The different city states had their own ideas on social control and values in their government. Therefore, they could easily make decisions. This form of government is called direct democracy. They could veto law proposals or rulings made by the council or assembly (PBS 1). So there are some representatives want to use the direct democracy like some old country such as ancient Greek. Democracy in Athens the government officials are chosen by sweepstakes and worked for 1 year for proposing and enforcing decrees but didnt have much individual power. In ancient Athens, democracy was about aggregating, aligning and codifying useful knowledge. Athens is the symbol of freedom, art, and democracy in the conscience of the civilized world. Sea travel connected Greece to other societies. The rule of the people is the definition of Democracy. Which is correct poinsettia or poinsettia? The biggest advantage of democracy in polis was the general possibility of taking part in public life for all free citizens. The United States has a representative democracy. It is tough terrain for attackers, and its also tough terrain for the Greeks. They were only given a cloak - no shoes or other clothes, and not enough food so they had to steal (to learn survival skills). 4 What are the advantages of the ancient Greek system? Athens on the other hand had a democracy as stated in Document 3, an excerpt from Funeral Orations by Pericles a quotes from this excerpt states it is true that our government is a democracy, because its administration is in the hands, not of the few, but of many.. This quote clearly states that the type of government Athens has is a, Athens is superior towards Sparta throughout ancient Greek history. Advantage: They had access to trade, transportation, fish, and water. As I will come to. They took politics very seriously and made sure that everyone had a voiced opinion. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. It consists of two short words: demos which means either a citizen in a particular city-state or the lower orders, and kratos which means either rule or power - but these two are not of the same meaning. The people of Athens were interested in arts, music, and intellectual pursuits. WebThe term democracy, like many other political terms, was first discovered in Ancient Greece. Mountains covered about three-fourths of ancient Greece. Children were tortured to become strongerand all men would be fighting and stealing things just to survive. The Athens lived by the Sea which was an advantage because they had an excellent trading system. Democracy in Athens the government officials are chosen by sweepstakes and worked for 1 year for proposing and enforcing decrees but didnt have much individual power. 8 Who was not allowed to become a citizen of Greece? Although, if we look at the Athens, we see that they had no issues with plentiful land, as they possessed large and populous territory. If they did not fulfill their duty they would be fined and sometimes marked with red paint. What are the pros and cons of democracy in ancient Greece? Democracy in ancient Greece served as one of the first forms of self-rule government in the ancient world. Slavery. This means they may make stupid decisions that do not benefit society. 1996 - 2023 National Geographic Society. Sparta and Athens were different in their values, politics, and societies. The city-state of Athens, 5th century Athens to be precise, is the inventor and first practitioner of democracy. 6 What were the advantages and disadvantages of the city-state form of government? 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. Adversely, it is not a social norm to ask yourself why this system is in place, or if it is truly what man hungers for? The term, Democracy, stems from the Greek word demokratia which means rule by the people and it wasnt until around 500 BCE in Athens where the first examples of democracy originated. When you reach out to him or her, you will need the page title, URL, and the date you accessed the resource. One of the earliest known democracies was in Athens, a city-state in southern, ancient Greece. Sea travel connected Greece to other societies. The assembly met on the hill of the Pnyx to make these important decisions. Democracy is the modern day standard for governmental systems. Sea travel connected Greece to other societies. 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). Some people believe they were more democratic than us today, but I think they were never a true democratic government. The concepts of limiting individualism, encouraging positive associations, and moderating the tyranny of the majority that Tocqueville observed during his trip in America helped maintain the new democratic republic built after the revolution. The two biggest city-states have always had issues. 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. When looking at this definition and trying to decide whether the Athenian democratic system was truly democratic, one would have to go with the answer no. The community showed little cohesion as a group. WebAdvantages: Greece has mountains which were good for grazing sheep and goats, Greece is next to the Ionian sea on the west, the Mediterranean Sea on the south, and the Aegean sea on the east which enabled the Greeks to fish and to trade with older, more complex cultures, the climate was good for growing deep rooted plants like olives and grapes, so olive oil and Now a new paper deems it also the proud parent of the worlds first market economy. Athens was full of life and the people living there appreciated all of what others had to offer: arts, music, life, and new cultures. Athenian democracy developed around the fifth century B.C.E. Unlike Sparta, who has an oligarchy, monarchy, and democracy. Members of Spartan offices were also restricted to people who had very high social standing. Democracy is a system of government by the whole population or all the eligible members of a state. In 594 BCE, Salon, the new leader of Athens, he created a constitution that ended the political control of the wealthy. Some of the major issues with government are the political lies and schemes it takes to get to the top and remain there. They also had five overseers who were elected to do regular every-day operations of Sparta. Only the men truly had a say, and ran ancient Athens. Strong land army, protection. In Document 2, an excerpt from The Spartan Constitution by Aristotle theres a quote that states they praise Lacedaemon because it is made up of oligarchy, monarchy, and democracy.. This quote tells exactly what type of government Sparta had. But there are some differences between these two power houses. Disadvantage: Unpredictable sea, need boats to travel. On the other hand, direct democracy is not a good chose for America. As we look back upon the two significant differences in the governmental systems of Sparta and Athens, there are also many other characteristics that distinguish the differences and similarities of these two city states. In Athens all men are on an equality which means Not of the few but of the many (doc 3 pericles). 