Time Schedule:
Deborah E. Kamen
GREEK 520
Seattle Campus
Class description
What did 'citizenship' actually mean in Classical Athens? That is, what did citizenship entail? Who got to be a citizen? Were Athenian women considered citizens? What about people who were born of Athenian parents but too poor to own land? What about those who possessed some, but not all, civic rights? In this seminar, we will investigate the meaning of Athenian citizenship through an exploration of the spectrum of legal and social statuses in Classical Athens. After looking at the ways in which the Athenians defined citizenship (e.g. 'sharing in the polis'), we will turn to an in-depth examination of various status groups, including chattel slaves, privileged slaves, freed slaves, metics, bastards, disenfranchised citizens, naturalized citizens, and full-fledged citizens. Readings will include Greek literary texts (e.g. selections from Aristotle, Politics; Demosthenes, Against Neaira), Greek inscriptions, and scholarship on Greek status. Students will be expected to lead one in-class discussion and to write a seminar paper on a relevant topic of their choosing.
Student learning goals
General method of instruction
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Class assignments and grading
