THE TWILIGHT OF NOMOTHESIA: LEGISLATION IN EARLY-HELLENISTIC ATHENS (322-301)

Autori

  • MIRKO CANEVARO

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.13130/1128-8221/2844

Abstract

The article surveys the evidence for nomothesia procedures in the twenty years after the end of the Lamian war. It argues that fourth-century nomothesia could not survive the constitutional reforms imposed by Antigonus. Its procedures were later replaced by the individual action of the nomothetes Demetrius of Phalerum, who at the same time imposed on the Assembly the check of nomophylakes who took over the powers of the graphe paranomon and the graphe nomon me epitedeion theinai. Finally, after the restoration of democracy in 307, nomothetai reappeared for the last time, but were not, like before 322, in charge of voting on new proposals and enacting new legislation. They were special magistrates, possibly introduced by Demetrius Poliorcetes, in charge of proposing new laws to the Assembly for the purpose of reforming the constitution after the regime of Demetrius of Phalerum. After this last appearance of nomothetai in the late fourth century, in the third century no recognizable specific nomothesia procedure survived, and laws were enacted by the Assembly like decrees. The reason for the disappearance of nomothesia, it is argued, must be understood both in the context of the evolution of the relevant institutions, and in that of the abuse of the relevant terminology by Macedonian-controlled regimes at the end of the fourth century.

 

L'articolo discute le fonti rilevanti per la ricostruzione delle procedure di nomothesia nei vent'anni successivi alla guerra Lamiaca e argomenta che la nomothesia, nella versione comune nel quarto secolo, non sopravvisse alle riforme costituzionali imposte da Antipatro. Le sue procedure furono dopo il 317 soppiantate dall'azione individuale di Demetrio di Falero, che assunse il ruolo di nomoteta e impose sull'Assemblea il controllo di un gruppo di nomophylakes con poteri che un tempo erano stati esercitati attraverso la graphe paranomon e la graphe nomon me epitedeion theinai. Dopo la restaurazione della democrazia ad opera di Demetrio Poliorcete un gruppo di nomoteti fa capolino per l'ultima volta nelle fonti. Il loro ruolo tuttavia non è quello di approvare le proposte di legge, come avveniva perima del 322, ma quello di proporre nuove leggi all'Assemblea, allo scopo di riformare la costituzione dopo la caduta di Demetrio di Falero. La loro istituzione
negli ultimi anni del quarto secolo è probabilmente da collegare all'azione esplicita di Demetrio Poliorcete. Dal terzo secolo in poi non c'è alcuna traccia di una procedura separata di nomothesia: le leggi vengono probabilmente approvate dall'Assemblea allo stesso modo dei decreti. Nella conclusione si sostiene che la ragione della scomparsa della nomothesia vanno cercate tanto nell'evoluzione intrinseca delle procedure di nomothesia lungo il quarto secolo quanto all'abuso di questa terminologia da parte di vari regimi filomacedoni negli ultimi anni del quarto secolo.

Riferimenti bibliografici

associations in Hellenistic Athens. Athens.

Banfi, A. (2010) Sovranità della legge. La legislazione di Demetrio del Falero ad Atene (317-307 a.C.). Milano.

Bayliss, A. J. (2011), After Demosthenes: The Politics of Early Hellenistic Athens. London.

Bearzot, C. (2007), ‘I nomophylakes in due lemmi di Polluce (VIII 94 νομοφύλακες e VIII 102 οἱ ἔνδεκα)’, in C. Bearzot, F. Landucci and G. Zecchini (eds.), L’Onomasticon di Giulio Polluce: tra lessicografia e antiquaria. Milano: 43-68.

Bencivenni, A. (2003), Progetti di riforme costituzionali nelle epigrafi greche dei secoli IV-II A.C. Bologna.

Bose, E. T. (2009), ‘Lykourgan Brauron: A New Analysis of SEG XXXVII 89’ abstract for CAMWS, http://www.camws.org/meeting/2009/program/abstracts /09D1.Bose.pdf

Busolt, G. (1920) Griechische Staatskunde, München.

