Who Were Citizens in Ancient Athens?

Athenian citizenship was a narrow legal status, not based on birth or residence alone. Key criteria:

• Gender: Only adult males.
• Age: Full rights at 18–20.
• Ancestry: Both parents must be citizens.
• Class: Limited to the upper two classes (Eupatridae, Geomoroi); Thetes had few rights.
• Property: Early democracy linked citizenship to land ownership.
• Deme registration: Must be enrolled in a local deme.
• Military service: Obligatory and a mark of citizenship.
• Political participation: Right to attend the Ecclesia, vote, hold office, serve as jurors.

Citizenship entailed both privileges and duties, tightly binding individuals to the polis.