Ancient Greece Part 3 - Government

Oligarchy Although Greece is thought of as being the birthplace of democracy, the city-states didn’t start out that way, and not all of them became democratic. In early Athens, kings ruled the city-state. Later, a group of rich landowners, or aristocrats, took power. A government in which only a few people have power is called an oligarchy. Aristocrats ran the economy, were generals and judges. Common people had little to say in government. In the 600s BC, a group of rebels tried to overthrow the aristocrats but failed. A man named Draco created a new set of extremely harsh laws. Even minor crimes such as loitering were punishable by death. Today, very harsh laws or rules are called “draconian” after Draco. While many people thought Draco was too strict, he also had many supporters. HH Draco https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JIri2GMKze0&list=PLY7COcoxh66NdWnF-1YeGz2mt1KCZrPDh&index=16 In the 590s BC a man named Solon created less harsh laws, gave more rights to nonaristocrats, and made all free men living in Athens citizens, or people who had the right to participate in government. But the people still weren’t pleased with the aristocrats and wanted a new government.

Tyranny In 546 BC a noble named Peisistratus overthrew the oligarchy and became ruler. He was called a tyrant, which meant a leader who held power through the use of force. Today the word tyrant means a ruler who is harsh, but in ancient Greece it had a different meaning. Athenian tyrants were usually good leaders and were able to stay in power because they had strong armies and the people supported them. Peisistratus brought peace, prosperity, and policies that unified the city. He created new festivals and built temples and monuments. After he died, his son took over. The aristocrats convinced a rival city-state to attack Athens. For a short time, the tyrants lost power and the aristocrats returned to power.

Democracy Around 500 BC Cleisthenes came to power. Although he was a member of one of the most powerful families in Athens, he didn’t want aristocrats to run the government. By calling on the support of the people, he was able to overthrow the aristocracy once and for all. Under Cleisthenes’ leadership, Athens developed the world’s first democracy, or government in which people rule themselves. For this reason, he is sometimes called the father of democracy.

How Early Democracy Worked All citizens had the right to participate in the assembly, or gathering of citizens that created the city’s laws. The assembly met outdoors on a hillside so that everyone could attend the meetings. During meetings, people stood before the crowd and gave speeches on political issues. Every citizen had the right and was encouraged to speak. Men in the crowd often argued with the speakers. After the speeches, the assembly voted, usually by a show of hands, though sometimes by ballot with votes being written on broken pieces of pottery.

How Early Democracy Worked The number of people who voted in the assembly changed from day to day, but 6,000 people were needed for major decisions. It wasn’t always easy to gather this many people in one place. According to one Greek writer, the government sent slaves to the market to round up more citizens if necessary. In one of the writer’s plays, slaves walked through the market holding a long rope between them. The rope was covered in red dye that marked the clothing of anyone it touched. Any “marked” citizen had to go to the assembly meeting or pay a large fine. The large assembly sometimes made making decisions difficult. The Athenians therefore selected citizens to be city officials and serve on smaller councils. These officials decided which laws the assembly should discuss and helped government run more smoothly.

Changes to Athenian Democracy The large assembly sometimes made making decisions difficult. The Athenians therefore selected citizens to be city officials and serve on smaller councils. These officials decided which laws the assembly should discuss and helped government run more smoothly. Over time citizens gained more power. For example, they create the first jury, group of citizens who decide whether a person is innocent or guilty of a crime. Juries had anywhere from 200-6,000 people, though about 500 were more common. Most juries had an odd number of members to prevent ties.

Pericles Athens remained a democracy for about 170 years. It reached its height under a brilliant elected leader name Pericles, who led from 460 BC until his death in 429 BC. Pericles encouraged the Athenians to take pride in their city. He believed that participating in government was just as important as defending Athens in war. To encourage government participation, Pericles began to pay people who served in public offices or on juries. He encouraged the people of Athens to introduce democracy into other parts of Greece.

Pericles’ Funeral Oration “Our form of government does not enter into rivalry with the institutions of others. We do not copy our neighbors, but are an example to them. It is true that we are called a democracy, for the administration is in the hands of the many and not of the few . . . There is no exclusiveness [snobbery] in our public life, and . . . We are not suspicious of one another . . . .” In 430 BC Pericles addressed the people of Athens at a funeral for soldiers who had died in Battle. In this famous speech, he comforted the Athenians by reminding them of the greatness of their government.

End of Democracy In the mid 330s BC, Athens was conquered by the Macedonians from the north. Even though it was allowed to keep its democratic government, its powers were very limited. The Macedonian kind ruled as a dictator who held all the power. No one could make decisions without his approval. In Athens, the assembly was still allowed to meet and make laws, but they had to be careful not to make any drastic changes or upset the king. Eventually a new king took over Greece and completely ended its democracy.

Ancient vs. Modern Democracy Although Greece’s democracy certainly influenced modern democracies such as the US, it was still very different. The primary difference was that in Athens they had a direct democracy where each person directly cast their own vote and had a direct affect on the outcome. In the US, we have a representative democracy where we elect others to debate and vote on laws. Which do you think is better? More fair? More practical?