Ancient Greece Government

Greek and Roman Government

by Mr. Boswell & Mr. Jackson

Greek City-States

• There were over 1,000 city-states in ancient Greece.

• Most of them were very small towns.

• The most important were Athens and Sparta. These two cities were very different in many ways.

Multiple Choice

What two city-states were the most important in ancient Greece?

• Corinth and Byzantium

• Sparta and Athens

• Corinth and Sparta

• Argos and Mycenae

Ancient Athens

• Athens' government was a direct democracy.

• That means that citizens could vote on laws and choose their generals and other officials.

• Only men older than 18 whose parents were Athenians could vote however.

Multiple Choice

Which person could vote in the Assembly in Athens?

• A 15 year old boy born in Athens.

• A 30 year old woman born in Sparta

• A 30 year old man whose parents were born in Athens

• A 50 year old man whose parents were born in Rome.

Democracy...it starts in Greece!

• Athens was the very first place where people were given a say in how their government was run.

• Today, Americans can vote in elections and choose their leaders.

• We can thank ancient Athens for starting this idea!

Multiple Choice

What idea about government did the United States get from ancient Athens?

• One president leads

• People have a say in laws and voting

• Each city has a mayor

• No kings

Ancient Sparta

• Sparta was very different from Athens.

• Spartans had two kings as well as several councils of leaders.

• Citizens did not have much of a say, but women were treated more equally.

• They also glorified war and most Spartan boys became soldiers.

Multiple Choice

Most boys in Sparta became?

• Teachers

• Soldiers

• Priests

• Used Car Salesmen

Roman Government

• Ancient Rome shared many ideas with ancient Greece about its leaders.

• Early in its history, they had kings like Sparta.

• Later, they adopt democracy like Athens.

Roman Government

• The Romans had a representative democracy, which means that people voted for leaders who would make the laws.

• In Rome, they had two presidents (called consuls)

• They also had a group of men called the Senate. (America has one too!)

Multiple Choice

In ancient Rome, what did they call their presidents?

• Presidents

• Tribunes

• Questors

• Consuls

Roman Republic

• The Romans had a republic, which meant they had leaders who were chosen by the people.

• They divided power between different jobs so nobody got too powerful and became a king.

• Elected leaders could only serve for a year and couldn't run more than two times in a row!

Multiple Choice

Most officials in ancient Rome could only be elected for how many years?

• one year

• two years

• four years

• their whole life

Multiple Choice

Why did the ancient Romans divide the power between different officials and limit how long they were in charge?

• Most people didn't live very long back then.

• They wanted lots of people to be in government.

• They didn't want anyone to get too much power and become like a king.

The Roman Empire

• The Roman Republic did not last.

• In 27 BC, Augustus Caesar took over as the first Roman Emperor.

• Now the emperor ruled like a king and

Ancient Greece History and Culture

​

Government in Ancient Greece

Citizenship was very important to the people of Greece and those living in the city-states

In the Greek Democracy the people/males had a say in the decisions made by the government for the city-state/polis, the people/males had rights and responsibilities as a citizen such as voting, holding office, debating issues, owning property etc…

Multiple Choice

Who had a say in decision making in Ancient Greece?

• Women

• Slaves

• Men

• Foreigners

Multiple Choice

What rights did men have?

• voting

• Reading

• Writing

• Fishing

Multiple Choice

What is a Polis?

• A Greek city-state

• A Roman city-state

Greek Government Continued

In some cases the people selected a group of representatives that would make decisions for the rest of the group

Greeks were very proud of the culture and principles they developed

Greek Archaic Period

• This period occurred around the 8th Century B.C.

• This is when the Olympics started and athletic achievements were recognized

• This is when the principles of democracy developed in politics

• Homer wrote the Iliad and the Odyssey

• In Mathematics the pythagorean theorem came about to solve math principles

• The Greek alphabet was developed at this tim

Multiple Choice

What was started during the Archaic period?

• The Masked Singer

• American Idol

• The Simpsons

• The Olympics

Multiple Choice

What princliples were developed in poltics?

• Democracy

• Republic

Greek Classical Period

• The classical period had a lot to do with the development of Ancient Rome

  
  

• During this period the Greeks came together to defeat the Persians (Alexander the Great)

• Athens with its large navy was able to establish its polis/city-state as dominant

  Pericles led in Athens and the Parthenon was established

• The theatre (Sophocles), architecture, and philosophy developed in Greece

Multiple Choice

What period had a lot to do with the creation of Ancient Rome?

• Archaic Period

• Classical Period

Multiple Choice

Who did the Greeks defeat during the Classical Period?

• Persians

• Alexander the Great

• Persisus

• Zeus

Republican Government

​

The Young Republic

-In a republic, citizens vote for their leaders.

-Only free adult men were citizens in Rome, but not all citizens were equal.

- Roman society was divided into two groups: the patricians and the plebeians.

-The patricians (puh-TRIH-shuhnz) were wealthy landowners.

The plebeians (plih-BEE-uhnz), who included poorer farmers and craftsmen, made up the majority of Rome’s citizens but were under-represented in the government

Multiple Choice

What's the defining difference between a Patrician and a Plebeian?

• Its just how the Sorting Hat divided them

• What they eat

• Their income and status

• Whether or not they could participate in government

Multiple Select

What was the name of the upper class in Ancient Rome?

• plebeians

• patricians

The Young Republic

The plebeians wanted a say in how Rome was run.

-As a result, in 494 b.c., they went on strike.

