Ancient Greece Democracy

Ancient Greece Democracy

Before Democracy

In Sparta a small group of aristocrats controlled the government.

This was called an Oligarchy Oligarchies were usually headed by a council of leaders who belonged to the upper class (aristocrats)

Spartans feared the new political trends in Athens. They wanted to keep power in the hands of the aristocrats.

Multiple Choice

What small group of Aristocrats controlled the government?

• Oligarchy

• Tyrant

• King

Phalanx

Around 700 B.C.E. a new military formation was introduced, the phalanx.

Citizen soldiers lined up to form a row of overlapping shields. Each mans shield helped protect his neighbor. A well trained phalanx could overcome almost any force

As city-states came to rely on citizen soldiers and the phalanx, it game more men a voice. Not just the wealthy elite.

Multiple Choice

What did soldiers use to protect their neighbors?

• Sword

• Shield

• Armor

Tyranny

At first tyrants, or strong leaders, emerged as champions of the common people. They were usually members of the aristocracy.

By promising land and other benefits to the poor they were able to gain power and setup tyrannies.

Not all tyrants were bad, but many began to misuse their power and mistreat the poor.

This caused some city-states to develop new governments.

Multiple Choice

What did Tyrants promise to people in order to gain power?

• Power

• Money

• Land

Multiple Choice

What Tyrants promise to their peole in order to gain power?

• Food

• Money

• Land

Multiple Choice

In Ancient Greece, who was educated?

• Boys

• Girls

• Both Boys and Girls

Power of the People

In Athens the Greeks create a form of government called democracy, which means rule by the people.

In these new democracies large numbers of men engaged in civic affairs.

Education in democracy was designed to produce well rounded thinkers who could take part in public life.

Although some girls could read and right, education in Athens was reserved for boys.

Multiple Choice

True or False: Women could hold office and had rights

• True

• False

• Only if their fathers allowed

Democracy at Work

The main political body of Athens was the assembly, which all free adult male citizens could participate in.

A 500 person council known as the boule helped decide what issues should be presented to the assembly for discussion and voting. Members of this council were chosen at random from all citizens.

Court cases were decided by massive juries, ranging from several hundred to several thousand members.

Women could not vote or hold office. Slaves had no rights. Only citizens had rights, foreigners or Greeks from other city-states were excluded.

Direct democracy is a political system in which all citizens participate directly in the decision making.

This worked in Athens because the city-state was small and all of it's citizens were committed to society.

Representative democracy is a political system in which citizens elect officials to represent them and make decisions on their behalf.

Most democracies today choose this form because of the large populations.

Multiple Choice

Why did Direct Democracy work in Athens?

• City-State was Small

• Citizens were committed to their society

• Both A and B