It is tough terrain for attackers, and its also tough terrain for the Greeks. With this came many different governments for each city-state causing each city-state to have a different View On their morals. 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. Such abundance of water makes Ancient Greece good in fishing and trade. Socrates did not care for the idea in general, and Aristotle thought it could, within a state, yield new forms of abuse of power. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. 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. Athens offered many activities for all men, women, and children. This means that the Constitution regards to the American citizen as something that is held to deserve meaning the importance, worth, or usefulness of something. True democrats would elect all officials through voting by the people. The city of Athens was named after their special goddess. Athens, on the other hand, was a democracy after periods of monarchies and aristocracies. And also huge people complain about the racism and the guns. WebWidely thought of as the birthplace of democracy, Athens is Greece's central hub and has contributed much to the worlds of art, theatre, architecture, philosophy and politics. In the 4th to 5th century B.C, Athens was going through a prosperous period and in this period its people made remarkable achievements. 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. 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. The Athenian democracy, while it did give more power to the people, still left a lot of citizens out. The Athenian definition of citizens was also different from modern-day citizens: only free men were considered citizens in Athens. Unlike the Romans, Athenians had a strict but fair schedule that allowed them to enjoy citizenship equally. The community showed little cohesion as a group. Climate was varied but moderate, with temperature between 48 degrees Fahrenheit in winter and 80 degrees Fahrenheit in summer. Its population was over five times as great as the other small city-states. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. By our understanding it was an oligarchy, not democracy. The Athenians were stronger because they had a better geography, government, cultural achievements, and I would rather live in the Athens. In fact, there were internal struggles and disagreements. 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. The current American democracy may have steamed from Athens, but they do not really have that much in common. Pros: All citizens got to vote and have their opinion expressed. Both Athens and Sparta hold historic value for Greece and the world. It showed him that his taxicab driver lacked knowledge of past history and basically judged a book by its cover. What are the limitations of a majority rule democracy? The assembly met on the hill of the Pnyx to make these important decisions. Alexis de Tocqueville penned Democracy in America after he spent month America in the 1831, where he witnessed a new democratic system. A tyrants son does not usually inherit his fathers power. What were the advantages and disadvantages of the city-state model of government in Greece? Their members were elected by the people. Each year 500 names were chosen from all the citizens of ancient Athens. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Athenian Values. The Best Benefits of HughesNet for the Home Internet User, How to Maximize Your HughesNet Internet Services, Get the Best AT&T Phone Plan for Your Family, Floor & Decor: How to Choose the Right Flooring for Your Budget, Choose the Perfect Floor & Decor Stone Flooring for Your Home, How to Find Athleta Clothing That Fits You, How to Dress for Maximum Comfort in Athleta Clothing, Update Your Homes Interior Design With Raymour and Flanigan, How to Find Raymour and Flanigan Home Office Furniture. Democracy, a noun that means the society is governed by the people, a system of voting, and majority rules. The Athenian democracy, while it did give more power to the people, still left a lot of citizens out. What were some geographic advantages the ancient Greeks had? WebThe word democracy or demoskratos in Greek, is a form of government where the (ruling) power is in the hands of the people. Rather than vote for representatives, like we do, each citizen was expected to vote for every law. While Athens seems to only have a democracy. 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. The Athenian democracy was not equitable, and it did not consider slaves and foreigners. 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). Athens was a small city compared to Rome that honored and protected citizenship. What this means is that all the citizens voted on all the laws. Athens stood out from Sparta as well as the other city-states not only because of its immense population but also because it was the commercial leader of Greece and was home to a great navy. All the sciences, democracy, philosophy etc were originally found in Athens. First of all, the economy was very strong in Athens. They are also carful with who can be a citizen rather then "stingy". This caused some to view them with hostility which sparked the conflicts between Athens and Sparta that lead to the Peloponnesian War. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. Although, if we look at the Athens, we see that they had no issues with plentiful land, as they possessed large and populous territory. During the Archaic Age, Sparta was solely focused on fighting wars and training their children for these wars. The first known democracy in the world was in Athens. The rise and fall of this great nation has to do with war-fare and the conflict between city-states. 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. Athens was more inviting and had many more fun things to do, which is why Athens is a better place to live. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. In Ancient Athens, a new system arose that would greatly impact the course of history. Athens had a geographic advantage because they were very superior. Press ESC to cancel. Still, the city-states of ancient Greece had many things in common. Only the men truly had a say, and ran ancient Athens. The city-state of Athens, 5th century Athens to be precise, is the inventor and first practitioner of democracy. Democracy is the modern day standard for governmental systems. WebAs a result the Ancient Greece developed into isolated, small, independent communities. The Athens lived by the Sea which was an advantage because they had an excellent trading system. But they were loyal to their city-state. Greece, and especially Athens, is the cradle of democracy in the western civilization. (Document B): The second reason is that if the court decides that someone has no right to be enrolled as a citizen he becomes. Altogether there were over 1500 city-states, but some of these barley qualify because they are so small. There was some farmland for crops, but the Greeks could always count on seafood and waterfowl to eat. The focus of the times was directed towards military capabilities, while the Athenians were more interested in comfort and culture. Athens was full of life and the people living there appreciated all of what others had to offer: arts, music, life, and new cultures. