advantages and disadvantages of democracy in ancient greece advantages and disadvantages of democracy in ancient greece

WebDemocracy (advantage) Allowed more points of view to make decisions because a small group was in chargenot a single person. Education was very important in Athens. 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. 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. One reason why Athens had a greater respect for human rights is that they had a direct democracy, while Sparta had an oligarchy. Due to the fact that Sparta had a very military lifestyle, they were good at raising strong outspoken women in a society where women were kept at home. 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. A belief in shared power: based on a suspicion of concentrated power (whether by individuals, groups or governments). This is the great story of Ancient Greece and how individualism changed the view Greece had on certain issues. Why is that so? All city-states differed from each other in some ways but all shared some characteristics too. Democracy Cons: Cons: Only citizens got to vote. They did have officials to run the government, however. Democracy. One of the earliest known democracies was in Athens, a city-state in southern, ancient Greece. First of all, the economy was very strong in Athens. 5. What this means is that all the citizens voted on all the laws. One of the most famous civilizations lies between three seas, the Aegean Sea, Sea of Crete, and the Ionian Sea. Those 500 citizens had to actively serve in the government for one year. According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, democracy can simply be defined as the government of the people, but lately it seems as if that definition has become invalid. The constitution favor many people instead of few people. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. The most common governments in the city-states consisted of monarchies, oligarchies, dictatorships, and sometimes democracies. What were the disadvantages of democracy in ancient Greece? The period of prosperity in Athens was so short lived because they only had one strong leader, Pericles. The reason I say this is because, in economic terms, reduction in government spending and increasing tax collection at the same time is like hitting someone with two hammers together. In fact, there were internal struggles and disagreements. The government was also corrupted and dominated by the elite of the city-state. 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. In blues, certain "flattened" notes create the (allusion, illusion) of a human voice. As records were made available for public examination, there was a means of holding public officials to account. Slavery No pay labor 6%of the population had a right in democratic matters. 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. How to Market Your Business with Webinars? I do not believe that in the 4th to 5th century BCE ancient Athen were democratic for many reasons. As stated in the article The Problem with Democracy Today, contrary to other political institutions who holds the power is not clearly stated if the regime is a, Liberal Democracy is a democratic system of government in which individual rights and freedoms are officially recognized and protected, and the exercise of political power is limited by the rule of law. 6 What were the advantages and disadvantages of the city-state form of government? The first one is Document A: Pericles and the other one is Document B: The The Athenian Constitution. Sea travel connected Greece to other societies. Both of these city-states shared similar characteristics such as both would remain the foundation for the Greek political world. It seems fair and gives equality to all regardless of social class. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Unlike Sparta, who has an oligarchy, monarchy, and democracy. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. For instance the way that these cities were governed and their political procedures and functions were quite different from each other. Pre-Classical Greece saw a Dorian movement take place after the Trojan war. The focus of the times was directed towards military capabilities, while the Athenians were more interested in comfort and culture. Democracy, a noun that means the society is governed by the people, a system of voting, and majority rules. WebThe word democracy or demoskratos in Greek, is a form of government where the (ruling) power is in the hands of the people. together can be a bad action taken by the government. What is the original meaning of democracy? In Sparta, Boys were taken from parents at age seven and trained in the art of warfare. Tyranny (disadvantage) Not a guarantee that the people chosen by lottery would make effective government decisions. Some people believe they were more democratic than us today, but I think they were never a true democratic government. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". What are the advantages and disadvantages of having mountains cover ancient Greece? Why Ancient Athens is better than Sparta? Demo, meaning the people, and kratia meaning the power or rule. 6 What is the original meaning of democracy? Unlike the Romans, Athenians had a strict but fair schedule that allowed them to enjoy citizenship equally. 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. 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. It was the oligarchy in Sparta that put a war-like attitude as its first priority and best met the needs of Ancient Greece. Each polis differ particular on economically, politically, and military, When in doubt, however, the city-states did not get along. Many people were disenfranchised. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". Women were forced to go through training to become strong, to male healthy babies, it was tough. Athens was full of life and the people living there appreciated all of what others had to offer: arts, music, life, and new cultures. Sparta lacked in education, they were too harsh on the children in military training, and the Spartans didnt allow traveling. The difference in land as well as population perceives a relative historical comparison. Sea travel connected Greece to other societies. Who was not allowed to become a citizen of Greece? The city of Athens was named after their special goddess. If you have questions about licensing content on this page, please contact ngimagecollection@natgeo.com for more information and to obtain a license. Each city-state had its own form of government and its own army, and even sometimes its own navy. 1031 Words5 Pages. They could veto law proposals or rulings made by the council or assembly (PBS 1). A body of land that has water on three sides, A narrow strip of land that connects two bodies of land, A peninsula; the southern portion of Greece, The Balkan peninsula, connected to other parts of Europe to the north, Elements of a Story and Plot : Base Literary, advantages and disadvantages of government in, Unit 2: Renaissance and Reformation Vocabulary, Of Mice and Men: Chapter 5 & 6 Review Project, Disadvantages and Advantages of Japan's Locat, Dahia Ibo Shabaka, Larry S. Krieger, Linda Black, Phillip C. Naylor, Roger B. Beck, PT600 - SysPath - Pathologies of Endocrine Sy. Advantages: meet outside often, healthy outdoor lifestyle, they had good temperature for farming and prospering, very moderate climate. The Sea shaped the Greek civilizations as rivers did in the other ancient civilizations. The ancient civilization of greece was different from many of the civilizations in its time. 