ABSTRACT
Chapter 2 discusses the texture of Athenian society, especially in relation to the public life of the city. It begins with a general discussion on the Greek polis, and what does citizenship mean in the ancient Greek world. The next section discusses the introduction into the citizen body, who was eligible for it, how it happened in stages and what was its significance for the individual and the polis. It also includes a discussion on naturalization. The next section focuses on the rights, privileges and duties of Athenian citizen men in public life. Since Athenian woman did not participate in the political life of the city, a discussion of their contribution to the family and the life of the polis follows in later chapters. The next section discusses the status of metics, male and female, in the polis, followed by a brief discussion of slavery in Athenian law and life. The final section of Chapter 2 deals with legal disputes on someone’s civic status.
