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First, all true democracies limit majority rule in order to protect the rights of minorities. Metic. Pros: All citizens got to vote and have their opinion expressed. Other contrasting issues included womens rights, social classes, and value of human life. Thus, a key part of democracy is that the people have a voice. It was the oligarchy in Sparta that put a war-like attitude as its first priority and best met the needs of Ancient Greece. Athens direct democracy had elected officials including ten generals, magistrates, and others (PBS 1). Advantages: protects individual rights, input is taken from many different sources to make a governmental decision, people are the government. 1996 - 2023 National Geographic Society. Two of the most well known and powerful city-states were Sparta and Athens. Monarchy (advantage) Middle class realized that they could make changes (leads to democracy) Tyranny (advantage) How did geographic barriers affect Shang and Zhou relations with outside peoples? Greek city-states all were very similar but had differences. However up until 500 BCE, the concept of Democracy was a foreign concept, and the great civilizations of that era were run by monarchs, aristocrats, and religious leaders of sorts. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". Athens weaknesses included its unwritten laws, lack of unity at the beginning, insatiable hunger for new territories, and constant power struggles with other poleis. Two of the biggest city-states were Athens and Sparta. Unless someone was part of the 1 percent, Athens gave members of society more rights than Sparta. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Enter a Melbet promo code and get a generous bonus, An Insight into Coupons and a Secret Bonus, Organic Hacks to Tweak Audio Recording for Videos Production, Bring Back Life to Your Graphic Images- Used Best Graphic Design Software, New Google Update and Future of Interstitial Ads. The biggest difference between Athenian democracy and almost all other democracies is that the Athenians had a direct democracy rather than being representative. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. This form of government had to start somewhere, however, and ideas of democracy can be shown in many early documents written by some of the first peoples to colonize the Americas. Pre-Classical Greece saw a Dorian movement take place after the Trojan war. Athens is said to be the of democracy. Why is Greece the birthplace of democracy? WebThe common man, woman and children were considered subjects, who had no say in how the land was governed or any of the policies that were implemented. So that is why I conclude that ancient Athens was indeed not truly. In Athens all men are on an equality which means Not of the few but of the many (doc 3 pericles). Cinesiolgists study sceletons. By the time one enters the third grade they become aware of concept of democracy. But there are some differences between these two power houses. Unlike Sparta, who has an oligarchy, monarchy, and democracy. In Athens, all men born to Athenian parents were citizens, in Sparta, only the wealthy were citizens. If they did not fulfill their duty they would be fined and sometimes marked with red paint. Overall, ancient Athens was indeed not truly democratic as a result of the government having male citizens have authority, being an oligarchy government instead of a democratic government, and voting not accessible to women, free foreigners(Metics), and slaves except for male citizens. The system and ideas employed by the ancient Greeks had profound influences on how democracy developed, and its impact on the formation of the U.S. government. The ancient Greeks were the first to create a democracy. They did have officials to run the government, however. The Best Benefits of HughesNet for the Home Internet User, How to Maximize Your HughesNet Internet Services, Get the Best AT&T Phone Plan for Your Family, Floor & Decor: How to Choose the Right Flooring for Your Budget, Choose the Perfect Floor & Decor Stone Flooring for Your Home, How to Find Athleta Clothing That Fits You, How to Dress for Maximum Comfort in Athleta Clothing, Update Your Homes Interior Design With Raymour and Flanigan, How to Find Raymour and Flanigan Home Office Furniture. In Homeric Age, the regime of Athens is citizens can go into politics directly, just like governor who wield the supreme power, this kind of regime called Direct Democracy. The city-states of Athens and Sparta are the best representatives of democracy and oligarchy, respectively. I have come to this conclusion that Athens had a better system because anyone could office and they had more equal rights as a citizen in the government. Sarah Appleton, National Geographic Society. Times change and with it human desires, but not many people challenge it or seem to think outside the box. The Role Of Democracy In Ancient Greece. Democracy in Ancient Greece was very direct. Text on this page is printable and can be used according to our Terms of Service. This limits the majoritys right to rule. Spartas government was said to have a mixture of the major types of government which is oligarchy, monarchy, and democracy. For example, here in the United states which is a democracy, everyone is allowed to vote and have land. The rule of the people is the definition of Democracy. