Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 5.djvu/745

 THE CITY IN HISTORY 729

only was everything planned to meet the demands of the city, but the soil itself was owned by persons living within the city walls. Agriculture was carried on by slaves, and the produce sent to the city. To be compelled to live in the country was a mark of social degradation. Citizenship of Athens was the goal of civic ambition.

We have some difficulty at the present time in picturing to ourselves the conditions resulting from the complete absorption by the city of all the political and social interests of the com- munity. At a time when political, social, and religious institu- tions were still undifferentiated, when the city concentrated within itself the ties which today are scattered over an ever- increasing area and among an indefinite number of institutions, it is not surprising that an intensity of city life was developed which has not been again attained. For this reason the social and civic life of the cities of Greece is of far greater interest to us than the form of governmental organization and administration.

The identity of state and municipality makes comparisons with modern conditions misleading rather than helpful. Athens seems to have lacked the nice coordination of authority which characterizes our modern system.' During the early history of the city-states kinship seems to have been the guiding principle in administrative organization, which accounts for the growth of an aristocracy of birth monopolizing public office. Coincident with the increase of the privileged class we find the first clear differentiation of governmental functions. The king was first induced to delegate certain of his powers to his immediate advisers, which marked the first step in the transition from the early "king-priest" form of government, in which all power, civil and ecclesiastical, was vested in one person, to the aristo- cratic and oligarchic system. Those whom the king called in as advisers soon came to regard their office as a proprietary right. A narrow aristocracy of magistrates was thus formed, which in Athens absorbed all political power and gradually degenerated into an oligarchy of the worst type. Most of the other cities of Greece went through the same stages of development.

■ BoECKH, Staalshaushalt dcr Athener.