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. 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. By the time one enters the third grade they become aware of concept of democracy. Disadvantage: Unpredictable sea, need boats to travel. They were the main city with an area of land around them. Beginning with contrasts in government, Sparta, was an Oligarchy where most of the power was shared between two kings. Text on this page is printable and can be used according to our Terms of Service. National Geographic Society is a 501 (c)(3) organization. some might say the Romans were better. National Geographic Headquarters 1145 17th Street NW Washington, DC 20036. What are the pros and cons of democracy in ancient Greece? Sarah Appleton, National Geographic Society. Give me balance, give me equality. City-state is an independent or nearly independent state in which political and cultural activities are concentrated in a single urban center (Legon). Metic. How do these two city-states differ? A source that shares this view is the Ted-Ed video this also similarly to historian Paul Cartledge states that Athens was a direct democracy and also that not all of the population had the right to. 3 What were the strengths and weaknesses of ancient Greece?      As we look back upon the two significant differences in the governmental systems of Sparta and Athens, there are also many other characteristics that distinguish the differences and similarities of these two city states. Spartas government was said to have a mixture of the major types of government which is oligarchy, monarchy, and democracy. Although the competing city-states of Sparta and Athens were individually different as well as governmentally diverse, they both managed to become dominating powers in Ancient Greece. Democracy (disadvantage) Only the elite or upper class had a role in government, lower class not represented. Although the seed was planted in the 1600s, liberal democracy only properly took form in the 1840s in Canada. Athenians were the most scholarly types while the Spartans were more of the military type. 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. The period of prosperity in Athens was so short lived because they only had one strong leader, Pericles. A Monarchy is a political system ruled by one individual As I will come to. What were the advantages and disadvantages of Greece? These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. Athens also had much more trading power, and controlled more land than Sparta. Democracy in Ancient Greece was very direct. Spartan. Advantage: They had access to trade, transportation, fish, and water. Sparta was focused on their military, discipline, and to have a strong state. There was a thriving city. This completely contradicts the all-inclusive concept of direct democracy that the Athenian government preached so frequently. 8 What was the government like in ancient Greece? We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. WebThe advantages of Greeks geography is that they had protection from invaders and some disadvantages were that they had a hard time farming and traveling. Many people were disenfranchised. 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 ancient Greeks believed that each city-state had one or two gods keeping a special eye on that city-state. The most important city-states of Ancient Greece was Sparta and Athens. 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. What is the formula for calculating solute potential? Logically enough, the English word itself is derived from older Middle French or Middle Latin equivalents. Such abundance of water makes Ancient Greece good in fishing and trade. You cannot download interactives. It had a place in the way the people of ancient times governed their lives. One of the main advantages of Athenian, Before the Age of Absolutism, institutions, such as the Church, legislatures, or social elites, restrained monarchical power. 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. As I will come to. The biggest difference between Athenian democracy and almost all other democracies is that the Athenians had a direct democracy rather than being representative. Monarchy, aristocracy, tyranny, oligarchy and democracy were all forms of government found at different times and in different city-states in Ancient Greece. Both Athens and Sparta had a similar government system. Women were forced to go through training to become strong, to male healthy babies, it was tough. Sea travel connected Greece to other societies. Thus, a key part of democracy is that the people have a voice. Self- Government/Democracy: "Rule by the people." Athens had a geographic advantage because they were very superior. WebHowever, Athens under the rule of Pericles should be considered a democracy for several reasons. Greece is also quite mountainous. Not many dare to explore the flaws or disadvantages. They took politics very seriously and made sure that everyone had a voiced opinion. This horrible plague killed the Athenian leader Pericles along with many other Athenians, which took a huge toll on their morale. If you have questions about how to cite anything on our website in your project or classroom presentation, please contact your teacher. The women had limited rights and privileges, had restricted movement in public, and were very segregated from the men. What are the advantages and disadvantages of Athens? This crossroad marked a change to the government. Each city-state had its own way of doing things. Why was logical and public speaking emphasized more in Athens than any other city-state? We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. The purpose of this essay is to prove that ancient Greece wasnt truly democratic. The Spartans changed their society to remove all social distinction and became the greatest soldiers in Greece. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Spartas only ace was its military way of life and war tactics. Spartas government was said to have a mixture of the major types of government which is oligarchy, monarchy, and democracy.