Who We Were
"Democracy is when the indigent, and not the men of property, are the rulers." - Aristotle |
Athens vs Sparta
|
Since Greece was not a unified country yet, there was no centralized government so poleis restored political order in Greece. Each polis emerged as an independent state that had its own government and traditions. (Geographical location also affected the division of each city-state) On the other hand the Greeks had no doubt that they were "one people" since they believed in the same gods and language.
|
Pericles and Athens´ Golden AgeAfter Solon added his reforms to the Athenian government, Athens became a democratic state. But the climax of Athenian democracy and Athens Golden Age(480-404 B.C.E) came with the government of statesman Pericles(461-429 B.C.E), also known as the "Olympian" because of his aloof character. Pericles was a strong supporter of the arts. His massive building program enhanced Athens´reputation and image, providing thousands of jobs for construction workers and laborers. Pericles change Athens from its core becoming the most sophisticated of the poleis, with a a community of scientists, philosophers, poets, dramatists ,artists, and architects. Some examples of Pericles rule can be, the compromise between him and Sparta, in order to stop the aggression between the two city-states Pericles recognized Sparta´s domination of the Peloponnesus while Sparta agreed to leave in peace the Athenian maritime empire. Another example can be that he gave more power to the Athenian male citizens, after the Assembly in 451 B.C.E male citizens without two Athenian-born parents lost their citizenship leading to the lost of the right to vote. So even though Democracy was born in Athens and enhanced under its rule, it is good to remember that during that time twenty or less percent of the population was allowed to vote. But, that number represented a larger percentage of the people allowed to have a voice in a government at the time anywhere else in the world.
Later on war broke out between Athens and Sparta, leading to a series of casualties, which were augmented by the plague that brought with it one third of the Athenian population, and in it The great Pericles. |
DEMOCRACY (the rule of the people)The outstanding political achievement of the Greek. Democracy meant equality and freedom. Citizens were able to participate in the political life of the polis and they had the right to live free from domination of others. In Athens no matter how poor or rich a man was, he had the right to go and vote on an Assembly. The most obvious example of this thought, the Council of 500 selected their members by a lottery of all eligible people.
The way Democracy was put into practice was when a young man turned 18, after a two year military service he became available for a place in the assembly. The tenth percent of the population had the right to vote. An Assembly could be composed by 6,000 men and could last several hours, in such meetings domestic and foreign matters were addressed, the members raised their hands as their vote. After the defeat that Athens suffered in the PELOPONNESIAN WAR, the opposition to democracy increased during the late 400s B.C. Antidemocratic factions seized control of the city twice and established obligarchies. In 403/402 B.C.,democracy was restored, and the laws of Athens were revised and codified. Athenian democracy underwent further changes when many legislative and judicial powers exercised by the assembly were transferred to a panel of 6,000 jurors. Athenian democracy survived for a few more years, ending in about 322 B.C., when the Macedonians established an oligarchy to run the Athenian government. |
Impact on our modern day governments. |
Because of the use of Democracy in ancient Greece now a days most governments in the modern era use a democratic regime. Without the democracy of the Greeks there would not be a voice for the people, the world would be a totally different place, where the government has no limitations and the common class is exploited without a way to defend itself.
|