Why were the Athenians so fond of litigation?

Athens was an ancient Greek city-state. During the city-state era, it was located on the Attic plain, at the confluence of the Gulf of Corinth and the Aegean Sea. Its core was the Acropolis, a high citadel next to the Hill of Ares, which later developed into the city-state that flourished on the Attic plain.

Athens played a pivotal role in the politics, history, economy, and culture of ancient Greek civilization. In an ancient world dominated by monarchical autocracies, Athens maintained a form of direct democracy from the Stone Age and developed a political system that profoundly influenced modern concepts of democracy. Especially during its Golden Age, Athens became a gathering place for talent from all over the Greek world. Many scholars, literary works, and architectural marvels that became famous for centuries originated during this period. Pericles highly praised the city, calling it the “school of Greece,” and it laid the foundation for Western civilization.
 

In the 5th century BC, Athens became the center of classical Greece. It established a model of democracy where all adult male citizens could participate in politics, fully enjoyed freedom of speech, and followed the principle of “one person, one vote,” with the majority rule. The word “democracy” originates from ancient Greek, literally meaning “power belongs to the people” or “power to the people,” just as John Lennon sang. As Abraham Lincoln said, its defining characteristic is a government “of the people, by the people, for the people”—with the United States serving as its modern example. However, women, slaves, and foreigners were excluded from political participation. With its rise and fall, Athenian democracy lasted until 146 BC when the Roman Republic conquered the entire Greek world.

Around 620 BC, the Athenian aristocracy commissioned Draco to lead the city-state and create a written legal code. According to this law, wealthy landowners could take control of farmers’ lands if they were unable to repay their debts. This led to a huge disparity between the rich and the poor, and a growing number of poor farmers began to rebel against the landowners, bringing the city to the brink of civil war.

In 594 BC, the ruling aristocrats appointed Solon as archon and legislator, granting him the authority to reform the city-state’s politics to appease the angry common people of Athens. Solon, who was from a noble class but not wealthy, and was both learned and a poet, balanced the interests of all sides. He returned land to the poor that had been mortgaged due to unpaid debts and freed poor farmers who had sold themselves into slavery for debt. More importantly, he allowed any citizen to file a public indictment (graphe) against someone who might harm the city-state. This was a groundbreaking reform by Solon, designed to encourage citizens to protect the public good of the city. This democratic system was male-centric, and any adult male citizen of Athens could speak freely in court to challenge a politician’s integrity or policies. The verdict was decided by a “jury” on the principle of “one person, one vote,” with the majority ruling. If a politician was found guilty, in addition to personal punishment, their policies and edicts would also be re-evaluated. Thus, court debates became the main way for Athenians to participate in and discuss politics. With this as a catalyst, Solon initiated a true return of power to the people—democracy was not limited to voting but actively encouraged public political engagement. Consequently, litigation became a widespread phenomenon in Athens.

According to the book of Acts, when Paul arrived in Athens, he was distressed to see the city full of idols. So, he reasoned in the synagogue with both Jews and devout Gentiles, and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there. Some of the Greeks took him to the Areopagus to present his case.

Initially an ordinary city-state, Athens’ influence among the Greek city-states grew under the successive leadership of Solon, Peisistratus, Cleisthenes, and Pericles, producing world-renowned philosophers like Socrates and Plato. Yet, the Athenians did not know the true God, because “the world through its wisdom did not know him” (1 Corinthians 1:21). Nevertheless, in their hearts, they had an inclination to worship God, and fearing they might neglect to honor some deity, they had an altar dedicated to an “unknown god.” Paul used this as an opportunity to powerfully witness to them about God. After his sermon, one of the members of the Areopagus court, a judge named Dionysius, and a woman named Damaris, along with others, became followers of Paul.