Canevaro, M. (2013), ‘Nomothesia in Classical Athens: what sources should we believe?’, CQ 63/1:1-22.

Canevaro, M. and Harris, E. M. (2012), ‘The documents in Andocides’ On the Mysteries’, CQ 62/1: 98—129.

Carawan, E. (2002), ‘The Athenian amnesty and the “scrutiny of the laws”’, JHS 122: 1–23

Cawkwell, G. (1988), ‘NOMOΦYΛAKIA and the Areopagus’, JHS 108: 1-12.

Conwell, D. H. (2008), Connecting a City to the Sea: The History of the Athenian Long Walls. Leiden.

De Sanctis, G. (1893), ‘Contributo alla storia ateniese dalla guerra Lamiaca alla guerra Cremonidea’, in G. Beloch (ed.), Studi di storia antica 2. Rome: 3-64.

De Sanctis G. (1913), ‘I nomophylakes di Atene’, in Entaphia in memoria di E. Pozzi. Torino: 1-14.

Dow, S. (1963), ‘The Athenian Anagrapheis’, HSCP 67: 37-54

Dow, S. and Travis, A. H. (1943), ‘Demetrius of Phaleron and his Lawgiving’,

Hesperia 12: 144-65.

Dreyer, B. (1999), Untersuchungen zur Geschichte des spätklassischen Athen (322 - ca. 230 v.Chr.). Stuttgart.

Ferguson, W. S. (1911), Hellenistic Athens: an Historical Essay. London.

--- (1932), The Treasurers of Athena. Cambridge, MA.

Gagarin, M. (2000), ‘The legislation of Demetrius of Phalerum and the transformation of Athenian law’, in W. W. Fortenbaugh and E. Schütrumpf (eds.), Demetrius of Phalerum. Text, translation and discussion. New Brunswick: 347-365.

Gehrke, H. J. (1978), ‘Das Verhältnis von Politik und Philosophie im Wirken des Demetrios von Phaleron’, Chiron 8: 149-93.

Haake, M. (2007), Der Philosoph in der Stadt. Untersuchungen zur öffentlichen Rede über Philosophen und Philosophie in den hellenistischen Poleis. München.

--- (2008), ‘Das Gesetz des Sophokles und die Schließung der Philosophenschulen in Athen unter Demetrios Poliorketes’, in: H. Hugonnard-Roche (ed.), L’enseignement supérieur dans les mondes antiques et médiévaux. Aspects institutionnels, juridiques et pédagogiques. Colloque international de l’Institut des Traditions Textuelles (Fédération de recherche 33 du C.N.R.S.). Paris: 89-112.

Habicht, C. (1997), Athens from Alexander to Anthony. Cambridge, MA (trans. from German).

--- (2006) Athènes hellénistique: Histoire de la cité d’Alexandre le Grand à Marc Antoine. 2nd ed. Paris (trans. from German).

Hammond, N. G. L. (1985), ‘Some Macedonian Offices c. 336–309 BC’, JHS 105: 156–60.

Hansen, M. H. (1974), The Sovereignty of the People’s Court in the Fourth Century B.C. and the Public Action against Unconstitutional Proposals. Odense.

--- (1978b), ‘Nomos and psephisma in fourth-century Athens’, GRBS 19: 315—330.

--- (1979—80), ‘Athenian nomothesia in the fourth century BC and Demosthenes’ speech Against Leptines’, C&M 32: 87—104

--- (1979), ‘Did the Athenian ecclesia legislate after 403/2 B.C.?’, GRBS 20: 27—53

--- (1983), The Athenian Ecclesia: a collection of articles 1976—1983. Copenhagen.

--- (1985), ‘Athenian nomothesia’, GRBS 26: 345—371

--- (1991), The Athenian Democracy in the Age of Demosthenes: Structure, Principles, and Ideology. Oxford.

Harris, D. (1991), The inventory lists of the Parthenon treasures. Diss. Princeton University.

