Greek Contributions to Democracy

Ch 1.1

Early Governments• Cities were fairly isolated due to terrain

• Two forms of government evolve: monarchy and aristocracy– Monarchy-power is centrally held by king

or queen– Aristocracy- power is held by wealthy

nobles

• Two major cities evolve very different forms of government: Sparta and Athens

The Spartans

Spartan Model

• Two kings and a council of elders who advise them

• Assembly made up of all citizens who approves major decisions

• Citizen= male, native, 30+ years old

• Assembly elects 5 ephors (officials) who run day to day affairs

Athenian Model

• Tyrant= person who gains power by force. Tyranny reduced power of aristocracy who ruled Athens through reforms

• Early democracy, council of 500 chosen at random from all citizens, prepare laws for assembly, supervised day to day work

• The assembly was all male citizens 30+, they became a true legislature, debated merits of laws and voted on them.

Democracy in Greece

Age of Pericles

• Direct participation in gov’t by citizens (today we are more indirect). People were paid to be a part of of the assembly, allowing the poor to serve

• Stressed not only the rights, but duties of citizens.

• Peloponnesian War (Sparta vs Athens) ends Athenian political influence, decline of democracy

Philosophers

• Socrates– Wrote no books– Encouraged people to examine their beliefs– Used questions to promote thinking-

Socratic Method– Sentenced to death, refused to flee believing

that the duty of the individual was to the laws of the state

• Plato– Set up Academy, a center of learning for

900 years– Believed that reasoning led to knowledge– Rejected democracy because it had

condemned Socrates– Wrote the Republic, said state should

organize everything– Society should be divided into workers,

soldiers, and philosopher-kings– Women should be a part of the

government

• Aristotle– Favored rule by a group from the middle

class– Golden Mean- middle ground, avoid

extremes= good conduct– Reason helps learning– Built the Lyceum where people studied

works on politics, ethics, logic, biology, literature, physics, etc (many of the works written by Aristotle)

– Becomes basis for first universities in Europe

• “School of Athens”- Plato and Aristotle central figures