BMCR 2009.01.14, M. Lagogianne-Georgakarakou, Edoxen tei boulei

M. Lagogianne-Georgakarakou, K. Bourazeles (ed.), Edoxen tei boulei kai
toi demoi: H athenaike demokratia milaei me tis epigraphes tes.
Athens:  Ministry of Culture, 2007.  Pp. 151.  ISBN 9789608986213.

Reviewed by Marijana Ricl, University of Belgrade ([email protected])
Word count:  740 words
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The Epigraphical Museum and the Hellenic Parliament Foundation for
Parliamentarism and Democracy in cooperation with the University of
Athens organized an exhibition of inscriptions dealing from the
activities of officials and bodies of the Athenian democratic polis.
The book under review is the catalogue of this exhibition, . Along with
the editors, M. Lagogianni-Georgakarakou, director of the Epigraphical
Museum, and K. Buraselis, professor of Ancient History at the
University of Athens, a team of collaborators from the Epigraphical
Museum and the University of Athens (S. Aneziri, P. Grigoriadou, E.
Zavvou, A.A. Themos, N. Birgalias, A. Ramou-Chapsiadi, Ir.-L. Choremi)
made contributions to the text.

The catalogue deals with almost every aspect of the Athenian democratic
state, adducing numerous inscriptions that illuminate its daily
functioning. Moreover, the most important exhibited inscriptions are
edited and commented upon, with excellent photographs of the stone
supplied in each case. This significantly increases the usefulness of
the catalogue.

The first part of the catalogue, entitled <greek>*H ge/nnhsh ths
dhmokrati/as kai twn yhfisma/twn</greek> (The birth of democracy and
voting), provides a general introduction to the history of the Athenian
polis, its institutions, society, reformers, and tyrants. As the first
preserved decree of the Athenian people, the decree on the cleruchs on
Salamis (Meiggs-Lewis 19882, 14, Fornara 44 B and A. Matthaiou,
<greek>*HOROS</greek> 8-9, 1990-91, 10-13) is examined: a photograph, a
text, a translation into Modern Greek and a concise commentary are
provided.

The second part, entitled <greek>*O/yeis ths domh/s kai ths
leitourgi/as ths diamorfwme/nhs aqhnai+kh/s dhmokrati/as</greek>
(Observations on the structure and operation of the formative Athenian
democracy), deals firstly with the officials and the collective bodies
of Athens from Cleisthenes until the end of the classical period. An
important part of this study is devoted to the allotment machines,
known as kleroteria, of which the one dated in 162/1 BC (IG II2 2864a)
is illustrated. The process of election by lot of the nine archons, the
boule, the juries, and minor state officials is explained in detail and
changes in the procedure noted. Other chapters of the second part
examine decision-making and forms of decrees, legislation, public
buildings and cults, foreign policy and honorary decrees for Athenian
citizens and foreigners. As integral parts of these chapters, editions
and commentaries of a number of inscriptions presented at the
exhibition are included. To mention just a few: Draco's law on homicide
(IG I3 104), the decrees on the priestess and the temple of Athena Nike
(ibid. 35-6), the decree of Kleinias (Meggs-Lewis 19882 46), the decree
on the alliance of Athens and Leontini (ibid. 64), the "charter" of the
Second Athenian Confederacy (Rhodes, Osborne 2003, 22), the decree of
Themistocles (Meggs-Lewis 19882 23), the decree on the foundation of
the Athenian colony at Brea (ibid. 49).

The third part of the catalogue, entitled <greek>*Oi peripe/teies ths
aqhnai+kh/s dhmokrati/as  kata/ ton 5o ai. p. X.</greek> (The
adventures of Athenian democracy during the 5th century BC), deals with
the regimes of the Four Hundred and of the Thirty Tyrants and the
restoration of full democracy. Three honorific inscriptions, for
Thrasyboulos from Kalydon and seven other individuals involved in the
murder of Phrynichos (IG I3 102), for Eucles, the fearless fighter for
democratic restoration in 403 BC, and for his son Philocles (IG II2 145
and Hesperia 10, 1941, 266), are singled out and presented as documents
contemporary to these momentous events in Athenian history.

The final part of the catalogue, <greek>*Agw/nes, periorismoi/ kai
prosarmostiko/thta ths aqhnai+kh/s dhmokrati/as: apo thn aname/trhsh me
th Makedoni/a e/ws kai ta rwmai+ka/ xro/nia</greek> (Struggles,
limitations, and adaptability of Athenian democracy: from the
confrontation with Macedonia until Roman times) is devoted to the
changing situation in Athens in the Hellenistic and Roman period. Among
the adduced inscriptions, the most important one is the decree on the
anti-Macedonian alliance of Athens with Areus of Sparta and his allies,
the so-called Chremonidean psephisma (IG II2 686+687, between 268/7 and
265/4 BC).

The catalogue closes with a bibliography, an index of personal names,
terms and toponyms and a concordance of ancient literary sources.

The catalogue of the exhibition <greek>*)/Edocen th=i boulh=i kai\ tw=i
dh/mwi. *H aqhnai+kh\ dhmokrati/a mila/ei me tis epigrafh/s ths</greek>
(The Athenian democracy speaks with its inscriptions), with its well
composed and beautifully illustrated editions and commentaries of the
most important public inscriptions of democratic Athens, will be
continually consulted by all who have recourse to this valuable book,
especially those involved in teaching Athenian history to
undergraduates.