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. 5 Why is Greece the birthplace of democracy? Women had no contributing role in politics. WebThe Democracy of Ancient Greece was used heavily in creating modern American Democracy. Having good harbors and water access is good for trade, and trade brings economic stability. Greece was organized into many different city-states. Children were tortured to become strongerand all men would be fighting and stealing things just to survive. WebOne of the main advantages of Athenian democracy was that the archon and his eight assistants were elected annually. Disadvantages: Not a lot of flat land to farm, Diffcult to travel over land, Diffcult to unite under a single government, limited natural resources. True democrats would elect all officials through voting by the people. Geography had an enormous impact on the ancient Greek civilization. But those attitudes shifted in the course of the 5th century under the influence of the Persian invasions of Greece in 480479 bce. The concepts of limiting individualism, encouraging positive associations, and moderating the tyranny of the majority that Tocqueville observed during his trip in America helped maintain the new democratic republic built after the revolution. 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. 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. One of the main advantages of Athenian, Before the Age of Absolutism, institutions, such as the Church, legislatures, or social elites, restrained monarchical power. The weaknesses weighed Sparta down, so here are some of those weaknesses. Being the birthplace of democracy gives Ancient Greece a very important reputation. Their government was Demokratia, and this excluded the women, the children, the metics, and the slaves. Being the birthplace of democracy gives Ancient Greece a very important reputation. They were only given a cloak - no shoes or other clothes, and not enough food so they had to steal (to learn survival skills). These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. By our understanding it was an oligarchy, not democracy. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. After investigating the given evidence, it can be determined Ancient Athens did not always vote on important matters and only a small majority of the population could vote. 4 What are the pros and cons of democracy in ancient Greece? Who were excluded from Greeces limited democracy? According to Peter Joyce (2005), the democratic government was initiated in the Greek city state of Athens in the fifth century B.C., so as a consequence, the word democracy derived from two Greek words, demos (meaning people) and kratos (meaning power) , which means government by the people. During the late Archaic Greek and Classical periods, two particular city-states were in existence with significant similarities as well as differences. The democracy of Athens developed around 500 B.C.E because of the current uproar of oligarchies and dictatorship. Disadvantage: Unpredictable sea, need boats to travel. What does checks and balances refer to quizlet? 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. 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. Oligarchy (disadvantage) Over time, middle/lower classes realized they still had little to no say in government Tyranny (disadvantage), Start studying advantages and disadvantages of government in ancient greece. During that year, they were responsible for making new laws and controlled all parts of the political process. Athenian democracy developed around the fifth century B.C.E. The Spartan men get more and children become great warriors because they at war and war training for 23 years. Sea travel connected Greece to other societies. Strong land army, protection. The answers given may be; a society where everyone votes, or by dictionary definition a system of government by the whole population or all the eligible members of the state; typically through elected representation. However when analyzing the etymology of the word democracy we come to find out that demos means the people and kratia means rule or power in greek. Sparta advantage. Athens also had much more trading power, and controlled more land than Sparta. Some people think that ancient Athens was truly democratic, I think not. 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. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Sparta and Athens were different in their values, politics, and societies. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. The two biggest city-states have always had issues. Democracy (disadvantage) Only the elite or upper class had a role in government, lower class not represented. Democracy is a system of government by the whole population or all the eligible members of a state. Sparta and Athens are very different from the way they are administered as well as their practices. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. 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. 6 What are the pros and cons of democracy in ancient Greece? Greece is also quite mountainous. 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. These mountains and oceans would make Sparta would be in a condition of prosperity and comfort. Advantage: They had access to trade, transportation, fish, and water. In addition, citizens had the chance to spend time acting as council representatives, which gave them power and direct involvement with decision making. Spartas only ace was its military way of life and war tactics. Members of Spartan offices were also restricted to people who had very high social standing. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. Athenians were the most scholarly types while the Spartans were more of the military type. Weaknesses include the voters ability to make poor decisions and be swayed by rhetoric and short office terms that made implementing policies difficult. