THE ATHENIAN CITIZEN: DEMOCRACY IN THE ATHENIAN AGORA

32 pages

40 color figures

paperback, 21x14 cm

A concise introduction to the workings of ancient democracy, The Athenian Citizen has been a bestseller since the original edition was first published almost 60 years ago by Mabel Lang. Using archaeological evidence from excavations at the heart of ancient Athens, this volume shows how tribal identity was central to all aspects of civic life, guiding the reader through the duties of citizenship as soldier in times of war and as juror during the peace. The checks and balances that protected Athenian society from tyrants, such as legal assassination and ostracism, are described. Selected inscriptions are illustrated and discussed, as are ingenious devices such as allotment machines and water clocks, which ensured fairness in the courts. The book ends with some of the lasting products of classical administration: the silver coins accepted around the known world, and the standard weights and measures that continue to protect the consumer from unscrupulous merchants. Illustrated entirely in color, with updates and revisions by the current director of excavations at the Agora, this edition of an acknowledged classic will inform and fascinate visitors and students for many years to come."

English 9780876616420

Greek 9789607067043

Mabel Lang (1917–2010) was the Katharine E. McBride Professor Emeritus and Paul Shorey Professor Emeritus of Greek at Bryn Mawr College.  She authored or coauthored nine books published by the ASCSA. John McK. Camp II is Director of Excavations at the Athenian Agora and Professor of Classics at Randolph-Macon College in Virginia.