HISTORY 36B Lecture Notes - Lecture 40: Archon Basileus, Eponymous Archon, Archon
Document Summary
After unification, everyone in attica was athenian and could participate in government and vote. Oversaw religion/cults of the polis, judged lawsuits pertaining to cult oversaw all public affairs, presided over the council and assembly, judged nonreligious cases until creation of thesmothetai. 9 archons elected for one year terms and came from a small group of aristocratic property. 9 archons ruled as one body with the council of the areopagus. Council of the areopagus (met on the hill sacred to ares) The assembly former archons with lifetime membership all athenian male citizens. Aristotle says archons were elected by the assembly. Tribes 4 in number, made up of oikoi. Possible that the phylai served as political and military divisions. Seem to function more as social groups concerned with matters of family and of descent. Membership was proof of citizenship associations of noble households dominated by a top oikos and all claiming descent from a common ancestor.