Harrison, A. R. W. (1955), ‘Law-making at Athens at the end of the fifth century B.C.’, JHS 75: 26—35

Hedrick, C. W. (2000a), ‘For anyone who wishes to see’, AncW 31: 127-135.

--- (2000b), ‘Epigraphic Writing and the Democratic Restoration of 307’, in P. Flensted-Jensen, T.H. Nielsen, L. Rubinstein (eds.), Polis & Politics: Studies in Ancient Greek History. Presented to Mogens Herman Hansen on his Sixtieth Birthday, August 20, 2000. Copenhagen: 327-35.

Henry, A. S. (1977), The Prescripts of Athenian Decrees. Leiden.

--- (2002), ‘The Athenian State Secretariat and Provisions for Publishing and Erecting Decrees’, Hesperia 71: 91-118.

Humphreys, S. C. (2004), The Strangeness of Gods. Historical Perspectives on the Interpretation of Athenian Religion. Oxford.

Jacoby, F. (1949), Atthis: The Local Chronicles of Ancient Athens. Oxford.

Kahrstedt, U. (1938), ‘Untersuchungen zu athenischen Behörden II. Die Nomotheten und die Legislative in Athen’, Klio 31: 1-32.

Korhonen, T. (1997), ‘Self-Concept und Public Image of Philosophers and Philosophical Schools at the Beginning of the Hellenistic Age’, in J. Frösén (ed.), Early Hellenistic Athens. Symptoms of a Change. Helsinki 1997: 33-101.

Lambert, S. (2004), ‘Athenian state laws and decrees 352/1-322/1. I Decrees honouring Athenians’, ZPE 150: 85-120.

--- (2007), ‘Athenian State Laws and Decrees, 352/1–322/1: IV Treaties and Other Texts’, ZPE 161: 67–100.

Laronde, A. (1987), Cyrène et la Libye hellénistique. Libykai Historiai de l’époque républicaine au principat d’Auguste. Paris.

Lieberman, R. C. (2002), ‘Ideas, Institutions, and Political Order: Explaining Political Change’, American Political Science Review 96/4: 697-712.

Linders, T. (1975), The Treasurers of the Other Gods in Athens and their Functions. Meisenheim am Glan.

Luraghi, N. (2010), ‘The demos as narrator: public honors and the construction of future and past’, in L. Foxhall, N. Luraghi, and H.-J. Gehrke, (eds.), Intentional History: Spinning Time. Stuttgart: 247-64.

MacDowell, D. M. (1975), ‘Law-making at Athens in the fourth century B.C.’ JHS 95: 62—74.

Maier, F. G. (1959), Griechische Mauerbauinschriften I. Heidelberg.

Magnetto, A. (1997), Gli arbitrati interstatali greci. Introduzione, testo critico, traduzione, commento e indici, vol. II: Dal 337 al 196 a.C. Pisa.

Marasco, G. (1984), Democare di Leuconoe: politica e cultura in Atene fra IV e III sec. A.C. Firenze.

March, J. G. and Olsen, J. P. (1984), ‘The new institutionalism: organizational factors in political life’, American Political Science Review 78: 734-49.

--- (2006), ‘Elaborating the ‘‘New Institutionalism’’’, in R. A. W. Rhodes, S. A. Binder, and B. A. Rockman (eds.), The Oxford Handbook of Political Institutions. Oxford: 3-20.

Martini, R. (2011), ‘La costituzione di Cirene,’ RDE 1: 169-81.

Merker, L. (1986), ‘Habron the son of Lykourgos of Boutadai’, AncW 14: 41-50.

O’Sullivan, L. (2001) “Philochorus, Pollux and the nomophylakes of Demetrius of Phalerum” JHS 121: 51-62.

--- (2009) The regime of Demetrius of Phalerum in Athens, 317-307 BCE: a philosopher in politics, Leiden.

Oliver, G. J. (2003), ‘Oligarchy at Athens after the Lamian War: epigraphic evidence for the Boule and the Ekklesia’, in S. V. Tracy and O. Palagia (eds.), The Macedonians in Athens, 322-229 BC. Oxford 2003: 40-51.

