Survey
* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
Athens: From Dark Age to Classical Period Sources: Sparta has almost no material written about it, but most of it come from Athens. ? - Surrounded by Mountains, a complete bowl with city of Athens in center - Clans (groups of people) probably related, working together in local areas - The highest aristocratic families ruled - Political clashes between wealth and poor for power Setting up a System of Government -- Athens is going to have difficulty keeping and following diplomatic/political rule. - It will have same problem with tyranny as other city-states do. - Tyrannies are designed to break aristocratic rule over the people. But usually the tyrants are aristocrats themselves! Political Reform Efforts in Athens Three men lead reforms at different time periods *Solon *Cleisthenes *Pericles Solon: He could be trusted by more to avoid tyranny, deals with problems aggressively, but ends up being hated by everyone, yet successful. Solon’s Reforms - dealt with debt and enslavement -he institutes property classes, creating a top class of rich land owners - creates classes based on affluence rather than heredity: wealthy, middle, and people outside of Athens in the hills (people left outside of system) Democratic Greek Leaders 594 BC Solon 507 BC Cleisthenes 457 BC Pericles Elected chief Archon (statesman) in 594 B.C. to help solve the problems of Athens Solon (SO-luhn) •A statesman who solved the economic & political crisis that Athens faced by passing a law outlawing slavery based on debt & he canceled the farmers debts. •Created a council of 400, that prepared business for the already existing council. •Introduced a code of laws, which gave citizens the right to bring charges against wrongdoers. •Encouraged the export of goods, which became a profitable overseas trade. •Voting limited to 1/10 of population – 1/3 of population was slaves, so limited democracy Cleisthenes (Klice-then-eez) •In 508 B.C. he introduces new reforms A rich and powerful aristocrat •Wanted to break up the power of the nobility •He allowed all citizens to submit laws for debate & passage •He reorganized the assembly to make Athens a Full Democracy (Every Athenian man would have one vote, and they would all meet and vote on what to do. (The big meeting was called the Assembly) •Created the council of Five Hundred, (a smaller council of 500 men, who were chosen by a lottery, and changed every year) •Regarded as the Founder of Democracy in Athens Reforms under Cleisthenes -His reforms ended monopoly of political power by aristocratic families that plagued Athens for long. -Ostracism- most popular man had to leave Athens for 10 years. - honorable exile- retains citizenship and property -Purpose was to prevent any one man from gaining too much power- prevent tyranny -A reverse popularity contest •A statesman who increased the number of paid public officials & paid jurors •Under Pericles, Athens evolved into a Direct Democracy (a form of government where citizens rule directly & not thru representatives) •Under Pericles, more Athens citizens were actively involved in government than any other city-state Pericles •He is also responsible for the building of the Parthenon Led Athens for 32 years, from 461 to 429 B.C. “ Our constitution is called a democracy because power is in the hands not of a minority but of the whole people.” The Golden Age of Greece Rome and the Republic • Rome will develop its own form of government in which power rests with citizens who have the right (free-born citizens) to elect the leaders who make governmental decisions. It is an indirect democracy because not all citizens participate directly in gov. • Senate- legislative branch that had two assemblies • Written legal code- Justinian Code, officials to be held accountable, not reverse Ancient Greeks and Romans contributed to the development of democracy. The Greeks were the first civilization to let citizens get involved in political decision making. They made laws and banished their countrymen using the ballot box. Also, the Greeks had several brilliant thinkers/philosophers that encouraged people to examine their lives and use logic/reason to make sense of their world. When the Romans took over control of the ancient world, they adopted and made changes to democratic thinking. Putting laws in writing and on public display made sure that laws were applied equally to everyone. The Romans, under Justinian, codified over 1000 years of law and organizing it set a precedent that modern societies emulate. In all, the greatest gift from the ancients is the idea that individuals are citizens of a country and not just subjects of the ruling class. SPARTA A Military State - While Athens was experimenting in political systems, Sparta, just 100 miles south was perfecting a system based in military strength •Spartans practiced an oligarchy- the rule of a few. •Spartan life based in the development of a military state, so the way of life was very rigorous. -Men and women had very different lifestyles -Men served as a soldier from age 7 to 60. -If a Spartan boy completed training succesfully he was considered as part of the Homoioi- elite group -If a Spartan failed the Agoge- he was still a citizen, but not an important figure. -Kings did not take the Homoioi - Called to war by age group Life as a Spartan Woman- What a marriage! -Since homosexuality was practiced, little value placed on marriages -So women were made to look masculine, and their main duty was to produce children -Husband did not live at home until after age 30 -“Wife- swapping” –to produce more kids. Their system decreased greatly because this system was not working. -Women exercised with the males, but didn’t necessarily perform in combat