The Athenian democracy was not equitable, and it did not consider slaves and foreigners. It was possible to prolong the rule for the next term but in case of any abnormalities a quick change of government took place. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. The Greeks never unified, Sparta is a better place to have an exciting or joyful life because you would be isolated by mountains and oceans. Spartan women are better than Athenian women because they have more rights, these rights coclude of being able to marry anyone they wish to. Why was the Athenian form of democracy a contradiction? The biggest difference between Athenian democracy and almost all other democracies is that the Athenians had a direct democracy rather than being representative. Great economy. A democracy is a form of government that is ruled by the people and controlled by the people. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Unless someone was part of the 1 percent, Athens gave members of society more rights than Sparta. 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. All rights reserved. Ancient Greece is often credited with being the birthplace of democracy. 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. This excluded a majority of the population: slaves, freed slaves, children, women and metics (foreign residents in Athens). This completely contradicts the all-inclusive concept of direct democracy that the Athenian government preached so frequently. WebThe ancient civilization of greece was different from many of the civilizations in its time. 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. Athenian democracy also was cumbersome and operated slowly. (Bulliet 99) From 1000 B.C.E to 30 B.C.E, Ancient Greeces view on individualism changed the political system Greece had, over time changed the way individuals thought and made important Intellectual changes, and gradually changed the Economic system such as bartering. Athenians made it clear that the poor helped build the city 's power and not just the wealthy. According to the Athens and Sparta Document Set, a democracy means rule by the people. Web3.It made abuse of power complicated, as you could always bring a charge against an official in the peoples assembly. 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. Prior to Athenian democracy, a few people would make decisions for the masses. Lastly, because so much of Greece is rocky, mountainous terrain, there isnt a lot of fertile soil. Australia and New Zealand followed not long after as they began to use the secret ballot system to elect political leaders. What were the strengths and weaknesses of ancient Greece? Democracy Cons: Cons: Only citizens got to vote. How do I choose between my boyfriend and my best friend? Originally Answered: why is Athens Greece considered the birthplace of democracy? Athens was a democratic state that was peaceful and where women were open to culture and democracy. Spartas government was said to have a mixture of the major types of government which is oligarchy, monarchy, and democracy. There was a constant importance of acknowledging all citizens hard work and participation. WebCompare the advantages and disadvantages for settlers of Greece's physical geography. 1 What were the disadvantages of democracy in ancient Greece? But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. It was easy for the Athenians to see who the people are due to the population number at the time. 7 What are some pros and cons of Spartan society? WebI think Athens had a better government because they created a democracy. The assembly passed laws and made policy decisions (PBS 1). If a media asset is downloadable, a download button appears in the corner of the media viewer. It may not be able to serve the needs of an emergency situation. What else does he accomplish at the same time? It seems fair and gives equality to all regardless of social class. The most common governments in the city-states consisted of monarchies, oligarchies, dictatorships, and sometimes democracies. 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. WebOne of the main advantages of Athenian democracy was that the archon and his eight assistants were elected annually. Athenian democracy developed around the fifth century B.C.E. 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. If they did not fulfill their duty they would be fined and sometimes marked with red paint. Athenians were the most scholarly types while the Spartans were more of the military type. It was possible to prolong the rule for the next term but in case of any abnormalities a quick change of government took place. So that is why I conclude that ancient Athens was indeed not truly. The council (men over sixty years elected for life) and kings acted as judges and proposed laws (PBS 1). The Roman Republic was all the more a time. WebDemocracy (advantage) Allowed more points of view to make decisions because a small group was in chargenot a single person. Therefore, they could easily make decisions. If you have questions about licensing content on this page, please contact ngimagecollection@natgeo.com for more information and to obtain a license. Tyranny Cons: Cons: Some tyrants were corrupt. 4 What are the advantages and disadvantages of having mountains cover ancient Greece? Athens owes the first penal and civil law code to Draco. They had two kings who controlled the army and religions of Sparta. Cons. They became skilled sailors. The first known democracy in the world was in Athens. Advantages: Made it hard for enemies to get to Greece, Greeks developed very small, close kit communities, hill top lookouts for invaders. These mountains and oceans would make Sparta would be in a condition of prosperity and comfort. They became skilled sailors. What was the government like in ancient Greece? 