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. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. 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. WebThe word democracy or demoskratos in Greek, is a form of government where the (ruling) power is in the hands of the people. National Geographic Headquarters 1145 17th Street NW Washington, DC 20036. But they were loyal to their city-state. The geography of the region helped to shape the government and culture of the Ancient Greeks. Hard work and equality is what makes a nation outstanding. Australia and New Zealand followed not long after as they began to use the secret ballot system to elect political leaders. In Sparta, Boys were taken from parents at age seven and trained in the art of warfare. Tyranny Cons: Cons: Some tyrants were corrupt. (Document B): The second reason is that if the court decides that someone has no right to be enrolled as a citizen he becomes. A body of land that has water on three sides, A narrow strip of land that connects two bodies of land, A peninsula; the southern portion of Greece, The Balkan peninsula, connected to other parts of Europe to the north, Elements of a Story and Plot : Base Literary, advantages and disadvantages of government in, Unit 2: Renaissance and Reformation Vocabulary, Of Mice and Men: Chapter 5 & 6 Review Project, Disadvantages and Advantages of Japan's Locat, Dahia Ibo Shabaka, Larry S. Krieger, Linda Black, Phillip C. Naylor, Roger B. Beck, PT600 - SysPath - Pathologies of Endocrine Sy. A Monarchy is a political system ruled by one individual The Athenians were stronger because they had a better geography, government, cultural achievements, and I would rather live in the Athens. Sarah Appleton, National Geographic Society. Greece was organized into many different city-states. Sparta lacked in education, they were too harsh on the children in military training, and the Spartans didnt allow traveling. Any interactives on this page can only be played while you are visiting our website. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. Athens was the largest polis in Greece. Lycurgus accomplished the consolidation. It is a powerful word. I do not believe that in the 4th to 5th century BCE ancient Athen were democratic for many reasons. Tenant farmer. 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. 1031 Words5 Pages. In the year 507 B.C., the Athenian leader Cleisthenes introduced a system of political reforms that he called demokratia, or rule by the people. The Athenians established a direct democracy where the people voted directly on the matter at hand. (Ancient Greek Democracy, History.com) The Romans then created their own type of democracy, where the citizens elected leaders to represent the peoples opinion. (Crabill, Ancient Rome) While neither the Athenian nor the Roman democracies were perfect by any means, they both, Whats more, Democracy was rising in Athens. Times change and with it human desires, but not many people challenge it or seem to think outside the box. Democracy (disadvantage) Only the elite or upper class had a role in government, lower class not represented. 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 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. 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 These two city-states, Sparta and Athens have unique formations of government, histories, goals, as well as societies. In addition, it supports the idea that the people can replace their government through peaceful transfers of power rather than violent uprising or revolution. Athens was a superior city state over Sparta. The term, Democracy, stems from the Greek word demokratia which means rule by the people and it wasnt until around 500 BCE in Athens where the first examples of democracy originated. The plague also led to social unrest and lack of unity. During the late Archaic Greek and Classical periods, two particular city-states were in existence with significant similarities as well as differences. There are many limitations on democracy as a majority rule. It was easy for the Athenians to see who the people are due to the population number at the time. How do these two city-states differ? The period of prosperity in Athens was so short lived because they only had one strong leader, Pericles. For example, here in the United states which is a democracy, everyone is allowed to vote and have land. Great economy. What are the pros and cons of Athenian society? Athens weaknesses included its unwritten laws, lack of unity at the beginning, insatiable hunger for new territories, and constant power struggles with other poleis. They took politics very seriously and made sure that everyone had a voiced opinion. Climate was varied but moderate, with temperature between 48 degrees Fahrenheit in winter and 80 degrees Fahrenheit in summer. Each year 500 names were chosen from all the citizens of ancient Athens. He distinguishes three aspects: democracy as a principle of legitimacy (power not derives, Advantages And Disadvantages Of Democracy, Democracy. Oligarchy (advantage) If the leader is strong/effective, the civilization is in good shape. Each polis differ particular on economically, politically, and military, When in doubt, however, the city-states did not get along. While Athens seems to only have a democracy. Socrates did