What this means is that all the citizens voted on all the laws. This will only lead to a shift to the left of aggregate demand and is it impossible for the people to pay taxes when the living standards is low. WebThe word democracy or demoskratos in Greek, is a form of government where the (ruling) power is in the hands of the people. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. 7 What are some pros and cons of Spartan society? One of the many states of Greece, ancient Athens, was indeed not truly democratic as a result of not even using the essentials of democracy that is used today, Thus, by our standards, it was oligarchy, not democracy.(Document D), therefore ancient Athens was not using democracy as their form of government, they were using oligarchy,another form of government in which a small group of people has power and control, as their form of government instead of democracy. Advantages: Made it hard for enemies to get to Greece, Greeks developed very small, close kit communities, hill top lookouts for invaders. Both Athens and Sparta had a similar government system. It also means its citizens come first in order of importance. Although the competing city-states of Sparta and Athens were individually different as well as governmentally diverse, they both managed to become dominating powers in Ancient Greece. According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, democracy can simply be defined as the government of the people, but lately it seems as if that definition has become invalid. 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. Any interactives on this page can only be played while you are visiting our website. Alexis de Tocqueville penned Democracy in America after he spent month America in the 1831, where he witnessed a new democratic system. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. 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. While Athens was a democracy, Sparta was an oligarchy, which means ruled by few powerful and wealthy people. It is tough terrain for attackers, and its also tough terrain for the Greeks. Sparta is far better than Athens on the grounds that their armed force was strong and defensive. Even girls were trained to become soldiers because for the Spartans there is no such thing as inequality; women can do the job of mem. Logically enough, the English word itself is derived from older Middle French or Middle Latin equivalents. The ancient Greeks were the first to create a democracy. How did geographic barriers affect Shang and Zhou relations with outside peoples? Tenant farmer. 7 What was the disadvantage of democracy in ancient Greece? The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. The rule of the people is the definition of Democracy. Sparta was cruel, disgusting, and uninviting each day would be a struggle to survive. Sea travel connected Greece to other societies. Most would find it easier to find more similarities among these two groups of mighty people. Adversely, it is not a social norm to ask yourself why this system is in place, or if it is truly what man hungers for? During 750-500 B.C.E, Ancient Greece is a place that is known for some city-states, called poleis. Due to the geographical disadvantages of grease The civilization was divided into many city-states instead of having one main government. Athens was more inviting and had many more fun things to do, which is why Athens is a better place to live. (Document B): The second reason is that if the court decides that someone has no right to be enrolled as a citizen he becomes. Athens on the contrary, was a city that focused heavily on the arts and was a very relaxed and peaceful city to live in. Athenians made it clear that the poor helped build the city 's power and not just the wealthy. Sparta is far better than Athens on the grounds that their armed force was strong and defensive. The rigidity of the Constitution makes it difficult to amend easily. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Together it means rule by the people. Why is that so? Many people were disenfranchised. Children were tortured to become strongerand all men would be fighting and stealing things just to survive. What was the government like in ancient Greece? Athens organized a group of Greek city states into the Delian League and eventually lead and dominated all of the city states in the League. The people of Athens were interested in arts, music, and intellectual pursuits. Two of the biggest city-states were Athens and Sparta. Ancient Greece was comprised of small city-states, of which Sparta and Athens were two. Such abundance of water makes Ancient Greece good in fishing and trade. Other contrasting issues included womens rights, social classes, and value of human life. Only the men truly had a say, and ran ancient Athens. If they did not fulfill their duty they would be fined and sometimes marked with red paint. Democracy in Athenian government the way that the citizens pass a vote is getting done, in elected by the assembly annually for making decisions about military matters and by showing hands. When women were forced to produce offspring, many of the weak babies were left to die. It does not store any personal data. The Athenian democracy, while it did give more power to the people, still left a lot of citizens out. When you look at the literal definition of democracy in the Merriam-Webster dictionary, there is a decently large explanation. Some farmers in archaic and classic Greece werent choosing which crops to plant based on local nutritional needs. No i don't think Athens was truly democratic because, all the rules of ancient Athens are very unfair with all their rules and rights for all citizens. Now a new paper deems it also the proud parent of the worlds first market economy. Possibly could make faster decisions. One of the main advantages of Athenian democracy was that the archon and his eight assistants were elected annually. Web3.It made abuse of power complicated, as you could always bring a charge against an official in the peoples assembly. 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. There was a constant importance of acknowledging all citizens hard work and participation. Oligarchy (disadvantage) Over time, middle/lower classes realized they still had little to no say in government Tyranny (disadvantage), Start studying advantages and disadvantages of government in ancient greece. What was the disadvantage of democracy in ancient Greece? Sea travel connected Greece to other societies. 