The Aeropagus:
The Aeropagus, or Hill of Ares, was a hill in the center of Athens' political sector which housed the Court of the Aeropagus. This court, whose origins go back to pre-historic mythology, was apparently created by the goddess Athena for the trial of Orestes, who had killed his mother (Aeschylus' Oresteia describes the story of Orestes and the outcome of his trial in the Aeropagus). It has always been linked closely to the history of Athens, and especially its political evolution. Although it existed long before Athenian democracy, in seems impossible to talk about one before mentioning the other. During Athenian democracy, it was primarily the court with jurisdiction over cases of homicide and other various crimes. Even in its earliest days, the Court of the Aeropagus was seen was one of the most advanced judicial systems in existence: The orator Lycurgus said that in the court "you have [...] the finest model in Greece: a court so superior to others that even the men convicted in it admit that its judgments are just." To join the Court of the Aeropagus, one first had to have served as an archon for the city for nine years. After these nine years had passed, all the actions one had undertaken while archon were evaluated by officials of the democracy. If the archon passed the scrutiny, he was elected to the Aeropagus for life (there was no clear limit to the number of men who could be part of the Council). This scrutiny made it possible to only appoint the most just and most righteous to the Court. |
Working alongside the Aeropagus was another court, the Heliaia. This court was made up of around 6000 members, called heliasts, coming from all social classes, with 60 members coming from each of Athens' "tribes," who were chosen by lots at the beginning of each year among the male population of Athens. Although the members did not all join together for each trial, a number of them were called upon in turn to judge the different cases presented before the Heliaia. This court dealt with the more global types of justice, while the Aeropagus and the Court of Blood respectively dealt with severe trials and parricide.
The Three stages of Justice:
The creation of justice in Athens follows three different reforms by three different leaders:
- At the end of the VIIth century BCE, Dacon, an Athenian Legislator, created new, extremely severe punishments to be imposed in the Court of Blood. He also established what he called "equal laws for the good and the malicious one," meaning the aristocrats and the lower classes would share the same laws of justice. This was the first time that justice was givn the same meaning on all levels of society.
- Within the next fifty years, Solon, another Legislator, created the Heliaia to judge the less severecrimes in a same court, therefore allowing equal representation before the law.
- The final stage of creating Athenian justice came with Clisthene, a few years after Solon's reforms. Clisthene specified the role of the courts, especially the Aeropagus, limiting it's role to judging crimes of murder and counter-murder and removing its political power. He also limited the recruitment methods for entering the Heliaia, which limited the Learned population's influence in the court.
The Three stages of Justice:
The creation of justice in Athens follows three different reforms by three different leaders:
- At the end of the VIIth century BCE, Dacon, an Athenian Legislator, created new, extremely severe punishments to be imposed in the Court of Blood. He also established what he called "equal laws for the good and the malicious one," meaning the aristocrats and the lower classes would share the same laws of justice. This was the first time that justice was givn the same meaning on all levels of society.
- Within the next fifty years, Solon, another Legislator, created the Heliaia to judge the less severecrimes in a same court, therefore allowing equal representation before the law.
- The final stage of creating Athenian justice came with Clisthene, a few years after Solon's reforms. Clisthene specified the role of the courts, especially the Aeropagus, limiting it's role to judging crimes of murder and counter-murder and removing its political power. He also limited the recruitment methods for entering the Heliaia, which limited the Learned population's influence in the court.