When Athens needed more bodies for their military, they looked to ordinary citizen soldiers to augment the aristocracy's cavalry. These soldiers were small farmers who needed help to stave off starvation for themselves and their families.
Early Armies Manned By the Wealthy
As long as the military strength of a country depends on cavalry, the nobles and those with sufficient wealth to provide horses have a legitimate claim to power. After all, it's their lives and goods on the line. This was the case in Ancient Athens."And indeed the earliest form of constitution among the Greeks after the kingships consisted of those who were actually soldiers, the original form consisting of the cavalry for war had its strength and its pre-eminence in cavalry, since without orderly formation heavy-armed infantry is useless, and the sciences and systems dealing with tactics did not exist among the men of old times, so that their strength lay in their cavalry; but as the states grew and the wearers of heavy armor had become stronger, more persons came to have a part in the government."
Aristotle Politics 1297B
Increased Need for Armed Manpower Means Less Wealthy Soldiers
But with the rise of the hoplite, non-equestrian army, ordinary citizens of Athens could become valued members of society if they had enough wealth to provide themselves the body armor needed to fight in the phalanx."Know that this is good for the city and for the whole people, when a man takes his place in the front line of fighters and keeps his position unflinchingly, has no thought at all of shameful flight, gives himself an enduring heart and soul, stands by his neighbour and speak words of encouragement to him: this is a good man in war."
Tyrtaeus Fr. 12 15-20
Conflict Between the Wealthy and the Ordinary Citizen
Along with the ordinary citizen's military importance came a sense thar he had a right to be involved in decision-making processes. [See Four Tribes and the Ancient Social Order in Athens.] War meant the small farmer / ordinary citizen had to leave his farm, which could fail and his family starve unless a conclusion to the battle in which he was fighting was reached by the time he was needed to work his field. [See Land Shortage in Athens.] In addition, some of the aristocracy (eupatrids) became wealthier than ever when an economy based on exchange of commodities was replaced by coinage. A new tension developed between the eupatrids and the ordinary citizens, the first clear sign of which was when Cylon attempted to usurp power in Athens.Next Page: Cylon
1, 2, 3, Greek Terms
Features on Democracy in Ancient Greece and the Rise of Democracy
Sources:Pericles of Athens and the Birth of Democracy, by Donald Kagan
The Greek City States: A Sourcebook, by P.J. Rhodes
The Rise of the Greeks, by Michael Grant
History of Greece to the Death of Alexander the Great, by J. B. Bury
