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 assembly met on the hill of the Pnyx to make these important decisions. It does not store any personal data. What are the disadvantages of having government? They had two kings who controlled the army and religions of Sparta. What are the disadvantages of Constitution? It does not store any personal data. Athenss military prowess allowed them to look down on the other members of the League and treat them as members of an empire instead of equals. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Due to the geographical disadvantages of grease The civilization was divided into many city-states instead of having one main government. The Athenian democracy, while it did give more power to the people, still left a lot of citizens out. Disadvantages: Limited rainfall. One of the most famous civilizations lies between three seas, the Aegean Sea, Sea of Crete, and the Ionian Sea. 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, on the other hand, was recognized for its military strength. Lastly, because so much of Greece is rocky, mountainous terrain, there isnt a lot of fertile soil. Not many dare to explore the flaws or disadvantages. Athenian citizens in that era were generally expected to have respectful qualities, like openness, a rational mind and belief in their authority, although they did have shortcomings. Women were forced to go through training to become strong, to male healthy babies, it was tough. Both Athens and Sparta had a similar government system. What are the pros and cons of democracy in ancient Greece? 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. There was a constant importance of acknowledging all citizens hard work and participation. What are the advantages of the ancient Greek system? The Athenians were stronger because they had a better geography, government, cultural achievements, and I would rather live in the Athens. The Athens also got to abolish politicians they did not like. 6 What were the advantages and disadvantages of the city-state form of government? What else does he accomplish at the same time? The purpose of this essay is to prove that ancient Greece wasnt truly democratic. 6 What are the pros and cons of democracy in ancient Greece? The Roman Republic was all the more a time. Athens has a better government system then the Roman Republic. Democracy. Democracy is the rule of the whole of the people,excluding minors and maniacs only. The goal of a vote was not to decide which special interests could muster the most votes, it was about how to bring together the information and know-how of the citizens to solve public problems. Advantages: protects individual rights, input is taken from many different sources to make a governmental decision, people are the government. Democracy Cons: Cons: Only citizens got to vote. There are many limitations on democracy as a majority rule. 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. So there are some representatives want to use the direct democracy like some old country such as ancient Greek. Some farmers in archaic and classic Greece werent choosing which crops to plant based on local nutritional needs. Why was logical and public speaking emphasized more in Athens than any other city-state? Webdirect democracy; indirect democracy; Pericles : Assignment #6 : Sources: reading #1: "The Religion of the Ancient Greeks." Thus, a key part of democracy is that the people have a voice. Sea travel connected Greece to other 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. Athenian democracy also was cumbersome and operated slowly. 5 What are the disadvantages of Constitution? Since the Spartans were only concerned with being great warriors, the Athenians became the cultural center of Greece during the Hellenic period. The Sea shaped the Greek civilizations as rivers did in the other ancient civilizations. Give me balance, give me equality. While this advancement occurred. Advantages: small, easy to control, centralized. It also represents the control of an organization or group by the majority of its members. The democracy of Athens developed around 500 B.C.E because of the current uproar of oligarchies and dictatorship. The first reason is because Our constitution favors many instead of the few, this is also why it's called a democracy. Logically enough, the English word itself is derived from older Middle French or Middle Latin equivalents. This article was useful to my essay as it provided detailed information on the gaps in Athenian democracy. 6 What is the original meaning of democracy? Each city-state had its own form of government and its own army, and even sometimes its own navy. Democracy (disadvantage) Only the elite or upper class had a role in government, lower class not represented. There was a constant importance of acknowledging all citizens hard work and participation. 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. In document A it also states that you get equal justice. And thats the way it should be. The Athenian definition of citizens was also different from modern-day citizens: only free men were considered citizens in Athens. 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. It was easy for the Athenians to see who the people are due to the population number at the time. In Athen, Schools taught reading, writing, and mathematics, music, poetry, sport, and gymnastics. The city-state of Athens, 5th century Athens to be precise, is the inventor and first practitioner of democracy. In Athens, the ruler Draco tried to make many reforms in the city state. Democracy is the modern day standard for governmental systems. The people of ancient Greece took advantage of all this saltwater and coastline and became outstanding fishermen and sailors. Democracy (disadvantage) Only the elite or upper class had a role in government, lower class not represented. This society came to be known as one of the largest nations in Eurasia. Still, the city-states of ancient Greece had many things in common. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. 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. Being the birthplace of democracy gives Ancient Greece a very important reputation. Geographical formations including mountains, seas, and islands formed natural barriers between the Greek city-states and forced the Greeks to settle along the coast. Athenians were the most scholarly types while the Spartans were more of the military type. Athens was a democratic state that was peaceful and where women were open to culture and democracy. 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. A a majority of one race or religion or political opinion is not allowed to suppress the rights of other groups. They took politics very seriously and made sure that everyone had a voiced opinion. A tyrants son does not usually inherit his fathers power. Athens had a geographic advantage because they were very superior. 5 Why is Greece the birthplace of democracy? Democracy (disadvantage) Few people were considered citizens and had a voice in government. 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 are the pros and cons of tyranny in ancient Greece? 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. 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. One that originates from ancient Greece, at the cradle of civilisation.The word democracy comes from the Greek meaning the people and meaning power or rule. 5. The ancient civilization of greece was different from many of the civilizations in its time. 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. Disadvantages: controlled little territory, many rivals/more conflict. Disadvantages: Not a lot of flat land to farm, Diffcult to travel over land, Diffcult to unite under a single government, limited natural resources. 