The Old Oligach Analysis

One of the biggest critics of Pericles’ vision of democracy was Pseudo-Xenophon or (The Old Oligarch). The Old Oligarch first critics the common assessment of the Athenian Democracy that states that democracy does not work very well and that it is foolish and mistaken. The Old Oligarch responds to this common assessment believing that Athens is doing everything right with democracy in terms of what they wanted to achieve with all citizens getting a say in government as Pericles had visioned. However, the Old Oligarch criticizes the common people of Athens as ignorant and disorderly. The Old Oligarch does not agree that all Athenian citizens have merit over class like Pericles. Not being a supporter of the poor, the Old Oligarch finds the Aristocrats as the better sort of people. In passage 1.9, The Old Oligarch states, “But if you seek for good legislation, in the first place you will see the cleverest members of the community laying down the laws for the rest.” The Old Oligarch’s statement shows that he believed the aristocrats were designed to rule. They had money and time, the two biggest components to get an education at the time, and as a result the Old Oligarch believed the aristocrats since educated, could make the best legislation for Athens. The Old Oligarch belief is supported through history to when democracy fell in Athens after the consequences of the Sicilian Expedition. After the fall of democracy, Aristocrats were put in charge because they were seemed as the most educated. In addition, the Old Oligarch states in passage 2.17, “But in the case of engagements entered into by a democracy it is

open to the people to throw the blame on the single individual who spoke in favor of some measure or put it to the vote,..... But if any good result ensue, they, the people, at once take the credit of that to themselves.” Based on this statement, the Old Oligarch criticizes Pericles’ vision on why free men debating makes Athenian democracy so successful. The Old Oligarch explains that if in a debate an individual votes for an action that ends up having severe consequences, than that person and only that person gets all the blame. For example, when Cimon embarrassed Athens as a whole when he convinced the Athenians to help the Spartans defeat the rebelling helots only to be sent back from Sparta in shame, he was blamed and ostracized out of Athens. However, if you made a good decision than everyone who voted for that decision gets credit for themselves. Lastly in passage 3.10, the Old Oligarch states, “There is another point in which it is sometimes felt that the Athenians are ill advised, in their adoption, namely, of the less respectable party, in a state divided by faction. But if so, they do it advisedly. If they chose the more respectable, they would be adopting those whose views and interests differ from their own, for there is no state in which the best element is friendly to the people.”
Based on the Old Oligarchs statement, Athenian democracy results in Athenian ignorance in making bad decisions.

They tend to make alliances with other democracies like themselves but those states are too weak. However, when they choose to work with those whose opinions who differ from their own meaning oligarchies, then they most often turn on them as did

Sparta.
In conclusion, as great as democracy is believed to be in this modern age it still has it’s flaws. Just as democracy has flaws when it was first used in Ancient Greece and to now during the upcoming presidential election. One can only hope Polybius’ cycle is incorrect because if not our next phase is mob rule.