Talk:Metic

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I removed this sentence: "It did not have the pejorative sense that it has today in some languages." Maybe this should go back in, but somewhere else, in a para about citizen attitudes to them.

Add:

  • Citizens who got struck off the deme lists became metics. Citizenship as a more contested status, so that the difference between citizen and metic is sometimes a matter of assertion (and accusation).
  • gender

The entry talks about Greek-speaking metics and non-Greek speaking (barbarian) metics. This needs to be clarified. Flounderer 23:40, 19 October 2005 (UTC)


I've removed this from the entry. Some good things in here, but some things I'm pretty sure are not true. So for now I just pulled it all out. One thing missing from the stuff I've put in its place is information on sexual relations, marriage. Flounderer 05:53, 20 October 2005 (UTC)

The Greeks differentiated foreigners in the city who were Greek from those who were not Greek (metics). Free foreigners who came from Greece, but who were born to metic parents, were also considered metics. Resident Greek foreigners were considered free men, while non-Greek foreigners and barbarians were suspect, as one could never be certain that a foreigner was really a free man (eleutheros). The city, therefore, had to be cautious and watch them, as long as this did not interfere with hospitality or asylum, which the Greeks valued highly. However, the expulsion of foreigners (xenelasia) was a common practise.
Although they were residents, barbarian foreigners had no special legal protection. Greek foreigners had no political rights but had certain fiscal obligations. Marriage between a metic and a citizen woman was not recognized. Metics were registered, like citizens, within a deme, but had to find a prostates (patron) who could vouch for him, and a proxenos who would represent him in court. Patrons would purchase land and hold it in behalf of the metics, who could not own their own land. Depending on the city, a metic might also have to contribute financially to the religious liturgies, and could have military obligations as a simple soldier. Metics were always put under certain controls, but the importance of the controls depended on the cosmopolitan character of the city and the possible bilateral legal conventions between cities.
Free Greek foreigners were excluded from politics, but they belonged to the same community as citizens, sharing a language, religion, and sanctuations. The right of citizenship was rarely granted, but the practise of hospitality (xenia) offered certain guarantees. Generally, cities did not aim to integrate foreigners as full citizens.
Metics often oversaw Hellenic commerce and banking and formed part of the governmental bureaucracy.

[edit] The section 'France' should be removed

If there is reason to for the French use of the term to appear, it could be in its own article. The article on the Greek concept and social structure would be stronger without reference to a related word used in France. --JWBito 05:32, 28 February 2007 (UTC)

THE PART WHERE THERE IS A REFERENCE TO THE FRENCH CONFUSED ME. i DEFINETLY AGREE WITH THE PERSON WHO THOUGHT THAT IT SHOULD BE REMOVED FROM THIS ARTICLE. IF THIS ARTICLE WAS ABOUT FRANCE, I WOULD SAY OTHERWISE. 76.166.226.88 05:53, 3 March 2007 (UTC) me