Boule (ancient Greece)

The Bule ( / bu ː lɛ ː /, Greek βουλή, as boules or bule transcribed ) was the council in cities ( poleis ) of ancient Greece. She was ordered in different ways and usually met in a bouleuterion called public building on the Agora.

Athens

Was of considerable importance, especially the Council in Athens. Already in the period of the kings Athens was a consultative body whose members were exclusively nobles. 594 BC, Solon by his famous reforms that were at the beginning of the development of Athenian democracy and, consequently, also the Bule was transformed into the Council of the Four Hundred. The 100 erloste councilors of the four tribes composing the council. They advised originally the People's Assembly ( Ekklesia ).

Cleisthenes of Athens increase the number of members to 500 (Council of 500) and made the membership for every respectable citizen accessible. With the reforms of Cleisthenes Bule gradually took over the political functions of the Areopagus, including the negotiation of dismissals, the responsibility for the fleet as well as the budget.

More cities

Also in other Greek cities there were councils, mostly as in Athens next to a popular assembly. Depending on how far the Constitution was affected by the Athenian democracy, took the membership for a certain time or for life. In the Roman Empire period, the Council was usually replenished after the oligarchical principle of former magistrates.

Not everywhere, the Council was known as the Bule. So there were many cities also Gerousia (about: " Elders "); Sparta in the Gerusia was the only advice.