The Importance of Marriage in Athens

In 451 BC, paracles introduced a law that limited citizenship to those who have two citizen parents. With this law, paracles intended to prevent the elite from making marriage alliances with rich foreigners and thus creating powerful dynasties within the city. It was very much a measure to prevent others from achieving the wealth and fame that his family had. The consequences of this legislation were both wide and deep; it increased nationalistic tendencies of the polis.