PYNX, AREOPAGUS AND KERAMEIKOS: A Beast or A God
- marcelagaylen
- Jun 5, 2020
- 2 min read
At the Pnyx, the early Athenian democracy was birthed. It flourished at this hill and became the seat of political power as the citizenry gathered to exercise their right to speak and participate in the politics of the day. Areopagus was where the judicial activities of ancient Greece occurred. It was also where, in the days after Christs' crucifixion, the apostle Paul spoke to those gathered and began a trajectory for the rise of Christianity in Greece. And in the shadow of today's modern city, the cemetery Kerameikos is where many leaders and heroes from great ancient endeavors were laid to rest.
Citizenship was a cornerstone of ancient Greek life and Aristotle famously said:
"He who is unable to live in society or who has no need
because he is sufficient for himself, must be either a beast or a god."
I’m struck by how, thousands of years later, we seem to still be plagued by the vagaries of democracy as a vehicle to ensure representation of the people. On the one hand, ancient Greeks not only encouraged widespread participation in the democratic process, they mandated it. All adult males were required to complete their military service obligation and then they were expected to become a part of the body politic. However, the ‘adult male’ portion of that observation provides a painful reminder of the staying power of social divisions and class systems. Adult males did not include foreigners, enslaved persons, those who did not own land, debtors whose rights and privileges had been suspended or the women, who in addition to being denied a right to participate in the democratic process, lived their lives almost completely separated from the men. There are also accounts of voter rolls being purged which is an unfortunate headline frequently seen in the intervening years between then and now.
Read a vivid description of the pageantry and formality of ancient Greek's burial ritual.
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