Historical background:
With the support of his family and the help of Spartans, he overthrew the rule of Hippias, the son of peisistratus. However, in the power vacuum after the collapse of the dictatorship, he faced the challenge of Isagoras. The latter took the lead and became a consul in 507-508; On the other hand, Cleisthenes's reform plan has won public support. When Isagoras saw this situation, he sought support from King Cleominis I of Sparta to exile Cleisthenes, and got a response. The latter sent a small army and reiterated the curse of Maion family in Arce, forcing Cleisthenes and his supporters into exile, while Isagoras seized power without competition.
Results:
Isagoras tried to establish oligarchy and dissolve parliament. The move was strongly resisted by Parliament, and Cleisthenes was widely supported by the people of Athens. Isagoras and his staff were forced to flee to the Acropolis, where they were besieged for two days. They finally surrendered on the third day and handed over power. In this way, Cleisthenes was recalled, regained power and continued his democratic reform.
Cristini reform
Background and preparation:
From 509 to 508 BC, Cleisthenes carried out political and social reforms. After the tyrant was overthrown in 5 10 BC, the struggle between clans and nobles, clans and civilians intensified, and clans, phratries and tribal organizations that maintained kinship could not meet the needs of the further development of slave-holding countries. Cristini was the chief consul of Athens from 525 BC to 524 BC. In 508 BC, he joined forces with civilians and carried out a series of major reforms through the citizens' assembly.
Content:
First, he established 10 regional tribes to replace the original four clan tribes. The four traditional tribes are prone to dictatorship because they come from family relations. Athens is divided into urban area, coastal area and inland area, and each area is divided into ten parts, which is called trinity area. By drawing lots, a trinity area is drawn from each region to synthesize a regional tribe. Trinity is divided into several Demos (autonomous village societies), which constitute the basic units of political, social and religious activities of Athenian citizens. Young men who have reached the age of 18 in Athens can obtain citizenship through a certain naturalization ceremony in Demos where their parents belong. Some foreigners also obtained Athenian citizenship in Demos. In this way, the principle of region replaced the principle of consanguinity and weakened the influence of clan nobles in all aspects.
Secondly, it is stipulated that tribes in each region should elect 50 citizens over the age of 30 to form a 500-member parliament every year, instead of the 400-member parliament founded by Solon, and become the drafting body for the proposal of the citizens' assembly, which is responsible for handling the daily administrative affairs of the country. The latter meets about 40 times a year to perform its duties. The proposed bill may be passed, rejected or sent back to parliament for amendment.
Cristini has also strengthened the activities of citizens' congresses and people's courts, and the jury courts have also been reorganized. 200 to 5000 people are selected to participate in the jury every day.
He established the Committee of Ten Generals as the highest military institution. The Committee is composed of one person from each of the ten regional tribes. It is elected once a year and takes turns to command the army, one of whom is the general.
Cleisthenes also established the exile system of pottery tablets (first implemented in 487 BC), giving people the right to exile a citizen for ten years. At first, this system was designed to prevent the democratic system from being destroyed. For example, it was applied to a person who was ambitious to become a tyrant. However, citizens who were considered to have too much power soon became targets of exile, such as Xanthippus in 485/84. Under this system, the property of the exiled person will be preserved, but he himself may not enter the city-state where he was exiled.
Meaning:
Cleisthenes's reform marked the victory of the people's struggle against the nobility for more than 100 years, and marked the initial establishment of slavery democracy in Athens. Basically eliminated the remnants of the clan tribal system and completed the whole process of Athens' transition from clan to country. First of all, the reform completely eliminated the remnants of the clan system, marking the final completion of the whole historical process of Athens' transition from clan to country. Secondly, the reform ended the struggle of Athenian civilians against nobles for more than a century, marking the final establishment of Athenian democracy. Since then, the social contradiction in Athens is no longer the contradiction between nobles and civilians, but the contradiction between slaves and slave owners. Since then, ancient Greece has entered a classical era centered on Athens.
Limitations of reform:
Cleisthenes's reform established a slave-owner democracy and a republic in Athens. Because the Athenian regime has the characteristics of "sovereignty belongs to the people", "drawing lots" and "ruling by turns", democracy at this time is still not sufficient, especially "sovereignty belongs to the people", and the legal qualification of property is still valid, and the political rights of third-and fourth-grade citizens are still restricted, so they can only participate in the citizens' assembly and cannot hold senior positions. Therefore, at this time, democracy has not been fully established, and the reform has certain limitations.