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. Athens was a superior city state over Sparta. I believe that ancient Athens was not a true democracy. It is a powerful word. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. 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. Hence, Absolutism was made possible by new innovations and characterized as a phenomenon of Early Modern Europe, rather than that of the middle Ages, where the clergy and nobility counterbalanced as a result of mutual. There was a constant importance of acknowledging all citizens hard work and participation. if the majority of the citizens didn't like the ideas of a single citizen they were to be banished or killed. When women were forced to produce offspring, many of the weak babies were left to die. Athens is the symbol of freedom, art, and democracy in the conscience of the civilized world. 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. Athenians were the most scholarly types while the Spartans were more of the military type. Sparta was cruel, disgusting, and uninviting each day would be a struggle to survive. To have a powerful and lasting empire with great prosperity you must have a series of strong leaders. Athenians made it clear that the poor helped build the city 's power and not just the wealthy. For information on user permissions, please read our Terms of Service. Two of the biggest city-states were Athens and Sparta. 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. How does Coyote kill the giant? Two of the most well known and powerful city-states were Sparta and Athens. This information provided significantly when comparing modern societies to ancient Greece and also in justify as to why democracy was significant to Greece. From the system of creating new laws to the checks and balances that define the American government. The Spartans changed their society to remove all social distinction and became the greatest soldiers in Greece. Sea travel connected Greece to other societies. The Constitution also represents the value and principles of democracy and republicanism that the United States of American stands by. Advantage: They had access to trade, transportation, fish, and water. This society came to be known as one of the largest nations in Eurasia. Compare the advantages and disadvantages for settlers of Greece's physical geography. In America today, democracy is something we take pride in. On the other hand, direct democracy is not a good chose for America. 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. 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. Since the Spartans were only concerned with being great warriors, the Athenians became the cultural center of Greece during the Hellenic period. Government failure is a term to describe how government intervention can cause its own problems. 5 What are the disadvantages of Constitution? In 594 BCE, Salon, the new leader of Athens, he created a constitution that ended the political control of the wealthy. Democracy in ancient Greece served as one of the first forms of self-rule government in the ancient world. Sparta was focused on their military, discipline, and to have a strong state. Disadvantages: takes more time to make decisions, more costly. The first inhabitants of Attica (the wider area of Athens), of who we are aware, lived during the Neolithic Period (6,000-2,800 BC). Disadvantages: Not a lot of flat land to farm, Diffcult to travel over land, Diffcult to unite under a single government, limited natural resources. 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. Democracy is an aspect that can be included in many different governments including, republics, monarchies, and theocracies. Today we think of democracy as majority rule. 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. Some farmers in archaic and classic Greece werent choosing which crops to plant based on local nutritional needs. The Athenian democracy was not equitable, and it did not consider slaves and foreigners. So there are some representatives want to use the direct democracy like some old country such as ancient Greek. Ancient Greece is also known for many things like the birthplace of the first Olympics, beautiful architecture, and famous philosophers such as Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. 8 Who was not allowed to become a citizen of Greece? Spartas government was said to have a mixture of the major types of government which is oligarchy, monarchy, and democracy. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. What were the advantages and disadvantages of the city-state form of government? City-state is an independent or nearly independent state in which political and cultural activities are concentrated in a single urban center (Legon). The Athens also got to abolish politicians they did not like. Together it means rule by the people. While Athens was a democracy, Sparta was an oligarchy, which means ruled by few powerful and wealthy people. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. During the Archaic Age, Sparta was solely focused on fighting wars and training their children for these wars. 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. The people of ancient Greece took advantage of all this saltwater and coastline and became outstanding fishermen and sailors. This new city and surrounding area were not dominant or influential. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". One of the many states of Greece, ancient Athens was indeed not truly democratic as a result of not inclusive, other than male citizens, to gain authority in ancient Athens, Demokratia was ruled by male citizens only, excluding women, free foreigners(Metics) and slaves.(Document D), therefore ruling Athens was only accessible to male citizen since since women, free foreigners(Metics), and slaves were not allowed to rule as a result of not being male citizens. Copyright 2023 IPL.org All rights reserved. This caused some to view them with hostility which sparked the conflicts between Athens and Sparta that lead to the Peloponnesian War. They became skilled sailors. Their job was to oversee the decisions made by the assembly. Ancient Greece was dominated by small city-states and independent towns, rather than by one all-powerful king, because of its geography. In Athens, the ruler Draco tried to make many reforms in the city state. Each polis differ particular on economically, politically, and military, When in doubt, however, the city-states did not get along. Athens had a geographic advantage because they were very superior. Disadvantages: controlled little territory, many rivals/more conflict. Athens had a geographic advantage because they were very superior. This article was useful to my essay as it provided detailed information on the gaps in Athenian democracy.