The most common governments in the city-states consisted of monarchies, oligarchies, dictatorships, and sometimes democracies. When a new law was proposed, all the citizens of Athens had the opportunity to vote on it. Because Athens (back then it was called Athenai), was where the concept of democratic society was first formed. Athens was a democratic state that was peaceful and where women were open to culture and democracy. When the two words are put together it forms , meaning rule of the people. Hard work and equality is what makes a nation outstanding. 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. 6 What is the original meaning of democracy? The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. One of the biggest weaknesses of Athenian democracy was highlighted by Plato; the masses are sometimes ignorant, and they are likely to be swayed by rhetoric. The Athenians were stronger because they had a better geography, government, cultural achievements, and I would rather live in the Athens. 1 What were the advantages and disadvantages of Greece? We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. Athens was a small city compared to Rome that honored and protected citizenship. The word democracy is greek, the word demos means people and kratos means power. In addition to simply being a peninsula, Greeces coastline has many accessible harbor locations. 1996 - 2023 National Geographic Society. 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. 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? While this advancement occurred. The focus of the times was directed towards military capabilities, while the Athenians were more interested in comfort and culture. 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. A belief in shared power: based on a suspicion of concentrated power (whether by individuals, groups or governments). Even girls were trained to become soldiers because for the Spartans there is no such thing as inequality; women can do the job of mem. Weaknesses of the Athenian democracy include: The Athenian form of democracy was a contradiction in the sense that it did not allow participation of a large section of the public, namely, women and slaves. Lastly, because so much of Greece is rocky, mountainous terrain, there isnt a lot of fertile soil. Athens strengths included its large size, large trireme navy, wealth, and democratic government. It combines two shorter words: demos meaning whole citizen living within a particular city-state and kratos meaning power or rule. Advantage: They had access to trade, transportation, fish, and water. How to Market Your Business with Webinars? Together it means rule by the people. Use this knowledge to correct the spelling errors below. It was possible to prolong the rule for the next term but in case of any abnormalities a quick change of government took place. WebThe word democracy or demoskratos in Greek, is a form of government where the (ruling) power is in the hands of the people. They took politics very seriously and made sure that everyone had a voiced opinion. Disadvantage: Unpredictable sea, need boats to travel. In fact, there were internal struggles and disagreements. The Constitution also represents the value and principles of democracy and republicanism that the United States of American stands by. Athenians elected government officials through lot (Document B). 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. By 508 BCE, Cleisthenes came to power in Athens and creates a democratic constitution of all people. They were only given a cloak - no shoes or other clothes, and not enough food so they had to steal (to learn survival skills). 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. What are the limitations of a majority rule democracy? Their division led to the widespread of language and culture. However, in Athens, girls did not receive an education like the boys in Athen did but, instead, were expected to become housewives. Sparta was focused on their military, discipline, and to have a strong state. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. Spartan women are better than Athenian women because they have more rights, these rights coclude of being able to marry anyone they wish to. The Spartan government is made up of kings and elders only. How do I choose between my boyfriend and my best friend? What are the pros and cons of democracy in ancient Greece? Any interactives on this page can only be played while you are visiting our website. Although the competing city-states of Sparta and Athens were individually different as well as governmentally diverse, they both managed to become dominating powers in Ancient Greece. WebDemocracy (advantage) Allowed more points of view to make decisions because a small group was in chargenot a single person. The biggest difference between Athenian democracy and almost all other democracies is that the Athenians had a direct democracy rather than being representative. 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. Each polis differ particular on economically, politically, and military, When in doubt, however, the city-states did not get along. It does not store any personal data. The first reason is because Our constitution favors many instead of the few, this is also why it's called a democracy. These two city states shared some common characteristics whilst in some instances they were very different from each other. He distinguishes three aspects: democracy as a principle of legitimacy (power not derives, Advantages And Disadvantages Of Democracy, Democracy. By the time one enters the third grade they become aware of concept of democracy. While Athens was a democracy, Sparta was an oligarchy, which means ruled by few powerful and wealthy people. 