Download Was Ancient Athens Truly Democratic?.

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Was Ancient Athens
Truly Democratic?
.
democracy)
demokra(a)
demo:""
the"people"
kra(a:""
power"or"rule"
rule)by)the)people)
Overview: Definition of Democracy. A democracy is a form of government where
political power comes from citizens. The word comes from the Greekdemokratia.
Demo means “the people,” and kratia means “power” or “rule.” Athenian democracy
was a direct democracy. This means that citizens were allowed to vote directly on
laws and government actions. This is different from
a representative democracy, in which citizens elect officials to vote on laws.
The Documents
Document A: Pericles describes Athenian democracy
Document B: The Athenian Constitution
Document C: Prof. Hansen -Secondary Source on Athenian Democracy
Document D: Prof. Camp - Secondary source on Athenian Democracy
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Document A: Pericles (Excerpted from Original)
"Our constitution does not copy the laws of neighboring states; we are rather an example to others,
we are not followers ourselves. Its government would rather support the many instead of the few;
this is why it is called a democracy.
If we look to the laws, they afford equal justice to all. The freedom that we enjoy in our government
extends also to our ordinary life.
Source: Pericles, “The Funeral Oration,” 432 BCE.
Pericles was a leader of Athens who was responsible for rebuilding Athens following the Persian Wars.
He was also leader of Athens during the Peloponnesian War.
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Document B: The Athenian Constitution (Excerpted from the Original)
Part 42
The present state of the constitution is as follows. The vote is open to all who areof citizens by
both parents. Secondly a citizen cannot be a slave. Slaves cannot vote.
Source: Aristotle, “The Athenian Constitution,” 330-322 BCE
Ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle, together with Socrates and Plato, laid much of the
groundwork for western philosophy.
Document C: Professor Hansen (Excerpted from Original)
The problem with Athenian democracy is first, democracy is the rule of the whole of the people, but
Athenians only allowed male citizens to vote, not women, free immigrants or slaves. Thus, by our
standards it was oligarchy (rule by the few), not democracy.
Source: Mogens Herman Hansen, “Was Athens a Democracy?” 1989.
leading scholar and demographer of Athens.
Mogens Hansen is a
Document D: Professor Camp (Excerpted from Original)
Ostracized in Athens: Ancient Greeks knew how to dump bad pols, By John McK. Camp. July 24,
2003
In other words, the Athenians not only voted people into office, but they had a regular procedure
for voting one person per year out of office. A person who they all thought interfered with
democracy.
Source: John M. Camp is director of the Agora excavations of the American School of Classical
Studies at Athens and professor of classics at Randolph-Macon College.
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