Divided Power and Ευνομια: Deliberative Procedures in Ancient Sparta

Abstract

Spartan institutions were pictured as a model of political stability from the Classical period onwards. The so-called Spartan ‘mirage’ did not involve only its constitutional order but also social and economic institutions. Xenophon begins hisConstitution of the Lacedaemoniansby associating Spartan fame with thepoliteiaset up by Lycurgus, which made the Laconian city the most powerful (δυνατωτάτη) and famous (ὀνομαστοτάτη)polisin Greece (Xen.Lac.1.1). In Aristotle'sPolitics, in which the assessment of Sparta is more complex and nuanced, one finds a critique of contemporary Spartan institutions as well as praise for Lycurgus as a great lawgiver who established the laws of Sparta (Arist.Pol.2.1269a69, 2.1273b20). Most other ancient sources often remark upon the unchangeable features of some Spartan institutions as a key aspect of Spartan εὐνομία. Thucydides maintains that, after a long period of war andstasis, the Dorians established excellent laws and Sparta employed the same constitution for more than four hundred years (Thuc. 1.18.1: τετρακόσια καὶ ὀλίγῳ πλείω ἐς τὴν τελευτὴν τοῦδε τοῦ πολέμου ἀφ᾽ οὗ Λακεδαιμόνιοι τῇ αὐτῇ πολιτείᾳ χρῶνται).

Demos (a)kurios? Agenda power and democratic control in ancient Greece

“…And whatever they [the kings and elders] proposed, they not only suffered the people to listen to whatever seemed best to the rulers, but also to exercise control over the decision [ alla kurioi krinein ], and it was possible for whomever wished to speak against the things proposed; which is not the case with the other constitutions [Crete and Sparta]. (Aristotle, 2017: 1273a5–12) Aristotle notes that, at least when the kings and elders disagree over policy, the Carthaginian demos exercises “control over the decision” (they are kurioi krinein ), which we might define as follows: Control over a decision : The demos has control over a decision with respect to some issue A when, if another agent puts to the demos’ vote the choice between y and z with respect to A, the demos’ majority vote for y or z is determinative, and can only be overturned by another vote taken by the demos (through an institution such as the assembly or the courts).The Carthaginian demos’ occasional exercise of control over decisions distinguishes Carthage from regimes such as Sparta, where the council of elders could overturn decisions of the Spartan assembly (Cartledge, 2001; Esu, 2017). Yet even though Carthage “deviates towards democracy” in Aristotle’s view, it is clear that the demos, even if occasionally kurioi krinein , is not in control of the polis .…”

“…The Carthaginian demos' occasional exercise of control over decisions distinguishes Carthage from regimes such as Sparta, where the council of elders could overturn decisions of the Spartan assembly (Cartledge, 2001;Esu, 2017). Yet even though Carthage "deviates towards democracy" in Aristotle's view, it is clear that the demos, even if occasionally kurioi krinein, is not in control of the polis.…”

“… 11 On Spartan deliberative procedure, see Cartledge (2001); Esu (2017). In contrast with Sparta, review of assembly decisions in Athens was undertaken by ordinary citizens in the popular courts, through e.g.…”