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. Sparta was focused on their military, discipline, and to have a strong state. Why was logical and public speaking emphasized more in Athens than any other city-state? A Monarchy is a political system ruled by one individual 5 Why is Greece the birthplace of democracy? Democracy is the modern day standard for governmental systems. Greece, and especially Athens, is the cradle of democracy in the western civilization. Sparta lacked in education, they were too harsh on the children in military training, and the Spartans didnt allow traveling. Due to the fact that Sparta had a very military lifestyle, they were good at raising strong outspoken women in a society where women were kept at home. The period of prosperity in Athens was so short lived because they only had one strong leader, Pericles. The assembly passed laws and made policy decisions (PBS 1). During 750-500 B.C.E, Ancient Greece is a place that is known for some city-states, called poleis. Sparta advantage. The Athenian Democracy remains a novel and captivating analysis in direct majority rules system where the general population don 't choose delegates to vote for their sake yet vote on enactment and official bills in their own privilege. There was a constant importance of acknowledging all citizens hard work and participation. There was a constant importance of acknowledging all citizens hard work and participation. Athens strengths included its large size, large trireme navy, wealth, and democratic government. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. Sea travel connected Greece to other societies. They took politics very seriously and made sure that everyone had a voiced opinion. You cannot download interactives. From the system of creating new laws to the checks and balances that define the American government. There was some farmland for crops, but the Greeks could always count on seafood and waterfowl to eat. What are the advantages and disadvantages of Athens? Due to the geographical disadvantages of grease The civilization was divided into many city-states instead of having one main government. 1 What were the advantages and disadvantages of Greece? What were the limitations of the ancient Greeks? They used to stay in caves located near the sea and their main occupations were hunting, fishing, farming and later on they started sailing and making pots. The advantages of Greeks geography is that they had protection from invaders and some disadvantages were that they had a hard time farming and traveling. The history of Ancient Athens dates back to 6,000 years ago. Tyranny (disadvantage) Not a guarantee that the people chosen by lottery would make effective government decisions. 6 What were the advantages and disadvantages of the city-state form of government? The government was also corrupted and dominated by the elite of the city-state. Why is that so? Democracy (disadvantage) Only the elite or upper class had a role in government, lower class not represented. Athenss military prowess allowed them to look down on the other members of the League and treat them as members of an empire instead of equals. Compare the advantages and disadvantages for settlers of Greece's physical geography. Disadvantages: Not a lot of flat land to farm, Diffcult to travel over land, Diffcult to unite under a single government, limited natural resources. For a long time, historians have kept this question in mind while studying laws and methods of the Ancient Athenians. It was easy for the Athenians to see who the people are due to the population number at the time. Originally Answered: why is Athens Greece considered the birthplace of democracy? How do I choose between my boyfriend and my best friend? Athenian citizens in that era were generally expected to have respectful qualities, like openness, a rational mind and belief in their authority, although they did have shortcomings. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. Most would find it easier to find more similarities among these two groups of mighty people. Ancient Greece is often credited with being the birthplace of democracy. The mountains make trade within Greeces borders difficult. Democracy is the modern day standard for governmental systems. They took politics very seriously and made sure that everyone had a voiced opinion. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Together it means rule by the people. He found its concepts to have unique strengths and weaknesses that he believed could be the inspiration for the new government of post-revolution France. Additionally, the reliability affected by the emotive language being employed in this article as the author utilises this language it demonstrates that bias is present. What was the limits of democracy in ancient Greece? Lets look at two of them. Moreover, addressing the 11 million undocumented immigrants, I strongly believe that the United States should allow the immigrants to continuously live in the United States under some conditions. Athenians were the most scholarly types while the Spartans were more of the military type. Children were tortured to become strongerand all men would be