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| | Center for Hellenic Studies - Athenian Law: Lectures, BlackwellB |
 | | During the 8th and 7th centuries BCE (the 700s and 600s), Athens moved from being ruled by a king to being ruled by a small number of wealthy, land-owning aristocrats. |
 | | In fact, the institution fell into disuse after 416 BCE, perhaps because of the ostracism of Hyperbolus; this man, according to the historian Thucydides, was ostracized "not because anyone feared his power or influence, but because he was a useless wretch and a disgrace to the city" (Thuc. |
 | | Shortly thereafter, in 411 BCE, the Athenians brought an end to their democracy and instituted an oligarchy by, first, appointing ten "Commissioners" who were charged with re-writing the constitution of Athens (Thuc. |
| www.chs.harvard.edu /discussion_series.sec/athenian_law.ssp/athenian_law_lectures_5.pg (5659 words) |
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