Government in Athens Our Greek Heritage

Objectives What are aristocrats? How are an oligarchy and a tyranny different? Describe the democracy created by Cleisthenes. How did Pericles change Athenian democracy? What type of democracy did Athens have?

Terms and People Democracy is a type of government in which people rule themselves. Aristocrats are those few powerful people that control an oligarchy. Oligarchy is a government controlled by a few, powerful people. Citizens are the people that rule themselves. Subjects are the people that are ruled. O let me bow before you, my king! We will vote and decide ourselves! We get to decide what this country will do. We took what we have from middle class slobs! And now they practically worship us! We are smarter than anyone else.

Pericles was elected to lead Athens at their height. Terms and People Tyrant is a single person that rules everyone else by using force.

Today when laws are too harsh, we still say they are draconian. Athens had an oligarchy (rule by a few). Draco Off with their heads! The people overthrew the aristocrats, but they just ended up with a guy called Draco (the dragon). He made laws that were too strict, with punishments that were too harsh. Athens had merely moved from the rule of a few (oligarchy) to the rule of a tyrant. They still didn’t have democracy. The few that ruled were the aristocrats –powerful rich people.

Then, Cleisthenes (KLY sten nees) brought an entirely new form of government. It was called democracy – rule by the people. People in a democracy had freedom of speech and could vote.

WhatOligarchyTyrannyDemocracy Define Who

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