Essay on Development of Democracy in Athens - 1785 Words

Development of Democracy in Athens Democracy comes from two Greek words: a noun demos which means, people and a verb, kratein, which means to rule (Ober 120). Democracy first appeared in Athens towards the beginning of the fifth century B.C. The biggest difference between Athenian democracy and almost all other democracies is that the Athenian version was a direct democracy rather than being representative. Democracy came about in Athens as a result of the growing navel power and the reforms made by leaders such as Cleisthenes and Pericles. The city-state of Athens, 5th century Athens to be precise, is the inventor and first practitioner of democracy. So for 4,000 years men and women lived under forms of government other than†¦show more content†¦The laws for Athens began with Solon, but perhaps the most influential leader for democracy in Athens was Cleisthenes. In 510 Cleisthenes had managed to get the sons of Peisistratus kicked out of Athens with Spartan help (Demand 15 7). But now the old internal divisions, which had plagued Athens since Solons time, reasserted themselves. Herodotus says in his history of Greece that Cleisthenes decided to turn to the people (Herodotus 302). Perhaps he did so solely out of practical political reasons: he needed a powerful force on his side now that the Spartans had turned against him. Although, his major motivation may have been to produce a government that would unify Athenians by all, rich and poor alike. Unity, perhaps, rather democracy, was his immediate goal. But it was democracy that he would prove to be the means to the unification of the people of Athens. Cleisthenes began his reforms with the reorganization of the tribes. Athens, like most Greek cities, had been divided into tribes based on descent. This gave aristocratic families a natural way of securing influence, because relatives tended to stick together. The people of Attica had also often clumped in regional groupings, as in the day of Peisistratu s, and this had lead to dangerous internal disorder. Cleisthenes completelyShow MoreRelatedHow Significant Was Greek Democracy In Its Development1190 Words   |  5 Pagessignificant was Greek Democracy in its development during the Classical Greek Era? Classical Greek Era, one of the most advanced eras ahead of its time. However, what made the democracy that the Greeks established so significant to the Greece’s overall development? How did they do it? How did the Greek democracy last for long as it did? What factors caused the downfall of the infamous Greek democracy? Development of Athenian (Greek) Society Ancient Greece was the first to establish a democracy. In Greek democracyRead MoreImportance Of The Polis On Ancient Greek Life1608 Words   |  7 PagesMidterm Prompt 1 Discuss the importance of the polis in ancient Greek life, using Athens as an example. Trace the development of democracy in ancient Athens. â€Å"Polis is a term that is used to describe a tight knit small community of Ancient Greek citizens who agreed on certain rules and customs. Usually a polis was centered on a small town and the countryside the surrounded it† (Deering). The polis defined a public and communal space, the Agora, for the purpose of leading public affairs. The affairsRead MoreEssay about The Father of Democracy: Solon, Cleisthenes and Pericles1580 Words   |  7 Pagesmere fighting, to more advanced systems like democracy. Democracy is a system of government by which the whole population is completed through elected officials. This advanced form of government was only beginning in ancient Greece. Between the 5th and 6th century of ancient Greece, Solon changed the world. The Athenian government was known to be established in 460BCE and was ran by tyranny. Despite the insanity, the basic outlines of development of democracy were established by no others than: SolonRead MoreAthens vs. Sparta Ess ay1193 Words   |  5 PagesAthens vs. Sparta During the times of Ancient Greece, two major forms of government existed, democracy and oligarchy. The city-states of Athens and Sparta are the best representatives of democracy and oligarchy, respectively. The focus of the times was directed towards military capabilities, while the Athenians were more interested in comfort and culture. It was the oligarchy in Sparta that put a war-like attitude as its first priority and best met the needs of Ancient Greece. These factorsRead MoreAncient Greek Of Ancient Greece1582 Words   |  7 Pagesfunction and hierarchy. The city of Athens is at the center of Ancient Greece. Most of what we know about ancient Greek culture depends on records from this principal polis. Athens is the birthplace of democracy and has been called the frame of western civilization. The polis of Athens included about 2500 square kilometers of territory. Surrounding poleis ranged somewhere in the 250 square kilometer region, making Athens the largest. The city-state of Athens controlled the area of the Attic PeninsulaRead MoreAthenian Democracy Essay examples1278 Words   |  6 Pagesthe world’s governments have converted to democracies. In the Ancient World, there was only one truly notable example of a democratic society: The City-State of Athens. This is actually the birthplace of democracy, where instead of the rich or powerful ruling, it was the citizens of the city-state that held the power. This advanced way of government was so effective and well structured, it even laid the foundations for the development o f our own democracy, right here in the United States, over 2,000Read MoreThe Persian Royal Road Improve Governing And Communism Essay1737 Words   |  7 Pagesthe main laws. What is the Greek equivalent to the Persepolis? Explain your answer. The Greek equivalent to a Persepolis is a polis which is mentioned in a couple questions farther down the list. A polish is basically a city state, kind of like Athens and Spartans. Why is Zoroastrianism considered to be one of the great belief systems of the ancient world? It is considered to be one of the greatest religious in the ancient world because it was one of the first that was monotheistic religionsRead MoreAthenian Democracy Influenced Western Political Thought1013 Words   |  5 Pagesancient Athenian democracy influenced western political thought, specifically, western democracies. By influencing such modern day democracies, ancient Greek culture remains a presence in contemporary life. Introduction Approximately 2500 years ago a series of changes and reformations in political thought led to the creation of the ancient Athenian democracy. Through the changes implemented by Solon and Cleisthenes during the Golden Age of Greece, democracy was born in Athens. Although it wasRead MoreWar and Hardship: Themes in Peloponnesian War byThucydides 1285 Words   |  5 Pages Thucydides, one of the greatest historians ever, chronicled decades of war and tension between Athens and Sparta and, in doing so, became a pioneer in the subject of history. His History of the Peloponnesian War set a standard for scope, concision and accuracy that makes it a defining text of the historical genre. He depicted the strengths and weaknesses of democracy skillfully, writing objectively and with great insight. When explaining the events and outcome of the war, he took into considerationRead MorePursuing Democracy : An Analysis Of The Development Of American Government755 Words   |  4 Pages Pursuing Democracy: An Analysis of the Development of American Government The passing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776 marks the beginning of of the United States of America, but the ideas that influenced the development of American government have roots extending to the dawn of civilization. As long as humans have lived in community, the desire to keep order has spawned many experiments in finding an effective system of government. Examination of the development of American