CITIZENSHIP AS THE MAIN RESEARCH CATEGORY IN THE STUDY OF AN IDEAL CITIZEN IMAGE IN ANCIENT ATHENS

Abstract

The goal of the research is to analyze the impact of the Athenian citizenship content on the image of an ideal citizen and finding the ways of achieving the image of a virtuous citizen by Athenians bastards, the image which was recognized by the society. The research methodology is based on principles of historicism, systematic, logicality, axiological and of the use of specific historical (historical and genetic, historical and typological, historical and comparative) methods. The scientific novelty consists in the fact that for the first time in Ukrainian historiography the attempt has been made to analyze the essence of Athenian citizenship and influence of its content elements on the image of an ideal citizen. Due to the uncertain socio-political status of the nothoi there has been considered the possibility of their public recognition as good citizens. The Conclusions. The concept of citizenship in Ancient Athens included socio-cultural and political components. The first assumed the child’s involvement in cultural and religious activities for the purpose of mastering and further reproduction of cultural norms, traditions of a civil society. The integration of a child into a body of citizens to participate in socio-cultural activities was preceded by his inclusion in the father’s family and phratry. Phratry membership was the basis for getting political rights on register youth in the deme citizen. Active participation in socio-cultural activities and polis governance formed the framework of an ideal citizen image. The available sources did not allow to determine the status of nothoi in Athenian polis unambiguously. However, those facts that nothoi were a significant resource for replacement the body of citizens, adoption practices and granting civil rights by the decree of the ecclesia, loyalty to illegitimate children during certain periods, repeal or non-compliance the marriage and citizenship laws make it probable that nothoi could have political rights in some cases. Accessibility for nothoi to the gymnasium and temple in Cynosarges illustrates the possibility of their socio-cultural integration.