Download Athenian Democracy

Beginning of Class Activity
Take a few minutes to answer the following
question quietly in your notes…
What is pure democracy?
What are the strengths of democracy?
What are the weaknesses of democracy?
What circumstances need to occur for democracy to
work?
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Early Governments
Monarchy  Oligarchy 
Democracy
Oligarchy was led by a
council
The council members were
called archons.
Learning from Mistakes
Sharecropping system
Leads to never-ending cycle
of debt…
Leads to Revolt
Greek leader, Solon, clears
land debt, but didn’t take
away land from
aristocrats…BIG PROBLEM
EARLY ATHENIAN LEADERS
1)Solon – Clears land debt for helot
2) Pisistratus –Takes land from R-N
3) Cleisthenes - Democracy
Early
Athens
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New leader, Pisistratus took
away land from the rich. What
happened?
REVOLT by aristocrats
Inequalities are recognized by
new leader, Cleisthenes.
His idea was to create a
council of 500
– Propose Laws
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Also created the Assembly
– All male citizens were able to
vote on the laws.
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Divided Attica into 10 Tribes
– Equal representation from
each
Athenian democracy is then expanded further by
Pericles (461-429 B.C.)
"Our administration favors 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 in
their private differences; if no social standing,
advancement in public life falls to reputation for
capacity, class considerations not being allowed
to interfere with merit; nor again does poverty
bar the way, if a man is able to serve the state, he
is not hindered by the obscurity of his condition.
According to Pericles,
what are the benefits of
Democracy?
-Pericles made rules where
•“Father of Athenian
Democracy”
•Gave more power to the
Assembly.
•Rotated people through
office.
Overview
• 3 main parts
– The Council of 500
• Discussed proposed
Decrees, Laws
– The Assembly
• Voted on Decrees and
Laws
– The People’s Court
• Tried and convicted
criminals
Athenian
Democracy:
The Age of Pericles
Council of 500
• Only full-time government in Athens.
• Elected officials
– Members serve 1 year terms.
– Members must be approved by previous
year’s council.
– 50 from each of Attica’s ten tribes
• Function
– Vote on proposed Decrees or Laws to send to
the Assembly
The Assembly
• Main law making branch
of Athenian government
• Open to all male citizens
– Anyone could speak on a
topic regardless of social
rank
• All participants paid to
attend
– Why is this
important?
The People’s Court
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Juries made of male citizens
– Vote on guilt or innocence of defendants.
– Vote on punishments for defendants
found guilty.
– 501 to 1501 jurors
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Selection
– At random, also randomly assigned to
cases.
– Must be 30 years old.
– Jurors were paid
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Cases
– Each juror heard one to two speeches
from each side.
– The juror then had two ballots – one for
the plaintiff and one for the defendant.
– The juror would then place the ballot for
whichever side he chose in an urn.
– Votes would be counted out of the urn in
public.