How valid are the arguments against Athenian democracy presented by the Old Oligarch?
… or attire and even have the nerve to talk back to free citizens8. The masses’ lack of education makes them reject athletic and cultural pursuits, traditionally hallmarks of aristocratic society9, or to build more facilities for themselves than are available to the upper classes10, and to have more holidays than is good for them11. He presents these arguments as a complaint against the democratic system, and although he finds corroboration from other sources for some points, it appears that much of his argument is based on his personal preferences as a respectable citizen. The aim, therefore, is to corroborate or dispel the truths in the arguments put forward by this pseudo-Xenophonic figure, by analysing the points he makes in the complaint and seeking corroboration or otherwise from alternative sources. The Old Oligarch’s first gripe is where he complains that the current Athenian constitution can only work if the interests of …