fighting and stealing things just to survive. The Constitution represents the value and principles of democracy and republicanism by stressing liberty and inalienable rights as central values, making the people as a whole sovereign, rejecting inherited political power, expecting citizens to be independent in their performance of civic duties, and vilifies corruption. In fact, there were internal struggles and disagreements. Sparta and Athens were different in their values, politics, and societies. Tyranny Cons: Cons: Some tyrants were corrupt. What were the strengths and weaknesses of ancient Greece? They were the main city with an area of land around them. No i don't think Athens was truly democratic because, all the rules of ancient Athens are very unfair with all their rules and rights for all citizens. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. This means they may make stupid decisions that do not benefit society. Australia and New Zealand followed not long after as they began to use the secret ballot system to elect political leaders. The Athenian definition of citizens was also different from modern-day citizens: only free men were considered citizens in Athens. In ancient Greece, demokratia, otherwise known as democracy can be battered down into demo, and kratia. Spartan women are better than Athenian women because they have more rights, these rights coclude of being able to marry anyone they wish to. Unlike the Romans, Athenians had a strict but fair schedule that allowed them to enjoy citizenship equally. In 508 BCE, the Athenian aristocrat Cleisthenes instituted the first Athenian political democracy. As the Greek playwright, Euripides wrote in his play that, Nothing is worse for a city than a tyrant. (Section 2.2The Rise of Democracy and the Threat of Persia) Cleisthenes knew that, so he gave every. It is tough terrain for attackers, and its also tough terrain for the Greeks. Give me balance, give me equality. While there were opportunities for public officials to be reelected, this did mean that implementing policies became difficult, as there was not enough time to execute them. But those attitudes shifted in the course of the 5th century under the influence of the Persian invasions of Greece in 480479 bce. Some people believe they were more democratic than us today, but I think they were never a true democratic government. Democracy, a noun that means the society is governed by the people, a system of voting, and majority rules. It is a powerful word. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". This basically means that if you are not wetly than they won't treat us the same as wealthy people. They became skilled sailors. They were only given a cloak - no shoes or other clothes, and not enough food so they had to steal (to learn survival skills). On the other hand, direct democracy is not a good chose for America. 6 What are the pros and cons of democracy in ancient Greece? This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Also, everyone is allowed to practice a religion of their choice. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. Some of the strengths of Athenian democracy include making decisions based on the opinions of many rather than a few, giving responsibility to more citizens and making records available for public examination. 1 What are the pros and cons of Athenian society? Disadvantage: Unpredictable sea, need boats to travel. He distinguishes three aspects: democracy as a principle of legitimacy (power not derives, Advantages And Disadvantages Of Democracy, Democracy. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. Pros: Many Tyrants ruled well and helped poor families by cancelling the debts of poor farmers. Due to the fact that Sparta had a very military lifestyle, they were good at raising strong outspoken women in a society where women were kept at home. One that originates from ancient Greece, at the cradle of civilisation.The word democracy comes from the Greek meaning the people and meaning power or rule. The city-state of Athens, 5th century Athens to be precise, is the inventor and first practitioner of democracy. The Athenians created a new kind of government where the people chose their leaders. How does Coyote kill the giant? WebIn Homeric Age, the regime of Athens is citizens can go into politics directly, just like governor who wield the supreme power, this kind of regime called Direct Democracy. Cons. They also had five overseers who were elected to do regular every-day operations of Sparta. WebThe Sea shaped the Greek civilizations as rivers did in the other ancient civilizations. Athens government is a democracy which means all citizens get to take part. An outstanding statesman and poet called Solon acted in, The name comes from demos-people and kratos-power, so literally power of the people. What are the advantages and disadvantages of ancient Greece? This essay will focus on the reasons of why government is necessary in our society and why Direct Democracy is not fit for modern United States of America, although brought a splendid time for ancient Greece. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. In blues, certain "flattened" notes create the (allusion, illusion) of a human voice. Copyright 2023 IPL.org All rights reserved. The period of prosperity in Athens was so short lived because they only had one strong leader, Pericles. The ancient civilization of Greece contained many different city-states; two of these city-states were Sparta and Athens. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. Women had no contributing role in politics. The Pros And Cons Of Ancient Athenian Democracy. Sparta was focused on their military, discipline, and to have a strong state. I believe that ancient Athens was not a true democracy. Strong land army, protection. Both of these city-states shared similar characteristics such as both would remain the foundation for the Greek political world. Unlike the Romans, Athenians had a strict but fair schedule that allowed them to enjoy citizenship equally. Sparta, on the other hand, was recognized for its military strength. In addition, citizens had the chance to spend time acting as council representatives, which gave them power and direct involvement with decision making. This means that the Constitution regards to the American citizen as something that is held to deserve meaning the importance, worth, or usefulness of something. Self- Government/Democracy: "Rule by the people." If you have questions about licensing content on this page, please contact ngimagecollection@natgeo.com for more information and to obtain a license. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". Sparta and Athens had differences and similarities in the way they governed their city states, in how they established their military forces, how they treated women, their marriage customs and social gatherings. Ancient Athens has two documents that discuss democracy. One of the many states of Greece, ancient Athens, was indeed not truly democratic as a result of not even using the essentials of democracy that is used today, Thus, by our standards, it was oligarchy, not democracy.(Document D), therefore ancient Athens was not using democracy as their form of government, they were using oligarchy,another form of government in which a small group of people has power and control, as their form of government instead of democracy. What are the disadvantages of having government? It took longer to make political decisions than some of the city-states that operated oligarchies did. These ideas are infused in various pieces of literature where the idea of democracy leaves a visible mark on society, dividing it into two scales, one being unable to, Never before have there been so many democracies in the world or so many competitive elections conducted at national, subnational and region levels. Begin typing your search term above and press enter to search. Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. Mountains covered about three-fourths of ancient Greece. As I will come to. The ancient civilization of Greece contained many different city-states; two of these city-states were Sparta and Athens. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. When a new law was proposed, all the citizens of Athens had the opportunity to vote on it. Each city-state had its own government. Athens original government was a monarchy ruled by one king, however, the king's influence began to diminish with the changing times and soon Athens was under the rule of an oligarchy. Tenant farmer Person who pays rent, either in money or crops, to grow crops on another person's land Metic Foreigner in a Greek city-state, often a merchant or artisan Slavery Athenians made it clear that the poor helped build the city 's power and not just the wealthy. It is a powerful word. The word democracy comes from two Greek words that mean people (demos) and rule (kratos). But, since foreigners, women, and slaves were not allowed to become citizens, democracy meant equality among those whousually by birthwere entitled to be citizens of a particular place. Democracy (disadvantage) Few people were considered citizens and had a voice in government. All city-states differed from each other in some ways but all shared some characteristics too. Sparta and Athens were different in their values, politics, and societies. While Athens is widely regarded as the first historical example of a democratic system, some scholars believe that the Roman Empires republic system was more democratic than that of the Greek. What are the pros and cons of democracy in ancient Greece? (Section 2.3) 2 As the culture center of Greek, Athens had many advantages during the Gold Age. This excluded a majority of the population: slaves, freed slaves, children, women and metics (foreign residents in Athens). This form of government is called direct democracy. Athens owes the first penal and civil law code to Draco. The city-state of Athens, 5th century Athens to be precise, is the inventor and first practitioner of democracy. This group of people only included white male citizens, meaning that slaves, foreign born residents, women and some men who hadnt obtained citizenship couldnt vote (Doc D). Democracy. As we know, this system is a norm to the Western world, in order to preserve personal freedom and make sure that the will of the people is upheld. