advantages and disadvantages of democracy in ancient greece

One of the main advantages of Athenian, Before the Age of Absolutism, institutions, such as the Church, legislatures, or social elites, restrained monarchical power. Pros and cons of moving to Athens 6 What were the advantages and disadvantages of the city-state form of government? It combines two shorter words: demos meaning whole citizen living within a particular city-state and kratos meaning power or rule. The Constitution represents the value and principles of democracy and republicanism by stressing liberty and inalienable rights as central values, making the people as a whole sovereign, rejecting inherited political power, expecting citizens to be independent in their performance of civic duties, and vilifies corruption. I believe that ancient Athens was not a true democracy. Tenant farmer Person who pays rent, either in money or crops, to grow crops on another person's land Metic Foreigner in a Greek city-state, often a merchant or artisan Slavery Some people believe they were more democratic than us today, but I think they were never a true democratic government. Unlike the Romans, Athenians had a strict but fair schedule that allowed them to enjoy citizenship equally. Advantages: Made it hard for enemies to get to Greece, Greeks developed very small, close kit communities, hill top lookouts for invaders. In the year 507 B.C., the Athenian leader Cleisthenes introduced a system of political reforms that he called demokratia, or rule by the people. The Athenians established a direct democracy where the people voted directly on the matter at hand. (Ancient Greek Democracy, History.com) The Romans then created their own type of democracy, where the citizens elected leaders to represent the peoples opinion. (Crabill, Ancient Rome) While neither the Athenian nor the Roman democracies were perfect by any means, they both, Whats more, Democracy was rising in Athens. Even though their government was ran by the people themselves, only the men in the city could vote. Athens was a democratic state that was peaceful and where women were open to culture and democracy. For instance the way that these cities were governed and their political procedures and functions were quite different from each other. When you look at the literal definition of democracy in the Merriam-Webster dictionary, there is a decently large explanation. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. Each city-state had its own way of doing things. The Athenians created a new kind of government where the people chose their leaders. cons of Athenian style Democracy 4.Every citizen was included in politics. As we know, this system is a norm to the Western world, in order to preserve personal freedom and make sure that the will of the people is upheld. Sparta also has a great military strength, it is much better than Athens military because the men go to war at the age of 7-30. Athens was also referred to as the birthplace of democracy, a government system still in use today! The difference in land as well as population perceives a relative historical comparison. Athens direct democracy had elected officials including ten generals, magistrates, and others (PBS 1). These two city-states, Sparta and Athens have unique formations of government, histories, goals, as well as societies. The direct democracy of Athens wasnt actually as inclusive and steady as the statement at Pericles 's funeral state, Our Constitution is called a democracy because power is in the hands not of a minority but of the whole people (Doc C). In fact, of the 450,000 citizens of Athens in 430 BC, only about 40,000 people had the power to vote. This caused some to view them with hostility which sparked the conflicts between Athens and Sparta that lead to the Peloponnesian War. They became skilled sailors. Socrates did not care for the idea in general, and Aristotle thought it could, within a state, yield new forms of abuse of power. What this means is that all the citizens voted on all the laws. However, they choose the candidates based on the (1)facades they create, which causes the people to become (2)distorted by their seemingly noble intentions. This caused some to view them with hostility which sparked the conflicts between Athens and Sparta that lead to the Peloponnesian War. This completely contradicts the all-inclusive concept of direct democracy that the Athenian government preached so frequently. What was the disadvantage of democracy in ancient Greece? The purpose of this essay is to prove that ancient Greece wasnt truly democratic. Copyright 2023 IPL.org All rights reserved. WebAdvantages And Disadvantages Of Democracy. It had a place in the way the people of ancient times governed their lives. Climate was varied but moderate, with temperature between 48 degrees Fahrenheit in winter and 80 degrees Fahrenheit in summer. (Document B): The second reason is that if the court decides that someone has no right to be enrolled as a citizen he becomes. For a long time, historians have kept this question in mind while studying laws and methods of the Ancient Athenians. What are the advantages and disadvantages of having mountains cover ancient Greece? Moreover, addressing the 11 million undocumented immigrants, I strongly believe that the United States should allow the immigrants to continuously live in the United States under some conditions. The ancient Greeks believed that each city-state had one or two gods keeping a special eye on that city-state. Additionally, the reliability affected by the emotive language being employed in this article as the author utilises this language it demonstrates that bias is present. Person who pays rent, either in money or crops, to grow crops on another person's land. Athens stood out from Sparta as well as the other city-states not only because of its immense population but also because it was the commercial leader of Greece and was home to a great navy. Sparta and Athens were different in their values, politics, and societies. 