02 Democracy, Culture, and Tragedy.pdf.md

# 02 Democracy, Culture, and Tragedy.pdf ## The Cultural and Political Background of Greek Tragedy - The fifth century was the time when [Athenian democracy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athenian_democracy) emerged, with the groundwork laid in the sixth century under the rule of the tyrant [Peisis...

# 02 Democracy, Culture, and Tragedy.pdf ## The Cultural and Political Background of Greek Tragedy - The fifth century was the time when [Athenian democracy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athenian_democracy) emerged, with the groundwork laid in the sixth century under the rule of the tyrant [Peisistratus (son of Nestor)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peisistratus_(son_of_Nestor)), who ruled Athens from 546 to 527 BC. - During Peisistratus' reign, the city [Dionysia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dionysia) became a significant festival in Athens, and tragedy likely started to be performed around that time, with the first performance of tragedy attributed to [Thespis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thespis) in 534 BC, although modern scholars have cast doubt on this date. - After Peisistratus' death, his son [Hippias (tyrant)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hippias_(tyrant)) took over, but his rule became harsher after the assassination of his brother [Hipparchus (brother of Hippias)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hipparchus_(brother_of_Hippias)) in 514 BC, leading to instability and attempts to form a new government. - The aristocracy, who belHuieved in rule by the best, tried to oust Hippias and reinstate an aristocratic form of government, but ultimately, Hippias went into exile in 510 BC, leaving a [Power vacuum](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power_vacuum) that was filled by [Cleisthenes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cleisthenes). - Cleisthenes introduced a system of reforms in Athenian government, including the creation of a new political structure called "esonmia," which meant equality before the law, and the reorganization of the citizen body into ten new tribes, replacing the traditional four hereditary tribes based on family. - Cleisthenes' reforms, particularly those in 508-507 BC, laid the groundwork for democracy in [Athens](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athens), although they were not themselves democratic, and marked a significant shift away from one-man rule and towards a more equal system of government. ## Cleisthenes' Reforms and the Rise of Democracy - Cleisthenes introduced a new system of tribes in Athens, consisting of 10 tribes based on place of residence rather than family descent, to rework the structure of [Athenian democracy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athenian_democracy) society. - The new tribes were formed by dividing 139 demes (villages or small sections) into 30 groups called tritiates, which were arranged by region, city, coast, or inland, and then assigning one tritis from each of the three regions to each tribe. - This system ensured that each tribe had residents from the city, coast, and inland areas, preventing any one area or family from dominating the others and making the deme the most important unit in Athenian society. - As a result, Athenians began to identify themselves by their name and deme of residence, rather than their family name, marking a significant shift in how people identified themselves. - The new tribes became the basis for most government functions, including the army, political assemblies, and courts, laying the groundwork for the development of democracy in 5th-century [Athens](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athens). ## Athenian Democracy and its Structure - [Athenian democracy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athenian_democracy), which literally means "rule by the people," was direct and not representative, with all free male citizens over 20 having access to the General Assembly and full political rights granted at the age of 30. - The population of Attica in the 5th century B.C. is estimated to have been around 315,500 people, with approximately 43,000 adult male citizens eligible to vote in the assembly, although it is unlikely that all 43,000 would have voted at the same time. - The reforms introduced by [Cleisthenes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cleisthenes) did not establish true democracy but paved the way for its development in Athens, with the concept of democracy being based on the Greek word "demos," meaning people. - In ancient [Athens](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athens), certain decisions in the Athenian assembly required a quorum of 6,000 citizens, and the assembly was a direct democracy where any male citizen could attend, propose motions, and vote on proposals. - The assembly's decision-making process involved volunteer speakers presenting speeches for and against proposals, followed by voting by a show of hands, which was a significant aspect of Athenian democracy. ## The Influence of the Athenian Assembly on Tragedy - The [Athenian democracy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athenian_democracy) assembly's format and procedures had implications for the development of [Tragedy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tragedy) as a genre, as it shared characteristics with public oratory, such as the audience's ability to listen attentively and follow complex arguments. - The Athenian audience was accustomed to meeting in large numbers and listening to long speeches, which made it possible for them to follow intricate patterns in tragedies without getting confused. - There is ongoing scholarly debate about whether women and slaves attended performances of tragedy in [Athens](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athens), but it is clear that the target audience was the male citizen body, who were the primary recipients of the tragedians' messages. ## Tragedy, Rhetoric, and Civic Engagement - Tragedy and politics both drew on and influenced the growing interest in rhetoric in 5th-century BC Athens, with training in rhetoric being essential for participation in the assembly and reflected in the speeches of tragedy. - The performance of tragedies at the city [Dionysia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dionysia) festival, dedicated to the god [Dionysus](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dionysus), was a civic as well as a religious occasion, where the citizen body gathered to engage with the performances. - The author argues that it is misleading to view [Tragedy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tragedy) solely as a religious ceremony, as the festivals were also civic events that brought the citizen body together. - The performance of tragedy at festivals in honor of Dionysus in 5th century [Athens](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athens) may have been due to the availability of a large audience, rather than any inherent religious nature of tragedy. - Festivals were one of the few opportunities for gathering large numbers of people together, making them an ideal platform for playwrights to showcase their work. ## Financing and Production of Tragedies - The financing of tragedies was the responsibility of wealthy individual citizens, known as liturgia, who were required by [Athenian democracy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athenian_democracy) law to fund projects for the public good. - Funding