The Decrees In Classical Athens

In ancient Greece,“???????” was the technical term of decree,which means an individual rule with a limited period of validity passed by a majorty of the ecclesia or the boule.These decrees are important evidence to know the Greeks and the Greek world,since they had close relationship with the politics,economy,culture and diplomacy.And the decrees of classical Athens are valuable references for understanding the decrees of ancient Greek states.This thesis is divided into three parts.The first part is about the concept of decree.This part aims to have a preliminary understanding of the Athenian decree,through the analysis of the etymology of decree and the differences between law and decree.The second part is about the types of the decrees in classical Athens.This part tries to explore the internal management and the external policy in Athens,mainly focusing the honorary decrees,the covenant decree and other kinds of decrees.The third part is about the format of decrees in classical Athens.This part aims to know the proper procedure by discussing the opening,institutions of enactment,the main content and the conclusion.The various decrees of classical Athens with rich contents reflect the development of Athens.And the decision-making process embodies the important role of the ecclesia and the boule,meaning the open and transparent democracy of Athens.