5. Sea travel connected Greece to other societies. One of the most famous civilizations lies between three seas, the Aegean Sea, Sea of Crete, and the Ionian Sea. Elements of more than one of these forms also co-existed, however, and the modern connotations of labels such as these are not necessarily the same as those that prevailed in Ancient Greece. Athens original government was a monarchy ruled by one king, however, the king's influence began to diminish with the changing times and soon Athens was under the rule of an oligarchy. The mountains make trade within Greeces borders difficult. Athenians were the most scholarly types while the Spartans were more of the military type. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. A a majority of one race or religion or political opinion is not allowed to suppress the rights of other groups. As stated in the article The Problem with Democracy Today, contrary to other political institutions who holds the power is not clearly stated if the regime is a, Liberal Democracy is a democratic system of government in which individual rights and freedoms are officially recognized and protected, and the exercise of political power is limited by the rule of law. So that is why I conclude that ancient Athens was indeed not truly. Athens on the contrary, was a city that focused heavily on the arts and was a very relaxed and peaceful city to live in. Sparta advantage. The five most powerful Greek city-states were; Athens, Sparta, Corinth. Democracy (disadvantage) Only the elite or upper class had a role in government, lower class not represented. Democracy is a form of government in which power lies with the people. Athenian democracy also had one-year term limits. The ancient Greeks were the first to create a democracy. What were the advantages and disadvantages of the city-state model of government in Greece? True democrats would elect all officials through voting by the people. Advantages And Disadvantages Of Greek Democracy Vs Roman. 6 What are the pros and cons of democracy in ancient Greece? Mountains covered about three-fourths of ancient Greece. Each city-state had its own government. What was the disadvantage of tyranny in ancient Greece? Sparta was focused on their military, discipline, and to have a strong state. Unlike Sparta, who has an oligarchy, monarchy, and democracy. Two of the biggest city-states were Athens and Sparta. 6 What is the original meaning of democracy? Additionally, the water access provides a stable fishing ground to provide food to people. Advantages and Disadvantages of Democracy The term, Democracy, stems from the Greek word demokratia which means rule by the people and it wasnt until around 500 BCE in Athens where the first examples of democracy originated. WebThus, the tyrants of the Archaic age of ancient Greece ( c. 900500 bce )Cypselus, Cleisthenes, Peisistratus, and Polycrates were popular, presiding as they did over an era of prosperity and expansion. City-state is an independent or nearly independent state in which political and cultural activities are concentrated in a single urban center (Legon). Monarchy (advantage) Middle class realized that they could make changes (leads to democracy) Tyranny (advantage) One of the many states of Greece, ancient Athens was indeed not truly democratic as a result of not inclusive, other than male citizens, to gain authority in ancient Athens, Demokratia was ruled by male citizens only, excluding women, free foreigners(Metics) and slaves.(Document D), therefore ruling Athens was only accessible to male citizen since since women, free foreigners(Metics), and slaves were not allowed to rule as a result of not being male citizens. But, since foreigners, women, and slaves were not allowed to become citizens, democracy meant equality among those whousually by birthwere entitled to be citizens of a particular place. Sparta, it appears, had fewer changes to government over time as compared to Athens. The first known democracy in the world was in Athens. Ancient Greece is often credited with being the birthplace of democracy. This is because of Athenian cultural achievements, government and social climate. This society came to be known as one of the largest nations in Eurasia. Logically enough, the English word itself is derived from older Middle French or Middle Latin equivalents. Because of this, Athens cannot be considered democratic. Athens owes the first penal and civil law code to Draco. Their government was Demokratia, and this excluded the women, the children, the metics, and the slaves. Ancient Greece is also known for many things like the birthplace of the first Olympics, beautiful architecture, and famous philosophers such as Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. Some of the strengths of Athenian democracy include making decisions based on the opinions of many rather than a few, giving responsibility to more citizens and making records available for public examination. The city-states of Athens and Sparta are the best representatives of democracy and oligarchy, respectively. How to Market Your Business with Webinars? To have a powerful and lasting empire with great prosperity you must have a series of strong leaders. While this advancement occurred. Government failure. This essay will focus on the reasons of why government is necessary in our society and why Direct Democracy is not fit for modern United States of America, although brought a splendid time for ancient Greece. What are the advantages and disadvantages of a government? This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. 