd \u03c0\u03bb\u03b5\u03af\u03c3\u03c4\u03b7 \u1f10\u03c3\u03c4\u1f76\u03bd \u1fbf\u0391\u03b8\u03ae\u03bd\u03b7\u03c3\u03b9\u03bd \u1f00\u03ba\u03bf\u03bb\u03b1\u03c3\u03af\u03b1, \u03ba\u03b1\u1f76 \u03bf\u1f54\u03c4\u03b5 \u03c0\u03b1\u03c4\u03ac\u03be\u03b1\u03b9 \u1f14\u03be\u03b5\u03c3\u03c4\u03b9\u03bd \u03b1\u1f50\u03c4\u03cc\u03b8\u03b9 \u03bf\u1f54\u03c4\u03b5 \u1f51\u03c0\u03b5\u03ba\u03c3\u03c4\u03ae\u03c3\u03b5\u03c4\u03b1\u03af \u03c3\u03bf\u03b9 \u1f41 \u03b4\u03bf\u1fe6\u03bb\u03bf\u03c2.\u201d \u03bf\u1f57 \u03b4\u1fbf \u1f15\u03bd\u03b5\u03ba\u03ad\u03bd \u1f10\u03c3\u03c4\u03b9 \u03c4\u03bf\u1fe6\u03c4\u03bf \u1f10\u03c0\u03b9\u03c7\u03ce\u03c1\u03b9\u03bf\u03bd, \u1f10\u03b3\u1f7c \u03c6\u03c1\u03ac\u03c3\u03c9\u00b7 \u03b5\u1f30 \u03bd\u03cc\u03bc\u03bf\u03c2 \u1f26\u03bd \u03c4\u1f78\u03bd \u03b4\u03bf\u1fe6\u03bb\u03bf\u03bd \u1f51\u03c0\u1f78 \u03c4\u03bf\u1fe6 \u1f10\u03bb\u03b5\u03c5\u03b8\u03ad\u03c1\u03bf\u03c5 \u03c4\u03cd\u03c0\u03c4\u03b5\u03c3\u03b8\u03b1\u03b9 \u1f22 \u03c4\u1f78\u03bd \u03bc\u03ad\u03c4\u03bf\u03b9\u03ba\u03bf\u03bd \u1f22 \u03c4\u1f78\u03bd \u1f00\u03c0\u03b5\u03bb\u03b5\u03cd\u03b8\u03b5\u03c1\u03bf\u03bd, \u03c0\u03bf\u03bb\u03bb\u03ac\u03ba\u03b9\u03c2 \u1f02\u03bd \u03bf\u1f30\u03b7\u03b8\u03b5\u1f76\u03c2 \u03b5\u1f36\u03bd\u03b1\u03b9 \u03c4\u1f78\u03bd \u1fbf\u0391\u03b8\u03b7\u03bd\u03b1\u1fd6\u03bf\u03bd \u03b4\u03bf\u1fe6\u03bb\u03bf\u03bd \u1f10\u03c0\u03ac\u03c4\u03b1\u03be\u03b5\u03bd \u1f04\u03bd\u00b7 \u1f10\u03c3\u03b8\u1fc6\u03c4\u03ac \u03c4\u03b5 \u03b3\u1f70\u03c1 \u03bf\u1f50\u03b4\u1f72\u03bd \u03b2\u03b5\u03bb\u03c4\u03af\u03c9\u03bd \u1f41 \u03b4\u1fc6\u03bc\u03bf\u03c2 \u03b1\u1f50\u03c4\u03cc\u03b8\u03b9 \u1f22 \u03bf\u1f31 \u03b4\u03bf\u1fe6\u03bb\u03bf\u03b9 \u03ba\u03b1\u1f76 \u03bf\u1f31 \u03bc\u03ad\u03c4\u03bf\u03b9\u03ba\u03bf\u03b9, \u03ba\u03b1\u1f76 \u03c4\u1f70 \u03b5\u1f34\u03b4\u03b7 \u03bf\u1f50\u03b4\u1f72\u03bd \u03b2\u03b5\u03bb\u03c4\u03af\u03bf\u03c5\u03c2 \u03b5\u1f30\u03c3\u03af\u03bd. (11) \u03b5\u1f30 \u03b4\u03ad \u03c4\u03b9\u03c2 \u03ba\u03b1\u1f76 \u03c4\u03bf\u1fe6\u03c4\u03bf \u03b8\u03b1\u03c5\u03bc\u03ac\u03b6\u03b5\u03b9, \u1f45\u03c4\u03b9 \u1f10\u1ff6\u03c3\u03b9 \u03c4\u03bf\u1f7a\u03c2 \u03b4\u03bf\u03cd\u03bb\u03bf\u03c5\u03c2 \u03c4\u03c1\u03c5\u03c6\u1fb6\u03bd \u03b1\u1f50\u03c4\u03cc\u03b8\u03b9 \u03ba\u03b1\u1f76 \u03bc\u03b5\u03b3\u03b1\u03bb\u03bf\u03c0\u03c1\u03b5\u03c0\u1ff6\u03c2 \u03b4\u03b9\u03b1\u03b9\u03c4\u1fb6\u03c3\u03b8\u03b1\u03b9 \u1f10\u03bd\u03af\u03bf\u03c5\u03c2, \u03ba\u03b1\u1f76 \u03c4\u03bf\u1fe6\u03c4\u03bf \u03b3\u03bd\u03ce\u03bc\u1fc3 \u03c6\u03b1\u03bd\u03b5\u1fd6\u03b5\u03bd \u1f02\u03bd \u03c0\u03bf\u03b9\u03bf\u1fe6\u03bd\u03c4\u03b5\u03c2\u00b7 \u1f45\u03c0\u03bf\u03c5 \u03b3\u1f70\u03c1 \u03bd\u03b1\u03c5\u03c4\u03b9\u03ba\u1f74 \u03b4\u03cd\u03bd\u03b1\u03bc\u03af\u03c2 \u1f10\u03c3\u03c4\u03b9\u03bd \u1f00\u03c0\u1f78 \u03c7\u03c1\u03b7\u03bc\u03ac\u03c4\u03c9\u03bd, \u1f00\u03bd\u03ac\u03b3\u03ba\u03b7 \u03c4\u03bf\u1fd6\u03c2 \u1f00\u03bd\u03b4\u03c1\u03b1\u03c0\u03cc\u03b4\u03bf\u03b9\u03c2 \u03b4\u03bf\u03c5\u03bb\u03b5\u03cd\u03b5\u03b9\u03bd, \u1f35\u03bd\u03b1 \u03bb\u03b1\u03bc\u03b2\u03ac\u03bd\u03c9\u03bc\u03b5\u03bd \u1f03\u03c2 \u03c0\u03c1\u03ac\u03c4\u03c4\u03b5\u03b9 \u03c4\u1f70\u03c2 \u1f00\u03c0\u03bf\u03c6\u03bf\u03c1\u03ac\u03c2, \u03ba\u03b1\u1f76 \u1f10\u03bb\u03b5\u03c5\u03b8\u03ad\u03c1\u03bf\u03c5\u03c2 \u1f00\u03c6\u03b5\u1fd6\u03bd\u03b1\u03b9. \u201c\u1f10\u03bd \u03b4\u1f72 \u03c4\u1fc7 \u039b\u03b1\u03ba\u03b5\u03b4\u03b1\u03af\u03bc\u03bf\u03bd\u03b9 \u1f41 \u1f10\u03bc\u1f78\u03c2 \u03b4\u03bf\u1fe6\u03bb\u03bf\u03c2 \u03c3\u1fbf \u1f10\u03b4\u03b5\u03b4\u03bf\u03af\u03ba\u03b5\u03b9.\u201d \u1f10\u1f70\u03bd \u03b4\u1f72 \u03b4\u03b5\u03b4\u03af\u1fc3 \u1f41 \u03c3\u1f78\u03c2 \u03b4\u03bf\u1fe6\u03bb\u03bf\u03c2 \u1f10\u03bc\u03ad, \u03ba\u03b9\u03bd\u03b4\u03c5\u03bd\u03b5\u03cd\u03c3\u03b5\u03b9 \u03ba\u03b1\u1f76 \u03c4\u1f70 \u03c7\u03c1\u03ae\u03bc\u03b1\u03c4\u03b1 \u03b4\u03b9\u03b4\u03cc\u03bd\u03b1\u03b9 \u03c4\u1f70 \u1f11\u03b1\u03c5\u03c4\u03bf\u1fe6 \u1f65\u03c3\u03c4\u03b5 \u03bc\u1f74 \u03ba\u03b9\u03bd\u03b4\u03c5\u03bd\u03b5\u03cd\u03b5\u03b9\u03bd \u03c0\u03b5\u03c1\u1f76 \u1f11\u03b1\u03c5\u03c4\u03bf\u1fe6. \u1f45\u03c0\u03bf\u03c5 \u03b4\u1fbf \u03b5\u1f30\u03c3\u1f76 \u03c0\u03bb\u03bf\u03cd\u03c3\u03b9\u03bf\u03b9 \u03b4\u03bf\u1fe6\u03bb\u03bf\u03b9, \u03bf\u1f50\u03ba\u03ad\u03c4\u03b9 \u1f10\u03bd\u03c4\u03b1\u1fe6\u03b8\u03b1 \u03bb\u03c5\u03c3\u03b9\u03c4\u03b5\u03bb\u03b5\u1fd6 \u03c4\u1f78\u03bd \u1f10\u03bc\u1f78\u03bd \u03b4\u03bf\u1fe6\u03bb\u03bf\u03bd \u03c3\u1f72 \u03b4\u03b5\u03b4\u03b9\u03ad\u03bd\u03b1\u03b9. (12) \u03b4\u03b9\u1f70 \u03c4\u03bf\u1fe6\u03c4\u1fbf \u03bf\u1f56\u03bd \u1f30\u03c3\u03b7\u03b3\u03bf\u03c1\u03af\u03b1\u03bd \u03ba\u03b1\u1f76 \u03c4\u03bf\u1fd6\u03c2 \u03b4\u03bf\u03cd\u03bb\u03bf\u03b9\u03c2 \u03c0\u03c1\u1f78\u03c2 \u03c4\u03bf\u1f7a\u03c2 \u1f10\u03bb\u03b5\u03c5\u03b8\u03ad\u03c1\u03bf\u03c5\u03c2 \u1f10\u03c0\u03bf\u03b9\u03ae\u03c3\u03b1\u03bc\u03b5\u03bd, \u03ba\u03b1\u1f76 \u03c4\u03bf\u1fd6\u03c2 \u03bc\u03b5\u03c4\u03bf\u03af\u03ba\u03bf\u03b9\u03c2 \u03c0\u03c1\u1f78\u03c2 \u03c4\u03bf\u1f7a\u03c2 \u1f00\u03c3\u03c4\u03bf\u03cd\u03c2, \u03b4\u03b9\u03cc\u03c4\u03b9 \u03b4\u03b5\u1fd6\u03c4\u03b1\u03b9 \u1f21 \u03c0\u03cc\u03bb\u03b9\u03c2 \u03bc\u03b5\u03c4\u03bf\u03af\u03ba\u03c9\u03bd \u03b4\u03b9\u03ac \u03c4\u03b5 \u03c4\u1f78 \u03c0\u03bb\u1fc6\u03b8\u03bf\u03c2 \u03c4\u1ff6\u03bd \u03c4\u03b5\u03c7\u03bd\u1ff6\u03bd \u03ba\u03b1\u1f76 \u03b4\u03b9\u1f70 \u03c4\u1f78 \u03bd\u03b1\u03c5\u03c4\u03b9\u03ba\u03cc\u03bd\u00b7 \u03b4\u03b9\u1f70 \u03c4\u03bf\u1fe6\u03c4\u03bf \u03bf\u1f56\u03bd \u03ba\u03b1\u1f76 \u03c4\u03bf\u1fd6\u03c2 \u03bc\u03b5\u03c4\u03bf\u03af\u03ba\u03bf\u03b9\u03c2 \u03b5\u1f30\u03ba\u03cc\u03c4\u03c9\u03c2 \u03c4\u1f74\u03bd \u1f30\u03c3\u03b7\u03b3\u03bf\u03c1\u03af\u03b1\u03bd \u1f10\u03c0\u03bf\u03b9\u03ae\u03c3\u03b1\u03bc\u03b5\u03bd.