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. WebThe term democracy, like many other political terms, was first discovered in Ancient Greece. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". They also had five overseers who were elected to do regular every-day operations of Sparta. Disadvantages: Not a lot of flat land to farm, Diffcult to travel over land, Diffcult to unite under a single government, limited natural resources. But they were loyal to their city-state. National Geographic Society is a 501 (c)(3) organization. The plague also led to social unrest and lack of unity. The Athens lived by the Sea which was an advantage because they had an excellent trading system. Education was very important in Athens. It took longer to make political decisions than some of the city-states that operated oligarchies did. 1 What are the pros and cons of Athenian society? 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. What were some geographic advantages the ancient Greeks had? It also means its citizens come first in order of importance. The city-state of Athens, 5th century Athens to be precise, is the inventor and first practitioner of democracy. The Spartan men get more and children become great warriors because they at war and war training for 23 years. Every city-state had their own coins, government, and laws. 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. Those 500 citizens had to actively serve in the government for one year. Web3.It made abuse of power complicated, as you could always bring a charge against an official in the peoples assembly. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. While it has been stated that Athens is the cradle of democracy, and that it was better than any of the other governments in the world, it was still a work in progress. Text on this page is printable and can be used according to our Terms of Service. In Athens, the ruler Draco tried to make many reforms in the city state. If they did not fulfill their duty they would be fined and sometimes marked with red paint. What are the disadvantages of Constitution? HomeBrowse. How did geographic barriers affect Shang and Zhou relations with outside peoples? Who was not allowed to become a citizen of Greece? They could veto law proposals or rulings made by the council or assembly (PBS 1). Athenian democracy also had one-year term limits. When you look at the literal definition of democracy in the Merriam-Webster dictionary, there is a decently large explanation. Athens is said to be the of democracy. Ancient Athens, had a much more stronger basis than ancient Sparta. The two biggest city-states have always had issues. In Athens all men are on an equality which means Not of the few but of the many (doc 3 pericles). 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. Democracy (disadvantage) Only the elite or upper class had a role in government, lower class not represented. The ancient Greeks believed that each city-state had one or two gods keeping a special eye on that city-state. The reason why Takaki tells us the story of his interaction with the taxi cab driver is because the driver assumed since he was not white, that he was not American. Athens had a geographic advantage because they were very superior. It was easy for the Athenians to see who the people are due to the population number at the time. 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. Sparta was cruel, disgusting, and uninviting each day would be a struggle to survive. Athenians were the most scholarly types while the Spartans were more of the military type. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. Athenians were educated(except girls) but they never knew much about brute force, unlike the Spartans. 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. 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. 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. 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. This means that the people of the said community can either rule directly or indirectly by electing officials to make decisions for the betterment of the people. The city-states of Athens and Sparta are the best representatives of democracy and oligarchy, respectively. Athens government is a democracy which means all citizens get to take part. Sparta and Athens are very different from the way they are administered as well as their practices. Hard work and equality is what makes a nation outstanding. Greece was organized into many different city-states. This information provided significantly when comparing modern societies to ancient Greece and also in justify as to why democracy was significant to Greece. Australia and New Zealand followed not long after as they began to use the secret ballot system to elect political leaders. The two biggest city-states have always had issues. Disadvantages: Not a lot of flat land to farm, Diffcult to travel over land, Diffcult to unite under a single government, limited natural resources. WebOverall, 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 ancient civilization of Greece contained many different city-states; two of these city-states were Sparta and Athens. 