Higher classical studies

The assembly (ekklessia)

Being a citizen meant that you had the opportunity, and indeed the obligation, to help in running the country. There were ways that you could do this. The first we shall look at is the Assembly or ekklesia
 
By the mid 5th Century BCE the assembly met once every ten days on a hill outside the agora called the Pynx.

Every citizen, of whatever class, had the right to speak and vote at the assembly. However women, metics and slaves could not as they were not citizens.
We don't know how many people attended, or even had to attend these meetings to make them valid, though there is some evidence that 6000 was a quorum (minimum attendance) for actions such as ostracisms. This represents about one eighth of the eligible male citizens of Athens. If…