<\/p>\n\n\n\n (10) \u201cAnd again the slaves and the metics at Athens enjoy extreme license, and it is not possible to beat them there, nor will a slave step aside for you\u201d. Well, I shall tell you the reason why this is their local practice. If it were legal for the slave or the metic or the freedman to be beaten by a freeborn citizen, he would often beat an Athenian by mistake, thinking that he was a slave. For the demos<\/em> there are no better dressed than the slaves and the metics, nor are they any better in their appearance. (11) And if anyone is also surprised at the fact that they allow the slaves to live luxuriously there and, some of them, in a grand style, it will become clear that they do this too with good reason. For where there is a naval power based on money, it is necessary to be slaves to our own slaves in order to obtain our share of what they earn through their labor, and then set them free. \u201cBut in Lacedaemon my slave fears you\u201d. Yes, but if your slave fears me, there will be a risk that he will also offer me his money so as not to be in any danger. And where there are rich slaves it is no longer to my benefit as a master there that my slave should fear you. (12) This is then the reason why we have established equality of free speech as between slaves and free men; and also as between metics and citizens, since the city needs metics because of the great number of their trades and the requirements of the fleet. So that is why we have, naturally, established equality of free speech for the merics too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This text comes from a pamphlet that was erroneously attributed to Xenophon in the manuscript tradition. Its anonymous author strongly disapproves of Athenian democracy. However, he explains to a fictitious audience of critics how democracy functions consistently and effectively in a way that benefits those who support it, specifically the poor and uneducated masses. Of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":165,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[230,247,208],"tags":[261,278,306,307],"class_list":["post-2160","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-449-400-bce","category-literary-source","category-non-citizens","tag-athenian-citizenship-en","tag-metics-en","tag-non-citizens-en","tag-slaves-en"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/politeia.unimi.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2160"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/politeia.unimi.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/politeia.unimi.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/politeia.unimi.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/165"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/politeia.unimi.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2160"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/politeia.unimi.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2160\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2163,"href":"https:\/\/politeia.unimi.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2160\/revisions\/2163"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/politeia.unimi.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2160"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/politeia.unimi.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2160"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/politeia.unimi.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2160"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}\n