Entry
Entries A-Z
Subject index
Assembly
Ancient city-states, such as classical Athens (in the fifth century BCE) and republican Rome (especially between the third and first century BCE), were characterized, among other aspects, by the focal role the popular assembly played in political life, and therefore, they are often regarded as examples of direct democracy. The ekklēsia was the Athenian popular assembly, and the comitia was the assembly of the whole Roman people, as opposed to the concilium, whose membership was reserved to part of the population, the plebeians. Although there were fundamental differences in structure and functioning between them, both were open only to adult male citizens, and even the poorest were not formally excluded from the proceedings. The assemblies were called on to take decisions on a wide variety ...
- Loading...