a tetralogy, consisting of three tragedies and one satyr play, was one way for a wealthy citizen to discharge their responsibility to the state. - A citizen who funded a tetralogy was called a chorēgos or chorus leader, indicating the importance of the chorus in drama. - The playwright was referred to as the didaskalos, meaning teacher, possibly due to the fact that literacy was not common in 5th century [Athens](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athens), and actors learned their lines by listening to the playwright repeat them. - Each tragedian was assigned a chorēgos, who paid for the chorus, training, costuming, props, and extras, and whose wealth influenced the lavishness of the production. - The city of Athens took over the responsibility of hiring and paying actors in 450-449 B.C., with four actors being employed. ## Social and Political Themes in Tragedy - The civic nature of [Tragedy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tragedy) is also evident in the fact that it addressed social and political issues of extreme contemporary relevance, often using myth to discuss important social issues. - The playwright originally acted in their own plays and hired other actors, but later, the city took over this responsibility, and the number of actors increased from two to three. - Greek tragedies often addressed important social issues relevant to their 5th-century [Athenian democracy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athenian_democracy) audience, despite not directly debating political issues like political assemblies did. - Tragedies used traditional myth to explore these issues, which affected politics, culture, and society, resulting in a "double time frame" that must be considered when analyzing Greek tragedy. - The time frame within the tragedies themselves is the heroic age, typically set in the 12th century B.C. or earlier, featuring great heroes like [Oedipus](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oedipus), [Agamemnon](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agamemnon), and [Achilles](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Achilles). - However, the themes and issues addressed in the tragedies were relevant to the contemporary society of 5th-century [Athens](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athens), requiring consideration of both time frames. - An example of this double time frame is the portrayal of kingship in tragedies, where the mythic time frame assumes the right of kings to rule, but the 5th-century audience's viewpoint often highlights the dangers of one-man rule through the comments of the chorus. ## The Conflict between Private and Public Duties in Tragedy - A crucial theme in tragedies is the conflict between private and public duties, or the conflict between the claims of oikos (household and family) and polis (city-state), which is examined from various angles in many surviving tragedies. - This theme is particularly relevant in the context of Cleisthenes' reforms, which had reduced the political power of extended families and redirected citizens' loyalty to their demes rather than their families. - However, such reforms do not immediately change human nature, and the older system of family loyalty continued to exist, leading to conflicts between individual and societal duties. - In [Athenian democracy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athenian_democracy) [Tragedy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tragedy), male characters often find themselves torn between private and public duties, or between the good of their family (oikos) and the good of their community (polis), as seen in Aeschylus' play [Agamemnon](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agamemnon). ## The Portrayal of Women in Athenian Society and Tragedy - This conflict is frequently portrayed as a struggle between female and male, with the oikos associated with women and the polis with men, reflecting a rigid division of gender roles in Athenian society. - Men and women had different duties to the polis, with men expected to risk their lives in war and women in childbirth, and these duties were considered non-interchangeable. - In Athenian law, women were considered minors and were under the guardianship of a male, even if they were widowed and elderly, and were not considered citizens. - The typical age of marriage reinforced this view, with men marrying at around 30 and women at around 14, making the new wife still a child. - The purpose of marriage was to produce legitimate children and repopulate the oikos and polis, highlighting the intersection of the interests of oikos and polis in the production of a new generation of citizens. - The ideal for [Athenian democracy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athenian_democracy) women was to stay inside the house as much as possible, only leaving for religious festivals and family funerals, although this ideal was only achievable for wealthy women with slaves. - Lower-class women did work outside the home, and there is evidence that they participated in activities such as selling vegetables in the market. - Women's participation in public life was restricted, with men dominating government and public affairs, although women did participate in religious festivals and ceremonies. - The one exception to this was the city [Dionysia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dionysia) festival, but it is unknown whether women were included in this festival or if it was exclusively for men. - The city of [Athens](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athens) had various religious festivals, some of which were open to both men and women, while others were exclusive to one sex, but the attendance of women at the city Dionysia and [Tragedy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tragedy) performances is unknown. - Reconstructing the lives of ancient Athenian women is challenging due to the limited and biased sources available, which were primarily written by men for male audiences and often presented prescriptive rather than descriptive accounts of women's behavior. - Greek tragedies are a valuable yet problematic resource for understanding the lives of [Athenian democracy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athenian_democracy) women, as they feature strong and powerful female characters who often defy traditional Athenian beliefs about women's roles and behavior. - Many Greek tragedies include female protagonists or important secondary characters, such as [Clytemnestra](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clytemnestra) and [Medea](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medea), who exhibit characteristics like violence, cleverness, and self-sufficiency that were considered undesirable in Athenian women. - However, these characters are more complex than simply representing the opposite of the Athenian ideal, and their portrayal suggests that the role of women in Athens was more nuanced than previously thought. - The young, unmarried girls in Greek tragedy, such as [Antigone](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antigone) and [Iphigenia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iphigenia), also demonstrate noble and self-sacrificing qualities that were traditionally associated with men in 5th-century Athenian culture. - The complexity of women's roles in [Athens](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athens) is consistent with the idea that prescriptive writings about women's behavior often do not reflect the actual reality of people's lives.