Papazarkadas, N. (2011), Sacred and Public Land in Ancient Athens. Oxford.

Paschidis, P. (2008) Between City and King: Prosopographical Studies on the Intermediaries between the Cities of the Greek Mainland and the Aegean and the Royal Courts in the Hellenistic Period (322-190 BC). Athens.

Pearson, L. I. C. (1942), The Local Historians of Attica. Philadelphia.

Piérart, M. (2000), ‘Qui étaient les nomothètes à l’époque de Démosthène?’, in Lévy, E. (ed.), La codification des lois dans l’antiquité. Paris: 229—256

Poddighe, E. (2002), Nel segno di Antipatro. Rome.

Quass, F. (1971) Nomos und Psephisma. Untersuchungen zum griechischen Staatsrecht, München.

Raz, J. (1977), ‘The Rule of Law and It’s Virtue’, The Law Quarterly Review 93: 195-211.

Rhodes, P. J. (1981), A commentary on the Aristotelian Athenaion Politeia. Oxford.

--- (1984), ‘Nomothesia in fourth-century Athens,’ CQ 35: 55—60.

--- (1991), ‘The Athenian code of laws, 410–399 B.C.’, JHS 111: 87–100

--- (2003), ‘Sessions of nomothetai in fourth-century Athens’, CQ 53: 124—9

Rhodes, P. J. with Lewis, D.M. (1997), The Decrees of the Greek States. Oxford.

Robertson, N. (1990), ‘The laws of Athens, 410–399 BC: the evidence for review and publication’, JHS 110: 43–75

Smith, R. M. (2008), ‘Historical institutionalism and the study of law’, in K. E. Whittington, R. D. Kelemen and G. A. Caldeira (eds.), The Oxford Handbook of Law and Politics. Oxford: 46-59.

Themelis, P.G. (2002), ‘Contribution to the Topography of the Sanctuary at Brauron’, in B. Gentili - F. Perusino (eds.), Le orse di Brauron. Pisa: 103-116.

Thonemann, P. (2005), ‘The tragic king. Demetrios Poliorketes and the city of Athens’, in O. Hekster and R. Fowler (eds.), Imaginary Kings: royal images in the Ancient Near East, Greece and Rome. Stuttgart: 63-86.

Tracy, S. V. (1995), Athenian Democracy in Transition: Attic Letter-Cutters of 340 to 290 B.C. Berkeley – Los Angeles.

--- (1999), ‘Demetrius of Phalerum: Who was He and Who was He Not?’, in W. W. Fortenbaugh and E. Schütrumpf (eds.), Demetrius of Phalerum: Text Translation and Discussion. New Brunswick and London: 331-45.

Van Wees, H. (2001), ‘Demetrius and Draco: Athens' property classes and population in and before 317 BC’, JHS 131: 95-114.

Wallace, R. W. (1989), The Areopagus Council to 307 B.C. Baltimore and London.

Wallace, S. (2013 forthcoming), ‘Adeimantus of Lampsacus and the Development of the Early Hellenistic Philos’, in V. A. Troncoso and E. M. Anson (eds.), After Alexander: The Time of the Diadochi (323-281 BC). Oxford.

Williams, J. M. (1985), Athens without democracy: the oligarchy of Phocion and the tyranny of Demetrius of Phalerum, 322-307 B.C. Diss. Yale University.

Wilson, P. – Csapo, E. (2012), ‘From Chorêgia to Agônothesia: Evidence for the Administration and Finance of the Athenian Theatre in the Late Fourth Century BC’, in D. Rosenbloom and J. Davidson (eds.), Greek Drama IV: Texts, Contexts, Performance. London: 300-21.

Woodward, A. M. (1940), ‘Two Attic Treasure-Records’, in Athenian Studies Presented to William Scott Ferguson, HSCP suppl. 1. Cambridge, Mass.: 377–407.

Dowloads

Pubblicato

2013-01-24

Fascicolo

Sezione

Articoli