Apella

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The so-called Apella ( Greek ἀπέλλα apélla ) was the popular assembly of ancient Sparta .

General

Every male Spartan full citizen ( Spartiat ) over 30 years of age who had not been deprived of this right was entitled to participate in the people's assembly . Perioses and especially women and helots were excluded from it. While in earlier times the kings presided, this passed to the ephors in the 6th century, which from then on also called the people's assembly. The meeting took place - according to the rhetoric - apparently monthly, possibly at full moon. Votes were decided in an archaic way according to the volume at which the respective supporters or rejecters of a proposal "expressed themselves" with shouts or shouts. In case of doubt about the result, voting was done by so-called mutton jump .

Powers

Formally, the Apella was the highest decision-making body, but ultimately had little room for maneuver in matters of current and foreign policy, since its decision was tied to the templates of the kings ( double kingship ), the geronts and especially the ephors . In general, however, their approval of laws and other decisions was necessary, including, for example, the decision on war and peace.

The popular assembly also elected all officials of the Lacedaemonian state, especially the Geronts and the Ephors . The election procedure corresponded to the general voting mode: the candidates selected in advance by the government authorities were presented to the citizens present and the election was won by the one who received the greatest approval from the damos ( laconic people ). In disputed cases of succession to the throne of the royal houses, the assembly decided on the future king.

Since the citizens apparently had no right to speak or propose , and so there was usually no debate at the Apella (in contrast to Athens), only the Geronts and Ephors submitted motions, on which the Spartans could then vote. Insofar as discussions of the Apella have come down to us, they seem to be limited to the representatives of the authorities and foreign envoys who may even “struggle” for the vote of the people, which was cast after the end of the debates.

Although legislation was a main task of the people's assembly, concrete laws are sparsely passed down. In particular, the written recording of laws is said to have been frowned upon and / or prohibited.

etymology

The name "Apella" was derived from the verb ἀπελλάζειν (apellázein) , which is used in the Great Rhetra for the convening of the popular assembly. Since it can be assumed that the rhetra should retrospectively legitimize an existing constitution in Sparta, the name of the Spartan citizens' assembly could be derived from this. Thucydides and Xenophon, however, both connoisseurs of Spartan conditions, consistently use the common Greek term ekklesía for the Spartan citizens' assembly, which makes the use of the name Apella appear problematic.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Exclusion from the Syssitia or "cowardice before the enemy" in war could lead to the loss of civil rights and thus political participation rights.
  2. ↑ See Lukas Thommen: Sparta. Constitutional and social history of a Greek polis , Stuttgart, 2003. p. 110
  3. ↑ a b cf. Thommen, p. 108
  4. ↑ Cf. Arist. pole. 1272a 10-12
  5. ↑ See Thommen, p. 109

literature