not care for the idea in general, and Aristotle thought it could, within a state, yield new forms of abuse of power. The assembly in Sparta could veto the councils. After Pericles died Athens could not defeat Sparta in the Peloponnesian War and also couldnt hold the truce that was signed in 421 BC which allowed Sparta to gain overall victory in the, The Democracy of Athens meant that the people rule themselves. Why was logical and public speaking emphasized more in Athens than any other city-state? If no button appears, you cannot download or save the media. The city-state of Athens, 5th century Athens to be precise, is the inventor and first practitioner of democracy. Be developed in ancient Greece, Direct Democracy helped ancient Greece make tons of achievements in different fields; also laid the fundamental of western political system of modern time. Not many dare to explore the flaws or disadvantages. National Geographic Society is a 501 (c)(3) organization. They became skilled sailors. 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. Athens and Sparta were two of the most powerful and well known cities among all the Greek nations. 7 What are some pros and cons of Spartan society? Why is Greece the birthplace of democracy? Monarchy, aristocracy, tyranny, oligarchy and democracy were all forms of government found at different times and in different city-states in Ancient Greece. Together it means rule by the people. Undoubtedly it helped the citizens of Athens to broaden their minds, their cultural awareness and, what was probably most important, to develop. Ancient Greece is also known for many things like the birthplace of the first Olympics, beautiful architecture, and famous philosophers such as Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. Metic. Athens had a geographic advantage because they were very superior. It combines two shorter words: demos meaning whole citizen living within a particular city-state and kratos meaning power or rule. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Pros. Ancient Athens, had a much more stronger basis than ancient Sparta. This meant that they may not have represented mass opinion, whereas getting all males over the age of 18 involved in politics increased the likelihood of policies representing what people wanted. Cons. Every city-state had their own coins, government, and laws. In blues, certain "flattened" notes create the (allusion, illusion) of a human voice. 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. The rigidity of the Constitution makes it difficult to amend easily. 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. Geographical formations including mountains, seas, and islands formed natural barriers between the Greek city-states and forced the Greeks to settle along the coast. Advantages: meet outside often, healthy outdoor lifestyle, they had good temperature for farming and prospering, very moderate climate. The biggest difference between Athenian democracy and almost all other democracies is that the Athenians had a direct democracy rather than being representative. Therefore, they could easily make decisions. Spartas government was said to have a mixture of the major types of government which is oligarchy, monarchy, and democracy. It was possible to prolong the rule for the next term but in case of any abnormalities a quick change of government took place. What else does he accomplish at the same time? These factors empowered Sparta and led to the development of an authoritative and potent state. In Document 2, an excerpt from The Spartan Constitution by Aristotle theres a quote that states they praise Lacedaemon because it is made up of oligarchy, monarchy, and democracy.. This quote tells exactly what type of government Sparta had. Being the birthplace of democracy gives Ancient Greece a very important reputation. Its also said that Sparta is the foundation for the governments we now have in the world. Unfortunately, the government makes the people feel powerless to the point where theyre forced to elect a candidate whos not impotent. A Spartan's life was centered on the state, because he lived and died to serve the state. In fact, it adhered to a military oligarchy most of its existence. Weaknesses include the voters ability to make poor decisions and be swayed by rhetoric and short office terms that made implementing policies difficult. CON: Much of the citys accommodation is pricey. Athens direct democracy had elected officials including ten generals, magistrates, and others (PBS 1). What are the advantages of the ancient Greek system? Government failure. WebThe ancient civilization of greece was different from many of the civilizations in its time. As records were made available for public examination, there was a means of holding public officials to account. The answers given may be; a society where everyone votes, or by dictionary definition a system of government by the whole population or all the eligible members of the state; typically through elected representation. However when analyzing the etymology of the word democracy we come to find out that demos means the people and kratia means rule or power in greek. Its also said that Sparta is the foundation for the governments we now have in the world. Sparta and Athens were different in their values, politics, and societies. Democracy in Ancient Greece was very direct. In Ancient Athens, a new system arose that would greatly impact the course of history. Advantage: They had access to trade, transportation, fish, and water. WebHowever, Athens under the rule of Pericles should be considered a democracy for several reasons. On the other hand, Sparta had an oligarchy. It was possible to prolong the rule for the next term but in case of any abnormalities a quick change of government took place. WebDemocracy (advantage) Allowed more points of view to make decisions because a small group was in chargenot a single person. Who were excluded from Greeces limited democracy? The constitution favor many people instead of few people. Their government was Demokratia, and this excluded the women, the children, the metics, and the slaves. The rise and fall of this great nation has to do with war-fare and the conflict between city-states.