11-30-2008, 01:30 PM
Quote:I´d like to see some evidence which shows continuity and which lifts the hypothesis out of the realm of speculation.Actually, there is some evidence, although I would not accept it myself as sufficient proof: the Cadmus story. The first city in Greece was believed to have been founded by a Phoenician, and the implication may be that the Greeks believed that the origins of their political system were Phoenician as well. I admit that this is insufficient, and I also think that real proof will be difficult to obtain.
However, there is one course we must never take: unquestioningly believe the Athenians that they were the inventors. It is remarkable that ancient historians who are perfectly capable of deconstructing Athenian propaganda elsewhere, never challenge the Athenian claim to have invented democracy. Beloch was aware of this problem, and was looking for arguments to accept the Athenian story; he came up with the argument that the word demokratia is not found in any archaic text. Of course this is nonsense (although I do not like to say that of the great historian); but he ought to have realized that before 450, nearly all our texts are poetic, and the word demokratia does not fit into the poetic meters.
In sum, we have no other argument to believe that democracy was invented by the Athenians than their own stories. They are probably right, but I think it is by no means as certain as is often believed.
