Διὸς ψῆφος. The Mythology of the Vote in Athenian Democracy
The account of Varro (Augustine, De civitate Dei, 18.9) of women voting for Athena to be the patron goddess of Athens is not an isolated source. Examination of the extant testimonies for the eris between Athena and Poseidon show a consistent use of the vote, although the main characters change: Zeus...
Na minha lista:
| Publicado no: | URI:https://journals.openedition.org/kernos, |
|---|---|
| Autor principal: | |
| Formato: | Article ou chapitre numérique |
| Idioma: | Anglais |
| Publicado em: |
Kernos
2026
|
| Acesso em linha: | Accès Université d'Orléans et IFPM Accès Université d'Orléans et IFPM |
| Resumo: | The account of Varro (Augustine, De civitate Dei, 18.9) of women voting for Athena to be the patron goddess of Athens is not an isolated source. Examination of the extant testimonies for the eris between Athena and Poseidon show a consistent use of the vote, although the main characters change: Zeus, Kekrops and his daughters, or ordinary women. But, as women did not actually vote in ancient Athens, the myth shifted over time from centering on the victory of Athena to the role of Zeus Polieus as the agent of her victory and as the real patron of the male citizen’s vote. Two complementary issues deserve attention. Firstly, the historical anchorage of the mytheme, in the early decades of fifth century BCE, to provide a referent for the Athenian practice of voting in the divine and heroic realm. Secondly, the strong differences among surviving literary versions of the myth show their dependence on a rich Athenian oral tradition, alive throughout the ancient city’s history. |
|---|