6 What were the advantages and disadvantages of the city-state form of government? 1 What were the advantages and disadvantages of Greece? This means they may make stupid decisions that do not benefit society. 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. A a majority of one race or religion or political opinion is not allowed to suppress the rights of other groups. When you look at the literal definition of democracy in the Merriam-Webster dictionary, there is a decently large explanation. Sparta and Athens were different in their values, politics, and societies. Disadvantages: Not a lot of flat land to farm, Diffcult to travel over land, Diffcult to unite under a single government, limited natural resources. Advantage: They had access to trade, transportation, fish, and water. This is why we give the ebook compilations in contribution to our knowledge of ancient Greece--its politics, philosophy, and literature, from Homer to Plato. 4.Every citizen was included in politics. In Athen, Schools taught reading, writing, and mathematics, music, poetry, sport, and gymnastics. 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. Advantages: small, easy to control, centralized. Ancient Greece was divided into many different city-state who had their different cultures, the most critical being Athens and Sparta.They adored a broad range of god and goddesses,the most imperative of whom, the Olympians, small thought to live on Mount Olympus. How does Coyote kill the giant? What is the original meaning of democracy? Democracy is the idea that the citizens of a country should take an active role in the government of their country and manage it directly or through elected representatives. 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. What are the advantages of the ancient Greek system? Athens had a geographic advantage because they were very superior. Overall, 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. Unlike the Romans, Athenians had a strict but fair schedule that allowed them to enjoy citizenship equally. Press ESC to cancel. The assembly met on the hill of the Pnyx to make these important decisions. In addition, citizens had the chance to spend time acting as council representatives, which gave them power and direct involvement with decision making. For example, if youre poor youre still able to serve the state or be part of the government. Geography had an enormous impact on the ancient Greek civilization. Begin typing your search term above and press enter to search. The key aspects of what makes Australia a democracy being the electoral role, Australian Electoral Commission (AEC), referendumsm, the rule of law, Democracy is beautiful in theory; in practice it is a fallacy, said Benito Mussolini. Disadvantages: Not a lot of flat land to farm, Diffcult to travel over land, Diffcult to unite under a single government, limited natural resources. Athenian democracy developed around the fifth century B.C.E. Which is correct poinsettia or poinsettia? However, in Athens, girls did not receive an education like the boys in Athen did but, instead, were expected to become housewives. together can be a bad action taken by the government. It does not store any personal data. Representative democracy is a government in which citizens vote for representatives who create and change laws that govern the people rather than getting to vote directly on the laws themselves. This crossroad marked a change to the government. Each polis differ particular on economically, politically, and military, When in doubt, however, the city-states did not get along. Hard work and equality is what makes a nation outstanding. While Athens was a democracy, Sparta was an oligarchy, which means ruled by few powerful and wealthy people. Ancient Greece was comprised of small city-states, of which Sparta and Athens were two. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Together it means rule by the people. Self- Government/Democracy: "Rule by the people." Athens also had much more trading power, and controlled more land than Sparta. The mountains make trade within Greeces borders difficult. Athens was the warm welcoming city-state in Ancient Greece, most unlike the horrific neighboring city-state, Sparta. They took politics very seriously and made sure that everyone had a voiced opinion. Ancient Athens has two documents that discuss democracy. The city-state of Athens, 5th century Athens to be precise, is the inventor and first practitioner of democracy. This limits the majoritys right to rule. I believe that ancient Athens was not a true democracy. State of the art architecture. Mountains covered about three-fourths of ancient Greece. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. 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. Now I will tell you that why direct democracy is not work in America. Unfortunately, the assembly was open to all citizens except women. Members of Spartan offices were also restricted to people who had very high social standing. What was one advantage in the Greek world? The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". 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. Democracy (disadvantage) Few people were considered citizens and had a voice in government. In many scientific or philosophical words derived from Greek, the letter kkk is used to spell the kkk sound, as in skeptical and kleptomania. Sparta is far better than Athens on the grounds that their armed force was strong and defensive. In ancient Athens only the men were able to vote. In a democracy all of the people are able to vote, and have a choice on who runs their city. 