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. But those attitudes shifted in the course of the 5th century under the influence of the Persian invasions of Greece in 480479 bce. The ancient Greeks were the first to create a democracy. Socrates did not care for the idea in general, and Aristotle thought it could, within a state, yield new forms of abuse of power. The first known democracy in the world was in Athens. Both of these city-states shared similar characteristics such as both would remain the foundation for the Greek political world. Self- Government/Democracy: "Rule by the people." What is the original meaning of democracy? While Athens was a democracy, Sparta was an oligarchy, which means ruled by few powerful and wealthy people. Athenians elected government officials through lot (Document B). (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. What was the limits of democracy in ancient Greece? Some people think that ancient Athens was truly democratic, I think not. Two of the most well known and powerful city-states were Sparta and Athens. The two biggest city-states have always had issues. Text on this page is printable and can be used according to our Terms of Service. Such abundance of water makes Ancient Greece good in fishing and trade. 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. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. Spartan women are better than Athenian women because they have more rights, these rights coclude of being able to marry anyone they wish to. And they only let men vote which means that only 12% in ancient Athens can vote.In Athens no one had freedom of thought and expression either. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. (Section 2.3) 2 As the culture center of Greek, Athens had many advantages during the Gold Age. By our understanding it was an oligarchy, not democracy. A democracy is a form of government that is ruled by the people and controlled by the people. Democracy is a system of government by the whole population or all the eligible members of a state. This excluded a majority of the population: slaves, freed slaves, children, women and metics (foreign residents in Athens). The Spartans changed their society to remove all social distinction and became the greatest soldiers in Greece. The assembly in Sparta could veto the councils. As I will come to. Geography had an enormous impact on the ancient Greek civilization. What are the advantages of the ancient Greek system? Athens direct democracy had elected officials including ten generals, magistrates, and others (PBS 1). Athens was truly democratic because everyone had the equal justice, people were voted into office, and ones social class did not determine what a person could become. This is the great story of Ancient Greece and how individualism changed the view Greece had on certain issues. 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. Advantage: They had access to trade, transportation, fish, and water. All city-states differed from each other in some ways but all shared some characteristics too. 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. What were the advantages and disadvantages of Greece? Questions/ Activities: Do reading #1 and answer these questions: * Make a list of the major characteristics/beliefs of the religion of the ancient Greeks. Its also said that Sparta is the foundation for the governments we now have in the world. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. While both Athenian and Roman form of democracy was a major step away from autocratic rule, but they both had their drawbacks. Mountains covered about three-fourths of ancient Greece. Sea travel connected Greece to other societies. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. What are some pros and cons of Spartan society? 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. In ancient Athens, democracy was about aggregating, aligning and codifying useful knowledge. This caused some to view them with hostility which sparked the conflicts between Athens and Sparta that lead to the Peloponnesian War. Each year 500 names were chosen from all the citizens of ancient Athens. Great economy. Each polis differ particular on economically, politically, and military, When in doubt, however, the city-states did not get along. Athenian democracy also had one-year term limits. They also had a council of five hundred. Two of the biggest city-states were Athens and Sparta. 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. Children were tortured to become strongerand all men would be fighting and stealing things just to survive. The people of Athens were interested in arts, music, and intellectual pursuits. What was the disadvantage of democracy in ancient Greece? 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. The assembly passed laws and made policy decisions (PBS 1). HomeBrowse. Today we think of democracy as majority rule. Secondly, Giovanni Sartori (1997), a Political Science Researcher states that democracy is an abbreviation that means Liberal Democracy. Australia and New Zealand followed not long after as they began to use the secret ballot system to elect political leaders. Altogether there were over 1500 city-states, but some of these barley qualify because they are so small. Athens is the symbol of freedom, art, and democracy in the conscience of the civilized world. Spartas kings ruled until death or forcibly removed from office. It is a center for economic, political, financial and culture life in Greece. Sparta lacked in education, they were too harsh on the children in military training, and the Spartans didnt allow traveling. Pre-Classical Greece saw a Dorian movement take place after the Trojan war. This is one reason Ancient Athens was not a democracy. Athens was full of life and the people living there appreciated all of what others had to offer: arts, music, life, and new cultures. In addition to simply being a peninsula, Greeces coastline has many accessible harbor locations. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. 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. Alexis de Tocqueville penned Democracy in America after he spent month America in the 1831, where he witnessed a new democratic system. Its population was over five times as great as the other small city-states. Democracy is a form of government in which power lies with the people. The Spartan government is made up of kings and elders only. 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. They became skilled sailors. 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. The most common governments in the city-states consisted of monarchies, oligarchies, dictatorships, and sometimes democracies. What is the formula for calculating solute potential? The ancient Greeks believed that each city-state had one or two gods keeping a special eye on that city-state. For instance the way that these cities were governed and their political procedures and functions were quite different from each other. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". 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. if the majority of the citizens didn't like the ideas of a single citizen they were to be banished or killed. The community showed little cohesion as a group. 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. 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. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. 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. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". The Constitution also represents the value and principles of democracy and republicanism that the United States of American stands by. Athens weaknesses included its unwritten laws, lack of unity at the beginning, insatiable hunger for new territories, and constant power struggles with other poleis. What this means is that all the citizens voted on all the laws. Tenant farmer Person who pays rent, either in money or crops, to grow crops on another person's land Metic Foreigner in a Greek city-state, often a merchant or artisan Slavery Person who pays rent, either in money or crops, to grow crops on another person's land.