Κυρία ἐκκλησία in Aristophanes’ The Acharnians

Abstract

The article deals with the problem of interpreting the term κυρία ἔκκκλησία in a passage in Aristophanes’ The Acharnians (v. 19) in comparison with the evidence of the Aristotelian Athenaion politeia (ch. 43) and Athenian epigraphic sources of the classical period. The author presents arguments for the reliability of the ancient tradition reflected in the scholia to The Acharnians (Schol. Acharn. 19). He criticizes the opinion according to which the terminological use of the expression κυρία ἐκκλησία in Athens during Aristophanes’ time cannot be proved. Against it stands the evidence of the Athenian decree IG I3 49 (440–432 BC), where the prytanes are ordered to act at the nearest of the meetings of the Assembly, which are called κύριαι. The meaning of the term in Aristophanes does not coincide with that of the Athenaion politeia: the four meetings system with one “chief ekklesia” described by Aristotle appeared in Athens not earlier than the 340s BC. It was preceded by another model reflected in Schol. Acharn. 19. This conclusion is supported by the testimonies of orators. In particular, Aeschines (2.72; 343 BC), clearly distinguishes between two types of meetings: αἱ τεταγμέναι ἐκ τῶν νόμων and σύγκλητοι, and Demosthenes, in his speech “Against Timocrates” (24.21; 354/353 or 353/352 B. C.), quotes an Athenian law which refers to the three meetings during the prytany. Before the introduction of the new system, the term κυρία ἔκκλησία in Athens served to denote the regular meetings of the Athenian Assembly. It is in this meaning that it is used in The Acharnians.