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. 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. Athenians were the most scholarly types while the Spartans were more of the military type. Two of the biggest city-states were Athens and 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. These two city states shared some common characteristics whilst in some instances they were very different from each other. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". 8 What was the government like in ancient Greece? Tyranny (disadvantage) Not a guarantee that the people chosen by lottery would make effective government decisions. Government failure. Sparta was focused on their military, discipline, and to have a strong state. These two city-states, Sparta and Athens have unique formations of government, histories, goals, as well as societies. Moreover, the article provided a perspective that highlighted the differences in Athenian democracy such as that Athens was a direct democracy and that only some of the population was eligible, it mainly created a feeling that Athens was advanced for its time however the system had discrepancies. In addition to simply being a peninsula, Greeces coastline has many accessible harbor locations. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. Democracy in Athenian government the way that the citizens pass a vote is getting done, in elected by the assembly annually for making decisions about military matters and by showing hands. In Athens, all men born to Athenian parents were citizens, in Sparta, only the wealthy were citizens. Apart from many smaller changes, it was mainly based on the opportunity for all citizens over 20 to take part in governing the country. The people of Athens were interested in arts, music, and intellectual pursuits. Unfortunately, the government makes the people feel powerless to the point where theyre forced to elect a candidate whos not impotent. Established on September 17, 1787, the U.S. Constitution established Americas national government and fundamental laws, and guaranteed rights for its citizens. In the period known as classical Greece in the years 800-323 BCE, Greece comprised of small city states (poleis) which were considered and operated as independent small countries. Women, children, and slaves were not considered citizens and therefore could not vote. A Spartan's life was centered on the state, because he lived and died to serve the state. The word democracy comes from two Greek words that mean people (demos) and rule (kratos). Spartas government was said to have a mixture of the major types of government which is oligarchy, monarchy, and democracy. True democrats would elect all officials through voting by the people. The word democracy has its origins in the Greek language. 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. This essay will focus on the reasons of why government is necessary in our society and why Direct Democracy is not fit for modern United States of America, although brought a splendid time for ancient Greece. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". Beginning with contrasts in government, Sparta, was an Oligarchy where most of the power was shared between two kings. 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. What are the limitations of a majority rule democracy? 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. Women could own property. The Sea shaped the Greek civilizations as rivers did in the other ancient civilizations. Secondly, Giovanni Sartori (1997), a Political Science Researcher states that democracy is an abbreviation that means Liberal Democracy. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. It is a center for economic, political, financial and culture life in Greece. While there were opportunities for public officials to be reelected, this did mean that implementing policies became difficult, as there was not enough time to execute them. If they did not fulfill their duty they would be fined and sometimes marked with red paint. The Athens also got to abolish politicians they did not like. On the other hand, Sparta had an oligarchy. By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. For instance the way that these cities were governed and their political procedures and functions were quite different from each other. 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. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. 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. Sparta advantage. The audio, illustrations, photos, and videos are credited beneath the media asset, except for promotional images, which generally link to another page that contains the media credit. This new city and surrounding area were not dominant or influential. Democracy is the rule of the whole of the people,excluding minors and maniacs only. Disadvantages: Not a lot of flat land to farm, Diffcult to travel over land, Diffcult to unite under a single government, limited natural resources. 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. In Sparta, Boys were taken from parents at age seven and trained in the art of warfare. 5 What are the disadvantages of Constitution? In Athens all men are on an equality which means Not of the few but of the many (doc 3 pericles). Due to the geographical disadvantages of grease The civilization was divided into many city-states instead of having one main government. What are some pros and cons of Spartan society? Web 2.0 has revolutionized the panorama of the information society: users have become information creators and the new web platforms have become relationship venues where new knowledge and ideas emerge. Greece, and especially Athens, is the cradle of democracy in the western civilization.