1 What were the advantages and disadvantages of Greece? Spartas only ace was its military way of life and war tactics. It was possible to prolong the rule for the next term but in case of any abnormalities a quick change of government took place. What are the advantages of the ancient Greek system? During the Archaic Age, Sparta was solely focused on fighting wars and training their children for these wars. Spartan. Democracy, a form of government, allows the people in their own nationality to vote for people in order for them to become representatives as a result to vote on new laws that would affect their own nationality. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. This basically means that if you are not wetly than they won't treat us the same as wealthy people. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. The system and ideas employed by the ancient Greeks had profound influences on how democracy developed, and its impact on the formation of the U.S. government. 3 What were the advantages and disadvantages of the city-state model of government in Greece? What are the pros and cons of democracy in ancient Greece? + PRO: Though harder to find, more affordable options exist. What are the disadvantages of Constitution? The word democracy has its origins in the Greek language. A belief in shared power: based on a suspicion of concentrated power (whether by individuals, groups or governments). Advantages: small, easy to control, centralized. On the other hand, Sparta had an oligarchy. While both Athenian and Roman form of democracy was a major step away from autocratic rule, but they both had their drawbacks. Sea travel connected Greece to other societies. The Spartan men get more and children become great warriors because they at war and war training for 23 years. Why Ancient Athens is better than Sparta? Athenian citizens in that era were generally expected to have respectful qualities, like openness, a rational mind and belief in their authority, although they did have shortcomings. Oligarchy (advantage) If the leader is strong/effective, the civilization is in good shape. After investigating the given evidence, it can be determined Ancient Athens did not always vote on important matters and only a small majority of the population could vote. What are the limitations of a majority rule democracy? While Athens seems to only have a democracy. Women could own property. Disadvantages: Not a lot of flat land to farm, Diffcult to travel over land, Diffcult to unite under a single government, limited natural resources. The two biggest city-states have always had issues. During the late Archaic Greek and Classical periods, two particular city-states were in existence with significant similarities as well as differences. Secondly, Giovanni Sartori (1997), a Political Science Researcher states that democracy is an abbreviation that means Liberal Democracy. Prior to Athenian democracy, a few people would make decisions for the masses. According to the State of the World Atlas, 44% of the worlds population live in a stable democracy. The word democracy comes from two Greek words that mean people (demos) and rule (kratos). When looking at this definition and trying to decide whether the Athenian democratic system was truly democratic, one would have to go with the answer no. In many scientific or philosophical words derived from Greek, the letter kkk is used to spell the kkk sound, as in skeptical and kleptomania. While Athens is widely regarded as the first historical example of a democratic system, some scholars believe that the Roman Empires republic system was more democratic than that of the Greek. They also had five overseers who were elected to do regular every-day operations of Sparta. Establishing government is one of the most important inventions develop human beings. The Aetolians settled while the Dorians divided into two forces and continued on where one force took over Messenia and the other moved into Laconia and Sparta. Hard work and equality is what makes a nation outstanding. 5 What are the disadvantages of Constitution? Who were excluded from Greeces limited democracy? They all spoke the same language and they all believed in the same god. WebThe common man, woman and children were considered subjects, who had no say in how the land was governed or any of the policies that were implemented. WebThe term democracy, like many other political terms, was first discovered in Ancient Greece. Absolutism was characterized by the ending of feudal partitioning, consolidation of power with the monarch, rise of state, rise of professional standing armies, professional bureaucracies, the codification of state laws, and the rise of ideologies that justify the absolutist monarchy. Democracy is the rule of the whole of the people,excluding minors and maniacs only. WebOne of the main advantages of Athenian democracy was that the archon and his eight assistants were elected annually. Athens offered many activities for all men, women, and children. Democracy (disadvantage) Few people were considered citizens and had a voice in government. 3 What were the strengths and weaknesses of ancient Greece? All rights reserved. Great economy. But Athens is more about the people; they are also more secure. All city-states differed from each other in some ways but all shared some characteristics too. It is a center for economic, political, financial and culture life in Greece. The audio, illustrations, photos, and videos are credited beneath the media asset, except for promotional images, which generally link to another page that contains the media credit. 1996 - 2023 National Geographic Society.