Download The Polis and Athenian Government

The Polis:
Government in
Greece
Polis
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Greek term for a city-state
Each had its own laws, army,
government, and money
Included the city and the
surrounding farmland
Greek Polis Coins
Athens
Naxos
Eboea
Larissa
Syracuse
Corinth
Hellas
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Ancient term for
Greece
Not a unified country,
but an area of citystates with the same
language and many
cultural similarities
Citizenship
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Free (not a slave)
Adult
Male
From that city-state
Had civic duties and rights
in Ancient Greece
Voiceless
#unfair!
What the
heck!?
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Slaves
Women
Children
Metics
(Foreigners)
You're
tellin’
me!
Athens
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
Went through 4
stages of
government
Monarchy to
Oligarchy to
Tyranny to
Democracy
Most other city
states just went
through the first 3
Pandora Radio

Why might Pandora Radio be named after this
Greek myth?
Monarchy
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One king
One prince
5 Aristocrats
King gets to pick the Pandora station
Aristocrats can offer advice but king does not have to
listen
Prince gets to pick the Pandora station
Aristocrats can offer advice but king does not have to
listen
Monarchy in Greece
2000 BCE to 800 BCE most city-states had a
hereditary monarchy
 Definition: Power in the hands on one king
 Monos: alone, -arkhein: to rule
 Power passes through the family line
 Kings made laws, acted as judges, and conducted
religious ceremonies
 Councils of aristocrats to advise but had little real
power
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Aristocrats: literally “the best men” the rich, landowning
upper class
Debrief
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Subjects: how did you feel during the round?
King and prince, how did you feel?
What are the advantages of a monarchy?
Disadvantages?
Why do you think it was the first form of
government in Ancient Greece?
Oligarchy
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3 Aristocrats (have the most musicians in family)
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5 Middle Class people (take a music class)
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You have the power to choose the music based on your birth
You wish to become oligarchs
You represent wealthy and talented citizens
Middle Class people have no power to choose the radio
station
Oligarchy In Greece
By 800 BCE most city-states were ruled by a small group
of wealthy men called oligarchs
 Definition: Power in the hands of a few people
 Oligoi: ‘few’ + arkhein: ‘to rule.’
 Most oligarchs were aristocrats who had inherited land
from their families, some were wealthy merchants
 Oligarchs tended to ignore the needs of the poor
 Many of their laws protected themselves and their wealth
 Eventually, the poor turned to leader who would help
them
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Debrief
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Ordinary Citizens: How did you feel during this
round?
Aristocrats? Middle Class?
Who makes the decisions in an oligarchy?
What are the advantages of oligarchy?
What are the disadvantages?
Why do you think a pattern of monarchies
replaced by oligarchies developed?
Tyranny
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1 tyrant
Tyrant gets to pick the Pandora station
Tyrant can choose to listen to the class or ignore them
Tyranny In Greece
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During the mid-600s BCE people in many city-states were turned
to men who promised change called tyrants
Definition: Power in the hands of someone who seized it illegally
Unlike a monarchy because
1.
2.
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Tyrants have no legal authority to rule
Tyrants sons do not usually inherit power
Usually take power by force and have a military background
Promised people more rights
Some did well by the people, some ruled as evil dictators
Debrief
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Ordinary Citizens: How did you feel during this
round?
Aristocrats? Middle Class? Tyrant?
Who makes the decisions in a tyranny?
What are the advantages of tyranny?
What are the disadvantages?
Why do you think a pattern of oligarchies
replaced by tyrannies developed?
Famous Tyrants: Draco
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Oligarchy didn’t last b/c laws were not written
down & could be changed at any time
In 621 BC, Draco was appointed to codify (write
down) the laws.
Unpopular because he made new laws that were
extremely harsh AKA “Draconian”
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Death was the penalty for even minor crimes, like
stealing vegetables.
Unequal treatment based on class
Murder now punished by the state instead of blood
feud
So that’s
why I’m so
evil…
Famous Tyrants: Solon
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594 BC
Threw out almost all of Draco’s laws
Needed a balance between the rich & poor.
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The poor could be sold into slavery if they were in debt to an
aristocrat.
The aristocrats wanted to prevent revolution & keep their $
(& their lives).
Ended debt slavery
Democracy
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Only people with citizen cards can vote
Citizens can debate the station
Whichever station has the most votes wins
Democracy in Athens
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Around 500 BCE the people of Athens
developed democracy
Demos: people –cracy: rule of
Democratic principles
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Direct democracy: every citizen can vote
Public Debate
Duties of the Citizen
Assembly
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Assembly: a group of citizens in ancient Athens with
the power to pass laws, any citizen could attend
Public Debate: Laws could be discussed here
Downsides:
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A persuasive speaker could convince people to vote unwisely
Assembly reversed decision often
Slow to make a decision
Duties of the Citizen
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Pay taxes
Serve in the military
Vote in the Assembly
Red Rope: During the late 5th century
B.C. Athens employed slaves to round
up citizens to attend the public
assembly. They carried between them a
rope dipped in red paint. If a person
tried to resist going to the assembly they
were sure to get caught in the rope and
have red paint on their clothes. Anyone
who had red paint on their clothes at the
assembly would not get paid for their
attendance.
Ostracism
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a procedure under the Athenian democracy in
which any citizen could be expelled from the
city-state of Athens for ten years.
It was used as a way of neutralizing someone
thought to be a threat to the state or potential
tyrant.
Ostraka: pieces of
pottery that were
used as ballots