Lycurgus accomplished the consolidation. Only the men truly had a say, and ran ancient Athens. Athenians were the most scholarly types while the Spartans were more of the military type. Oligarchy (disadvantage) Over time, middle/lower classes realized they still had little to no say in government Tyranny (disadvantage) What was the government like in ancient Greece? Pros. 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. 5 What are the disadvantages of Constitution? Sparta advantage. Every citizen in Athens is allowed to take part in government, even poor citizens. Their division led to the widespread of language and culture. It does not store any personal data. Altogether there were over 1500 city-states, but some of these barley qualify because they are so small. When you look at the literal definition of democracy in the Merriam-Webster dictionary, there is a decently large explanation. 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. The focus of the times was directed towards military capabilities, while the Athenians were more interested in comfort and culture. Athens was more inviting and had many more fun things to do, which is why Athens is a better place to live. 1 What are the pros and cons of Athenian society? The Athens lived by the Sea which was an advantage because they had an excellent trading system. In Ancient Athens, a new system arose that would greatly impact the course of history. When a new law was proposed, all the citizens of Athens had the opportunity to vote on it. There was some farmland for crops, but the Greeks could always count on seafood and waterfowl to eat. By our understanding it was an oligarchy, not democracy. The ancient civilization of greece was different from many of the civilizations in its time. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. 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. Each year 500 names were chosen from all the citizens of ancient Athens. Their government was Demokratia, and this excluded the women, the children, the metics, and the slaves. For example, here in the United states which is a democracy, everyone is allowed to vote and have land. The different city states had their own ideas on social control and values in their government. Being the birthplace of democracy gives Ancient Greece a very important reputation. And also huge people complain about the racism and the guns. Athens on the contrary, was a city that focused heavily on the arts and was a very relaxed and peaceful city to live in. advantages and disadvantages of government in ancient 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. They could veto law proposals or rulings made by the council or assembly (PBS 1). The two biggest city-states have always had issues. Athens has a better government system then the Roman Republic. The community showed little cohesion as a group. Democracy. Two of the most well known and powerful city-states were Sparta and Athens. Disadvantages: Limited rainfall. Athenian Values. 5. Greece, and especially Athens, is the cradle of democracy in the western civilization. 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. Questions/ Activities: Do reading #1 and answer these questions: * Make a list of the major characteristics/beliefs of the religion of the ancient Greeks. Advantages Of Athenian Democracy - 1042 Words | Internet Public CON: Much of the citys accommodation is pricey. By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. While both Athenian and Roman form of democracy was a major step away from autocratic rule, but they both had their drawbacks. It is a powerful word. 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. 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. The first known democracy in the world was in Athens. Members of Spartan offices were also restricted to people who had very high social standing. 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. Advantages: protects individual rights, input is taken from many different sources to make a governmental decision, people are the government. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. 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. It was the oligarchy in Sparta that put a war-like attitude as its first priority and best met the needs of Ancient Greece. What did ancient Greece do for democracy? Unfortunately, the assembly was open to all citizens except women. When you reach out to him or her, you will need the page title, URL, and the date you accessed the resource. National Geographic Society is a 501 (c)(3) organization. Slavery No pay labor 6%of the population had a right in democratic matters. Democracy is the modern day standard for governmental systems. 4 What are the advantages of the ancient Greek system? You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. He distinguishes three aspects: democracy as a principle of legitimacy (power not derives, Advantages And Disadvantages Of Democracy, Democracy. The Sea shaped the Greek civilizations as rivers did in the other ancient civilizations. They became skilled sailors. Who was not allowed to become a citizen of Greece? Greece; The Pros and Cons of Democracy 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. Specifically in America, one is taught that they live in a democratic society. A democracy is a form of government that is ruled by the people and controlled by the people. As we know, this system is a norm to the Western world, in order to preserve personal freedom and make sure that the will of the people is upheld. 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. 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. Prior to Athenian democracy, a few people would make decisions for the masses. When women were forced to produce offspring, many of the weak babies were left to die. Elements of more than one of these forms also co-existed, however, and the modern connotations of labels such as these are not necessarily the same as those that prevailed in Ancient Greece. In a relatively resource-poor region, a society rose from the access of foreign sources of raw materials and markets abroad. 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. The Athenian democracy, while it did give more power to the people, still left a lot of citizens out. The Athens was more superior then Sparta. Chapter 10 Ancient Greece Flashcards | Quizlet What are the pros and cons of democracy in ancient Greece? By the time one enters the third grade they become aware of concept of democracy. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. It may not be able to serve the needs of an emergency situation. In many scientific or philosophical words derived from Greek, the letter kkk is used to spell the kkk sound, as in skeptical and kleptomania. Such abundance of water makes Ancient Greece good in fishing and trade. Not everyone gets to participate. The city-state of Athens, 5th century Athens to be precise, is the inventor and first practitioner of democracy. 8 Who was not allowed to become a citizen of Greece? Each city-state had its own way of doing things. Spartan. Sparta was focused on their military, discipline, and to have a strong state. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. Advantages And Disadvantages Of Greece - 709 Words | Bartleby Thus, a key part of democracy is that the people have a voice. If a media asset is downloadable, a download button appears in the corner of the media viewer. This article was useful to my essay as it provided detailed information on the gaps in Athenian democracy. 