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". Some farmers in archaic and classic Greece werent choosing which crops to plant based on local nutritional needs. Athens is the symbol of freedom, art, and democracy in the conscience of the civilized world. One of the most famous civilizations lies between three seas, the Aegean Sea, Sea of Crete, and the Ionian Sea. Women could own property. However, in Athens, girls did not receive an education like the boys in Athen did but, instead, were expected to become housewives. Democracy is a form of government in which power lies with the people. One of the main advantages of Athenian, Before the Age of Absolutism, institutions, such as the Church, legislatures, or social elites, restrained monarchical power. Lycurgus accomplished the consolidation. The focus of the times was directed towards military capabilities, while the Athenians were more interested in comfort and culture. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. Athens was a small city compared to Rome that honored and protected citizenship. Advantages: Made it hard for enemies to get to Greece, Greeks developed very small, close kit communities, hill top lookouts for invaders. Disadvantages: Not a lot of flat land to farm, Diffcult to travel over land, Diffcult to unite under a single government, limited natural resources. Sparta, it appears, had fewer changes to government over time as compared to Athens. reading #2: "Greek Art." Democracy is a system of government by the whole population or all the eligible members of a state. The most common governments in the city-states consisted of monarchies, oligarchies, dictatorships, and sometimes democracies. Such abundance of water makes Ancient Greece good in fishing and trade. Questions/ Activities: Do reading #1 and answer these questions: * Make a list of the major characteristics/beliefs of the religion of the ancient Greeks. How do these two city-states differ? The women had limited rights and privileges, had restricted movement in public, and were very segregated from the men. They all spoke the same language and they all believed in the same god. They became skilled sailors. Having good harbors and water access is good for trade, and trade brings economic stability. As stated in the article The Problem with Democracy Today, contrary to other political institutions who holds the power is not clearly stated if the regime is a, Liberal Democracy is a democratic system of government in which individual rights and freedoms are officially recognized and protected, and the exercise of political power is limited by the rule of law. Athens and Sparta were two of the most powerful and well known cities among all the Greek nations. Advantage: They had access to trade, transportation, fish, and water. Disadvantages: takes more time to make decisions, more costly. All rights reserved. How do these two city-states differ? Each city-state had its own form of government and its own army, and even sometimes its own navy. 4.Every citizen was included in politics. Disadvantage: Unpredictable sea, need boats to travel. Such abundance of water makes Ancient Greece good in fishing and trade. Democracy is now prescribed as inseparable from good governance and an antidote to corruption. In ancient Athens only the men were able to vote. When asking what is democracy, the answer is never truly defiente. Athens had a geographic advantage because they were very superior. They became skilled sailors. Press ESC to cancel. To vote, citizens had to attend the assembly on the day the vote took place. Oligarchy (disadvantage) Over time, middle/lower classes realized they still had little to no say in government Tyranny (disadvantage), Start studying advantages and disadvantages of government in ancient greece. Athens was renowned as a center of wisdom and learning. Unfortunately, the assembly was open to all citizens except women. Oligarchy (advantage) If the leader is strong/effective, the civilization is in good shape. How to Market Your Business with Webinars? Like the Spartans they too wanted to protect their state but unlike the Spartans, the Athenians strove for excellence not only in being warriors but also in their everyday lives. If a media asset is downloadable, a download button appears in the corner of the media viewer. It was easy for the Athenians to see who the people are due to the population number at the time. What are the limitations of a majority rule democracy? The direct democracy of Athens wasnt actually as inclusive and steady as the statement at Pericles 's funeral state, Our Constitution is called a democracy because power is in the hands not of a minority but of the whole people (Doc C). In fact, of the 450,000 citizens of Athens in 430 BC, only about 40,000 people had the power to vote. What are the pros and cons of democracy in ancient Greece? Moreover, the article provided a perspective that highlighted the differences in Athenian democracy such as that Athens was a direct democracy and that only some of the population was eligible, it mainly created a feeling that Athens was advanced for its time however the system had discrepancies. Elements of more than one of these forms also co-existed, however, and the modern connotations of labels such as these are not necessarily the same as those that prevailed in Ancient Greece. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The Athenian democracy was not equitable, and it did not consider slaves and foreigners.