Greek Hoplites in combat
B. A citizenship that excludes
citizenship excludes a large proportion of the population Athenian citizen women, metics and slaves. Indeed, in the fifth century BC, Athens has about 300,000 inhabitants and the 300, 000, citizens are about 40 000. All others are excluded from citizenship.
The Athenian women are treated as full citizens. They are provided free but are deprived of political rights.
They still live under the tutelage of a man (husband, father, brother ...) they can not inherit or dispose freely of the fruit of their labor. Their duties are mainly domestic = raise children, run home, watch the slaves serve their husbands ...
However, they have an essential role: they are the future citizens who give birth and upbringing. Yet they are considered the guardians of tradition and can participate in the religious life of the city (they are given the task of weaving the sacred garment that the city offers every 4 years to the goddess Athena at the Panathenaic).
Metics are foreigners allowed to live in Athens in exchange for a fee (métoikon). They are about 80 000. They have no political rights. They are free men, often craftsmen or traders, they must participate in the prosperity of Athens. Their economic role was fundamental to the prosperity of the city.
They pay tax (the métoikon) but they have no right to possess land or house. They can not marry a citizen. Exceptionally, the civic community can grant them citizenship.
course they have no political rights. By cons, they are associated with civic life. They are mobilized in the light infantry and as rowers in the fleet, they also take part in major religious festivals. The richest of them can not fund military liturgies as choregies (source of prestige for them).
Finally, slaves are deprived of their liberty and have no rights.
They are considered a commodity that can buy or sell, lease or bequeath. They are used in all fields = field work, domestic, public, mining ... they can unload citizens everyday tasks allowing them to participate in political life.
They are not fighting for the city, except in cases of extreme necessity.
They estimated that between 100 000 and 150 000 in Athens.
Athenian democracy can work through slave labor, but also through the work of women but they are excluded from citizenship.
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