Athenian Democracy in Australia
Hellenic Museum
Melbourne
March 19 - June 30, 2009
The archaeological exhibition Athenian Democracy Speaking through its Inscriptions, on 19 March, is the inaugural event of the Hellenic Foundation for Culture Centre in Melbourne
The archaeological exhibition Athenian Democracy Speaking through its Inscriptions, on 19 March, is the inaugural event of the Hellenic Foundation for Culture Centre in Melbourne. This exhibition gives prominence to Athens as the ‘cradle of democracy’ in the world, in a manner fully documented by the texts of ancient Greek inscriptions. Through it, the Hellenic Foundation for Culture casts light on the creation and significance of democracy, a fundamental institution, at its very birth.
The exhibition will be opened on 19 March in the Hellenic Museum by the president of the Hellenic Foundation for Culture, Professor G. Babiniotis and the general secretary of the Ministry of Culture Thodoris Dravillas, and coincides with the inauguration of the Foundation’s Centre in Melbourne. It will last until 26 May 2009.
The exhibition on the Athenian democracy is organised by the Epigraphic Museum of Athens in collaboration with Athens University, and is designed to offer the general public an opportunity to become acquainted with the constitution and functioning of the first and most genuine democracy in the world – the Athenian democracy – through documents recorded on the durable material of stone.
 
Inscribed stelai (both originals and copies) reveal the nature of Athenian democracy, and the texts of the decrees issued by the Council and Popular Assembly during the period from the end of the 6th c. BC down to the 3rd c. AD shed light on the history and development of the Athenian democracy over time. They show the operating of the democratic constitution, the organisation and competencies of the officials of the Athenian state, the branches of the public administration, concern for public works, and Athenian foreign policy.
The main items on display in the exhibition are the inscriptions, which are supplemented by extensive visual material (clay public tokens, a klepsydra – water clock –, juror’s ballots, a juror’s tablet, ostracism sherds, and photographs). Finally, the exhibition is accompanied by a comprehensive scholarly catalogue (156 pages) with introductory chapters on the individual exhibition units, photographs of the inscriptions, a transcription and free translation of the texts, and commentaries.
The Hellenic Foundation for Culture plans to present the exhibition on Athenian Democracy in other countries, especially in venues in Parliament buildings (Washington, Brussels, etc.).
* The Hellenic Foundation for Culture Centre in Melbourne is housed in the Nafsika Stamouli Hellenic Museum, formerly the Melbourne Royal Hospital. To enable the Hellenic Foundation for Culture to establish a centre in Australia, the Hellenic Museum has made available offices, a meetings room, and the Museum’s exhibition gallery for temporary exhibitions mounted by the Foundation. All these spaces have been made available free of charge by the Melbourne Hellenic Museum.
See the exhibition catalogue |