7 What was the disadvantage of democracy in ancient Greece? They were the main city with an area of land around them. All the sciences, democracy, philosophy etc were originally found in Athens. What was one advantage in the Greek world? Now I will tell you that why direct democracy is not work in America. Democracy, a form of government, allows the people in their own nationality to vote for people in order for them to become representatives as a result to vote on new laws that would affect their own nationality. The first one is Document A: Pericles and the other one is Document B: The The Athenian Constitution. The people of ancient Greece took advantage of all this saltwater and coastline and became outstanding fishermen and sailors. 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). Sparta advantage. This new city and surrounding area were not dominant or influential. 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. Climate was varied but moderate, with temperature between 48 degrees Fahrenheit in winter and 80 degrees Fahrenheit in summer. Ancient Greece was comprised of small city-states, of which Sparta and Athens were two. WebGreece's victory ensured the independence and security of the Greek city-states, so that Greece continued to dominate the eastern Mediterranean for centuries, which is known as Gold Age. 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. Lets look at two of them. What are the advantages and disadvantages of Athens? This is because of Athenian cultural achievements, government and social climate. It seems fair and gives equality to all regardless of social class. 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. Women had no contributing role in politics. Two of the most well known and powerful city-states were Sparta and Athens. In ancient Athens, democracy was about aggregating, aligning and codifying useful knowledge. 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. It also represents the control of an organization or group by the majority of its members. 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. They became skilled sailors. In Ancient Athens, a new system arose that would greatly impact the course of history. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. In a democracy all of the people are able to vote, and have a choice on who runs their city. 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. But Athens is more about the people; they are also more secure. Some farmers in archaic and classic Greece werent choosing which crops to plant based on local nutritional needs. Athens has a better government system then the Roman Republic. 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. Government failure. 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. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. The Greek idea of democracy was different from present-day democracy because, in Athens, all adult citizens were required to take an active part in the government. Athens also had much more trading power, and controlled more land than Sparta. Underline the word or expression in parentheses that best completes each sentence. For example, here in the United states which is a democracy, everyone is allowed to vote and have land. Athenians made it clear that the poor helped build the city 's power and not just the wealthy. In document A, I found that is truly democratic because your social class is not allowed the interfere with someone 's merit. The Athenian definition of citizens was also different from modern-day citizens: only free men were considered citizens in Athens. 4 What are the pros and cons of democracy in ancient Greece? Now, there are a lot of people was worried about the system, because there are too many problems of their government. Who were excluded from Greeces limited democracy? WebI think Athens had a better government because they created a democracy. Sparta, it appears, had fewer changes to government over time as compared to Athens. Democracy. Who were excluded from Greeces limited democracy? To have a powerful and lasting empire with great prosperity you must have a series of strong leaders. This crossroad marked a change to the government. Therefore, they could easily make decisions. During that year, they were responsible for making new laws and controlled all parts of the political process. Athens was a superior city state over Sparta. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. 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. Socrates did not care for the idea in general, and Aristotle thought it could, within a state, yield new forms of abuse of power. Sparta is far better than Athens on the grounds that their armed force was strong and defensive. What are the pros and cons of Athenian society? By our understanding it was an oligarchy, not democracy. Why was the Athenian form of democracy a contradiction? What was the disadvantage of tyranny in ancient Greece? What are the disadvantages of having government? The Sea shaped the Greek civilizations as rivers did in the other ancient civilizations. The geography of the region helped to shape the government and culture of the Ancient Greeks. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. WebWidely thought of as the birthplace of democracy, Athens is Greece's central hub and has contributed much to the worlds of art, theatre, architecture, philosophy and politics. During 750-500 B.C.E, Ancient Greece is a place that is known for some city-states, called poleis. Sparta was focused on their military, discipline, and to have a strong state. 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. I do not believe that in the 4th to 5th century BCE ancient Athen were democratic for many reasons. Not many dare to explore the flaws or disadvantages. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. If they did not fulfill their duty they would be fined and sometimes marked with red paint. The Athenians valued their political freedom and free thought. This excluded a majority of the population: slaves, freed slaves, children, women and metics (foreign residents in Athens). Pros And Cons of Ancient Athenian Democracy and Pros and Cons of American Democracy. Democracy, a form of government, allows the people in their own nationality to vote for people in order for them to become representatives as a result to vote on new laws that would affect their own nationality. Two of the most well known and powerful city-states were Sparta and Athens. Democracy (disadvantage) Few people were considered citizens and had a voice in government. Prior to Athenian democracy, a few people would make decisions for the masses. They are also carful with who can be a citizen rather then "stingy". Athens organized a group of Greek city states into the Delian League and eventually lead and dominated all of the city states in the League. Athens was a small city compared to Rome that honored and protected citizenship. 9 What was the disadvantage of tyranny in ancient Greece? Apart from many smaller changes, it was mainly based on the opportunity for all citizens over 20 to take part in governing the country. Ancient Athens has two documents that discuss democracy. Democracy is the modern day standard for governmental systems. What else does he accomplish at the same time? Sea travel connected Greece to other societies. Begin typing your search term above and press enter to search. This means they may make stupid decisions that do not benefit society. Government failure is a term to describe how government intervention can cause its own problems. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. 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. (Figure 2). 5 What are the disadvantages of Constitution? 6 What were the advantages and disadvantages of the city-state form of government? Sparta also has a great military strength, it is much better than Athens military because the men go to war at the age of 7-30. From the system of creating new laws to the checks and balances that define the American government. But there are some differences between these two power houses. Advantages: Made it hard for enemies to get to Greece, Greeks developed very small, close kit communities, hill top lookouts for invaders. 4 What are the advantages and disadvantages of having mountains cover ancient Greece? Sparta and Athens were different in their values, politics, and societies. Both Athens and Sparta had a similar government system. Athens was a democratic state that was peaceful and where women were open to culture and democracy. Each year 500 names were chosen from all the citizens of ancient Athens. This is the great story of Ancient Greece and how individualism changed the view Greece had on certain issues. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Cons. Athenians made it clear that the poor helped build the city 's power and not just the wealthy. Absolutism was characterized by the ending of feudal partitioning, consolidation of power with the monarch, rise of state, rise of professional standing armies, professional bureaucracies, the codification of state laws, and the rise of ideologies that justify the absolutist monarchy. The Greek idea of democracy was different from present-day democracy because, in Athens, all adult citizens were required to take an active part in the government. It does not store any personal data. By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. You cannot download interactives. The Spartans changed their society to remove all social distinction and became the greatest soldiers in Greece. The similarities show that the founders of America based the new democratic government on the Ancient Greek democracy that came two millennia earlier. During the Archaic Age, Sparta was solely focused on fighting wars and training their children for these wars. The current American democracy may have steamed from Athens, but they do not really have that much in common. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. True democrats would elect all officials through voting by the people. Commercial Photography: How To Get The Right Shots And Be Successful, Nikon Coolpix P510 Review: Helps You Take Cool Snaps, 15 Tips, Tricks and Shortcuts for your Android Marshmallow, Technological Advancements: How Technology Has Changed Our Lives (In A Bad Way), 15 Tips, Tricks and Shortcuts for your Android Lollipop, Awe-Inspiring Android Apps Fabulous Five, IM Graphics Plugin Review: You Dont Need A Graphic Designer, 20 Best free fitness apps for Android devices. Sparta lacked in education, they were too harsh on the children in military training, and the Spartans didnt allow traveling. They had two kings who controlled the army and religions of Sparta. What this means is that all the citizens voted on all the laws. These mountains and oceans would make Sparta would be in a condition of prosperity and comfort. Sparta lacked land area and was forced to seek other land in the fertile plain of Messenia. 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. The mountains also make communication from city to city slow. The rise and fall of this great nation has to do with war-fare and the conflict between city-states. Advantages: small, easy to control, centralized. For a long time, historians have kept this question in mind while studying laws and methods of the Ancient Athenians.