Ancient greek Quote by Guy Standing
““It was Ephialtes, in fact, who initiated democratic reforms that involved paying citizens for jury service. Shortly afterwards, he was assassinated (allegedly by his political opponents), and Pericles, his second-in-command, then took over. So, although it was hardly the ideal omen, we could say that Ephialtes was the true originator of the basic income, or at least the ‘citizen’s income’ variant. The essence of ancient Greek democracy was that the citizens were expected to participate in the polis, the political life of the city. Pericles instituted a sort of basic income grant that rewarded them for their time and was intended to enable the plebs – the contemporary equivalent of the precariat – to take part. The payment was not conditional on actual participation, which was nevertheless seen as a moral duty. Sadly, this enlightened system of deliberative democracy, facilitated by the basic income, was overthrown by an oligarchic coup in 411 BC. The road was blocked for a very long time.””
About This Quote
Source Historical: Ancient Greek democracy, 5th century BCE, Pericles' reforms
Ephialtes introduced paid jury service, an early form of basic income, later expanded by Pericles to encourage civic participation.
In simple terms: Early paid civic participation, an ancestor of modern basic income.
Key Takeaway
Recognize the link between civic duty and financial support.
Themes
democracy
citizen participation
basic income
political history
Mood
reflective
analytical
Type
historical
political
economic
When to use this quote
- political reform
- civic engagement
- social welfare policy
- historical analysis
Key Concepts
social contract
deliberative democracy
public finance
Questions to Reflect On
- How might modern societies adapt ancient civic income models?
- What are the risks of tying income to political participation?
A Different Perspective
Limited to elite male citizens, excluded women, slaves, and non‑citizens.
