Download Roots of Democracy Notes

ROOTS OF DEMOCRACY
NOTES
DAY 7
SKINNY 13-14
Word
World History
The Roots of Democracy
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Annotated Timeline project
Greek and Roman Roots
 Section
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Judeo-Christian Roots
 Section
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1 in text and GRWorkbook
2 in text and GRWorkbook
Notes from the unit
Athens
Began as early as
1500 BC.
•
Its patron goddess
was Athena.
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Tyranny
From 600-500 BC
several tyrants ruled
Athens (Solon, Draco,
Peisistratus)
•
Athens grew wealthy
from olives, pottery,
and trade.
•
Cleisthenes
Athens’ last tyrant, and founder of
its democracy.
•
He extended citizenship to most free
men.
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He set up the system of the
Assembly, the Council of 500, and
the law courts.
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Athenian Democracy
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A “direct democracy” - large numbers of citizens helped
make all decisions.
The Assembly (meeting) voted on laws, elected leaders,
tried legal cases.
 Politicians
& the accused pled their case before all.
City Government
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Most Greek cities began as a monarchy (rule by a
king).
Over time, power shifted to class of noble
landowners. They were the military defenders of
the city-state because they could afford the
weapons and chariots. This was called an
aristocracy.
All Romans were not equal. There
were 2 classes: the patricians,
wealthy, noble, land owning upper
class
Plebeians: working class and poor. This
group made up the majority of the Roman
population.
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A council of 500, chosen by lottery, ran daily
business of the city.
Dangerous or corrupt politicians could be
ostracized (kicked out).
A Cultural Powerhouse
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Athenians saw education as key to democracy.
As a result, Athens was the cultural and economic center
of classical Greece.
Rome is born
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Legend says 2 brothers, Romulus and Remus,
founded the city in 753 BC.
Who were the Romans?
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A tribe called the Latins.
They adopted ideas from
Greeks in the south…
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…and from
Etruscans in the
north.
Roman Government
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The Republic is set up so that no man can become a
king.
 High
ranks are elected in twos, and their terms of office
are short.
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Patrician men are taught to see high rank as a
service and honor, not a chance at power.
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In the early republic, soldiers were volunteers.

Every male citizen was expected to fight for Rome in wartime.
Rome was ruled by kings until
about 500 B.C.
Rome set up a type of democracy called a
republic. In a republic, leaders are elected
to represent the people.
The Senate was a group of 300 patrician
men, elected for life, who made the laws.
The senators then elected 2 consuls
each year to enforce the laws,
supervise the business of
government and command the
armies. Consuls could only serve
for one year.
This Roman republic had a systems of
checks and balances in place. Each of
these groups had the power to veto, or
forbid, the actions of the other.
Eventually the plebeians demanded and gained
equality in government. Plebeians gained the right to
elected their own representatives called, tribunes, to
protect their interests in government. The tribunes were
also given veto power over laws in the Senate.
By 264 BC, Rome had conquered most of the
Italian peninsula and made most of the
conquered peoples Roman citizens.
By 133 B.C. Roman power extends from Spain
to Egypt, conquering the lands that were
divided up after Alexander the Great’s death.
Groups
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4 per group
Jobs