-The plebeians left the city, shutting down Roman shops and businesses, and set up their own government.

- Economic activity came to a halt.

The Young Republic

-Once the patricians started losing money, they became frightened and agreed to share their power.

-In time, the plebeians were allowed to elect their own representatives, called tribunes, who fought to protect the rights of ordinary citizens

The Young Republic

The plebeians had one more demand. Because Rome’s laws were not written down, the patricians often interpreted them to favor their rich friends.

-The plebeians fought back. They insisted that the laws be not only written down but carved into bronze tablets and displayed for all to see.

-These laws became known as the Twelve Tables.

-They protected all Roman citizens from injustice. Some of these laws are the basis of our own laws today.

Multiple Choice

Why were the Twelve Tables created?

• Because eleven tables was simply inadequate.

• To provide written laws for the Plebeians to follow.

• To provide written laws for Patricians to follow.

• To provide written laws for all Romans to follow.

  HIDE ANSWER

Roman Government

-Rome’s new, more representative government furthered the development of democratic principles first introduced in the Greek city-state of Athens.

- The government contained three branches. An executive branch led the government and the army, a legislative branch made the laws, and a judicial branch applied the laws

Multiple Choice

Which branch of government creates the laws?

• legislative

• executive

• judicial

Multiple Select

What are the three branches of government? (select all three)

• executive

• judicial

• agricultural

• legislative

• parliament

Roman Government

-The Romans put in place a system of checks and balances, similar to that used in the United States, to prevent any one branch from becoming too powerful.

-They also replaced the position of the king with two leaders called consuls. The consuls shared power so equally that they had the right to veto or reject, each other’s decisions

Multiple Choice

What was the purpose of the system of checks and balances?

• to limit the power of the government

• to separate the plebeians and patricians

• to encourage young Romans to join the military

• to make Roman men and women equal

Multiple Choice

If a law is vetoed, it means:

• it is passed

• it is rejected

• it has to be re-written

• it is approved, but only with majority vote

Roman Government

-The legislative branch was made up of the Senate, elected judicial officers, and two assemblies.

- The Senate advised the consuls.

- The assemblies represented the plebeians.

- In the beginning, most of the 300 members of the Senate were patricians.

-Over time, however, plebeians were also allowed to participate

Roman Government

-Senators often spoke out about issues in the Senate House and in public squares.

-One of Rome’s most brilliant speakers was Cicero (SIH-suh-roh), who often used his speeches to attack those who he believed were a threat to the republic.

Roman Government

-In times of crisis, the Romans appointed dictators who had complete control but were expected to give up power after the danger had passed.

- One such Roman dictator was Cincinnatus (sihn-suh-NA-tuhs).

In 458 b.c., Rome’s army was facing defeat by a fierce enemy, and the Senate wanted Cincinnatus to take charge.

Roman Government

-He accepted the dictatorship, defeated the enemy, and then surrendered his power and returned to his farm.

-The example set by Cincinnatus was celebrated by the Romans, who valued the idea of civic duty putting service to the community ahead of personal interest

City States and Government

The Rise of City States

The Greek word for city-state is polis.

Athens and Sparta

The biggest and most famous of the Greek city-states were Athens and Sparta. They fought together to defeat the Persians. Later they went to war against each other...for 27 years!

Independent City-States

A city-state was an independent political unit. Some city-states grew larger than others.

Geographic Isolation

High mountains surrounded plains and valleys, separating cities from one another. The mountains made it very difficult for some city-states to communicate and trade.

Different Forms of Government

Each city-state had its own form of government. We will learn about Monarchy, Aristocracy, and Oligarchy. We will also learn about Tyrants.

Monarchy

The earliest form of government in Greece was a monarchy. A monarch is a king or a queen who has supreme power. Some monarchies later became aristocracies.

What is an aristocracy?

An aristocracy is a form of government in which the upper class rules. The Greeks believed that it was the rule of "the best people" .

Oligarchy

Some city states developed an oligarchy. In this type of government, a few people who were rich land owners controlled the city-state.

Aristocracy vs Oligarchy

What is the difference between oligarchy and aristocracy? In an aristocracy, people rule because it is believed that they were just born better than others. In an oligarchy, people were rulers because they were rich.

What about everyone else?

Poor people in Greece were often not part of government. The poor had no voice and resented this. Sometimes a wealthy and powerful person who wanted power would ask the mobs of poor people to support him to overthrow the government.

Tyrants

In Greece, a tyrant was a person who took power in an illegal way. Some Greek tyrants worked to help the poor and give the poor a voice in their government.

Tyrannies

Greek tyrants were not always bad rulers. In some city-states they governed fairly and worked to improve the lives of ordinary people.Eventually, tyrannies did not last and opened the door for something brand new...DEMOCRACY.

Greek City-states and Government

Let's see how much you learned today. You may take this Quizizz more than once.

Multiple Choice

The Greek word for city-state is

• polis

• popcorn

• peanut butter

• poppy

Multiple Choice

A high hilltop that was first used for defense..

• agora

• acropolis

• aristocracy

• oligarchy

Multiple Choice

An open space where men would meet to shop, do business, and discuss politics...

• acropolis

• oligarchy

• aristocracy

• agora

Multiple Choice

Type of government ruled by a king or queen...

• tyrranny

• aristocracy

• monarchy

• democracy

Multiple Choice

Aristocracy means ruled by

• people because they are rich.

• the best people

• children

• king or a queen

Multiple Choice

Someone who takes power in an illegal way...

• Oligarch

• Monarch

• Tyrant

• Aristocrat