Wanderlust World Wanderlust World Adult male Athenians with citizen parents. Exclusive rights: vote in Assembly (Ekklesia), hold office, serve on juries, own land. ~10–20% of population.
Free foreign residents. Could not own land or hold office; paid special tax (metoikion); liable for military service. Vital to economy (trade, crafts, banking). Could be wealthy.
Chattel slaves—no legal rights. Sources: war captives, trade, birth. Labored in homes, farms, mines (Laurion silver), workshops. Could be freed (becoming metics).
Citizen women: Managed household (oikos), raised children, participated in religious festivals. No political rights; under male guardian (kyrios). Could own property (limited).
Metics/enslaved women: Fewer protections, harder labor.
Boundaries shifted over time. Wealthy metics sometimes wielded influence; some slaves (public slaves) had quasi-official roles. But the citizen/non-citizen divide was the fundamental political fault line.