In Ancient Greece, the populations of poleises were greatly made up of foreingers/aliens. Whether they were just stopping in for some sight-seeing, doing business, or even taking up a temporary residence they did not get the same rights as born-citizens even if they worked the same, and sometimes, were even more powerful due to their common successes. Although many of the poleises labeled themselves as democracies, with so many aliens occupying their land they adjusted the cognizant meaning a bit more to work with their desired ways of running their government.
To be so lucky as to be referred to as “a metic” and to be quasi-accepted within that city was a cherished rarity. When a metic, you were, “halfway house on the way to citizenship, though a metic’s chances of becoming a citizen were always doubtful at best. They always remained citizens of their native poleis” (Evans). The mass majority of the immigrated citizens couldn’t rise to that status and were, surprise-surpise, frowned upon, shunned, and treated harshly due to their differences. When considered a medic your rights were still unfairly limited. For example, you could not legally be married with an Athenian, and were not protected through Athenian law. However, you could actively participate in a commercial life. Also, foreigners could not invest in property, however, could invest in an prominent asset and money-maker at that time, slaves.
For a metic to even be able to live in a city, it was necessary for each metic to have a citizen acting as a sponsor for him, be registered in the deme (his residenciary town) as they keep lists of citizens, and pay a head tax annually (metoikion) as well as the same taxes an average citizen needed to. In addition, you could not own property on Athenian land without a special privilege granted. And yet, it was required to serve in the army where they often were the ones rowing the warships. Even with much being throw against them, it is likely (although there aren’t enough statistics to back up this hypothesis) in many cities metics were dominating the trades. Metics often increased their already steady income through the generous loans commonly given out.
“As the Hellenistic age wore on, there was a subtle change in the status of metic in Athens,” (Evans). Through evidence have we uncovered inscriptions indicating the requirements for citizenship grew more relaxed. For example, the metoikion disappeared and should one of your parents be a citizen, you were accepted by society. This occurred in not just Athens and “made the old exclusive citizenships increasingly obsolete,” (Evans). The values towards citizenship did not wear away with time and should a metic have citizenship they must have felt a sense of belonging and could now own property and the hosting of the city’s religious cults was now accessible. Throughout time, foreigners/metics were given more lee-way and were accepted at a positively respected level.
Works Cited
Evans, James A. Daily Life Online - Login. Web. 03 Dec. 2009. <http://dailylife.greenwood.com>.
*** WHEN COPIED AND PASTED IT ISN'T DOUBLE SPACED :/ ALSO CHOPPED MY TITLE OFF...L A M E ***
-Emilie
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