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. What are the pros and cons of democracy in ancient Greece? Sparta and Athens are very different from the way they are administered as well as their practices. Its population was over five times as great as the other small city-states. This caused some to view them with hostility which sparked the conflicts between Athens and Sparta that lead to the Peloponnesian War. By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. The current American democracy may have steamed from Athens, but they do not really have that much in common. 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. Tyranny - Greek tyrants The assembly met on the hill of the Pnyx to make these important decisions. It is a center for economic, political, financial and culture life in Greece. 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. A a majority of one race or religion or political opinion is not allowed to suppress the rights of other groups. Athens owes the first penal and civil law code to Draco. 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. Sparta, on the other hand, was recognized for its military strength. Democracy is the rule of the whole of the people,excluding minors and maniacs only. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. This basically means that if you are not wetly than they won't treat us the same as wealthy people. 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. 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. On the other hand, direct democracy is not a good chose for America. 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. But those attitudes shifted in the course of the 5th century under the influence of the Persian invasions of Greece in 480479 bce. The word democracy comes from two Greek words that mean people (demos) and rule (kratos). This limits the majoritys right to rule. For example, if youre poor youre still able to serve the state or be part of the government. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". The current American democracy may have steamed from Athens, but they do not really have that much in common. 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. Ancient Greece Mainland Greeks moved to Ionia. Compare the advantages and disadvantages for settlers of Greece's physical geography. Advantages: They could raise goats and sheep, could grow olives and grapes for oil and wine, which could favorable trade. Disadvantages: Good farming soil was limited, mountains isolated people. There was a constant importance of acknowledging all citizens hard work and participation. 1 What were the advantages and disadvantages of Greece? The period of prosperity in Athens was so short lived because they only had one strong leader, Pericles. In ancient Greece, demokratia, otherwise known as democracy can be battered down into demo, and kratia. To begin with Sparta completely discarded all advanced education. One reason why Athens had a greater respect for human rights is that they had a direct democracy, while Sparta had an oligarchy. The Role Of Democracy In Ancient Greece. City-state is an independent or nearly independent state in which political and cultural activities are concentrated in a single urban center (Legon). If you have questions about how to cite anything on our website in your project or classroom presentation, please contact your teacher. 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. Their job was to oversee the decisions made by the assembly. Due to the geographical disadvantages of grease The civilization was divided into many city-states instead of having one main government. What are the pros and cons of Athenian society? In ancient Athens only the men were able to vote. Who were excluded from Greeces limited democracy? These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. The ancient civilization of Greece contained many different city-states; two of these city-states were Sparta and Athens. The biggest difference between Athenian democracy and almost all other democracies is that the Athenians had a direct democracy rather than being representative. How does Coyote kill the giant? Although, if we look at the Athens, we see that they had no issues with plentiful land, as they possessed large and populous territory. Greece is also quite mountainous. Being the birthplace of democracy gives Ancient Greece a very important reputation. The city-state of Athens, 5th century Athens to be precise, is the inventor and first practitioner of democracy. Amongst those city states Athens and Sparta were two of the most powerful and considered in Greek history as the most influential states to western civilisation. I do not believe that in the 4th to 5th century BCE ancient Athen were democratic for many reasons. Apart from many smaller changes, it was mainly based on the opportunity for all citizens over 20 to take part in governing the country. 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. 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. In document A it also states that you get equal justice. And thats the way it should be. The women had limited rights and privileges, had restricted movement in public, and were very segregated from the men. 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. Each city-state had its own government. 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. But, since foreigners, women, and slaves were not allowed to become citizens, democracy meant equality among those whousually by birthwere entitled to be citizens of a particular place. It took longer to make political decisions than some of the city-states that operated oligarchies did. Athens 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. 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. What was the limits of democracy in ancient Greece? Women were forced to go through training to become strong, to male healthy babies, it was tough. 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. The Athenians were stronger because they had a better geography, government, cultural achievements, and I would rather live in the Athens. They became skilled sailors. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Democracy (disadvantage) Only the elite or upper class had a role in government, lower class not represented. In all fairness I believe Athens had the better system of government. When the two words are put together it forms , meaning rule of the people. What are the advantages and disadvantages of Athens? The Pros And Cons Of Ancient Athenian Democracy | ipl.org Two of the most well known and powerful city-states were Sparta and Athens. Athens had a geographic advantage because they were very superior. Geographical formations including mountains, seas, and islands formed natural barriers between the Greek city-states and forced the Greeks to settle along the coast. Ancient Greece is often credited with being the birthplace of democracy. The similarities show that the founders of America based the new democratic government on the Ancient Greek democracy that came two millennia earlier. 6 What are the pros and cons of democracy in ancient Greece? It does not store any personal data. Copyright 2023 IPL.org All rights reserved. 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? To have a powerful and lasting empire with great prosperity you must have a series of strong leaders. HomeBrowse. Sparta was cruel, disgusting, and uninviting each day would be a struggle to survive. Secondly, Giovanni Sartori (1997), a Political Science Researcher states that democracy is an abbreviation that means Liberal Democracy.