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. Spartas only ace was its military way of life and war tactics. There was some farmland for crops, but the Greeks could always count on seafood and waterfowl to eat. Lastly, because so much of Greece is rocky, mountainous terrain, there isnt a lot of fertile soil. Moreover, the article provided a perspective that highlighted the differences in Athenian democracy such as that Athens was a direct democracy and that only some of the population was eligible, it mainly created a feeling that Athens was advanced for its time however the system had discrepancies. Great economy. The Athenian democracy was not equitable, and it did not consider slaves and foreigners. This group of people only included white male citizens, meaning that slaves, foreign born residents, women and some men who hadnt obtained citizenship couldnt vote (Doc D). One reason why Athens had a greater respect for human rights is that they had a direct democracy, while Sparta had an oligarchy. This excluded a majority of the population: slaves, freed slaves, children, women and metics (foreign residents in Athens). Because of this, Athens cannot be considered democratic. Democracy Cons: Cons: Only citizens got to vote. Each polis differ particular on economically, politically, and military, When in doubt, however, the city-states did not get along. 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. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". There was a constant importance of acknowledging all citizens hard work and participation. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Democracy is a system of government by the whole population or all the eligible members of a state. The period of prosperity in Athens was so short lived because they only had one strong leader, Pericles. By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. Democracy (disadvantage) Only the elite or upper class had a role in government, lower class not represented. 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. They used to stay in caves located near the sea and their main occupations were hunting, fishing, farming and later on they started sailing and making pots. One of the main advantages of Athenian, Before the Age of Absolutism, institutions, such as the Church, legislatures, or social elites, restrained monarchical power. 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. The first reason is because Our constitution favors many instead of the few, this is also why it's called a democracy. In Athen, Schools taught reading, writing, and mathematics, music, poetry, sport, and gymnastics. Specifically in America, one is taught that they live in a democratic society. (Figure 2). 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 countrys valleys, mountainous terrain, and offshore islands encouraged the development of many city-states. Hard work and equality is what makes a nation outstanding. They are just more carful. What are the advantages and disadvantages of a government? 9 What was the disadvantage of tyranny in ancient Greece? As I will come to. Sparta was focused on their military, discipline, and to have a strong state. Athenians were the most scholarly types while the Spartans were more of the military type. I do not believe that in the 4th to 5th century BCE ancient Athen were democratic for many reasons. Hence, Absolutism was made possible by new innovations and characterized as a phenomenon of Early Modern Europe, rather than that of the middle Ages, where the clergy and nobility counterbalanced as a result of mutual. Sparta, it appears, had fewer changes to government over time as compared to Athens. Democracy is an aspect that can be included in many different governments including, republics, monarchies, and theocracies. Spartas government was said to have a mixture of the major types of government which is oligarchy, monarchy, and democracy. Draco organized laws by putting them in a written code, letting everyone know what the laws were and, In historical Europe, many of the countries were ruled by tyrants who dictated the citizens daily lives. Advantages: Made it hard for enemies to get to Greece, Greeks developed very small, close kit communities, hill top lookouts for invaders. 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. 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. 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. Athenian democracy also was cumbersome and operated slowly. Disadvantage: Unpredictable sea, need boats to travel. 1996 - 2023 National Geographic Society. It is a powerful word. The reason I say this is because, in economic terms, reduction in government spending and increasing tax collection at the same time is like hitting someone with two hammers together. Athens is said to be the of democracy. It had a place in the way the people of ancient times governed their lives. Cinesiolgists study sceletons. What are the advantages of the ancient Greek system? Today we think of democracy as majority rule. 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. Athens was renowned as a center of wisdom and learning. WebThe advantages of Greeks geography is that they had protection from invaders and some disadvantages were that they had a hard time farming and traveling. The ancient Greeks believed that each city-state had one or two gods keeping a special eye on that city-state. What were some geographic advantages the ancient Greeks had? It is a powerful word. 7 What are the limitations of a majority rule democracy? We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. Athens owes the first penal and civil law code to Draco. The Athens lived by the Sea which was an advantage because they had an excellent trading system. When you look at the literal definition of democracy in the Merriam-Webster dictionary, there is a decently large explanation. Athenss military prowess allowed them to look down on the other members of the League and treat them as members of an empire instead of equals. The period of prosperity in Athens was so short lived because they only had one strong leader, Pericles. Democracy in Athens the government officials are chosen by sweepstakes and worked for 1 year for proposing and enforcing decrees but didnt have much individual power. Differences : Advantages And Disadvantages Of Athens And Sparta, Athens and Sparta are the two famous city-states in Ancient Greece. Pros: Many Tyrants ruled well and helped poor families by cancelling the debts of poor farmers. 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. Limits of Greek Democracy Socrates (469-399 BCE) and Aristotle (384-322 BCE), two of the most influential of the ancient Greek philosophers, were suspicious of the idea of equality. Due to the fact that Sparta had a very military lifestyle, they were good at raising strong outspoken women in a society where women were kept at home. For example, if youre poor youre still able to serve the state or be part of the government. The reason why Takaki tells us the story of his interaction with the taxi cab driver is because the driver assumed since he was not white, that he was not American. Amongst those city states Athens and Sparta were two of the most powerful and considered in Greek history as the most influential states to western civilisation. Two of the most well known and powerful city-states were Sparta and Athens. Why was the Athenian form of democracy a contradiction? Sparta advantage. Because Athens (back then it was called Athenai), was where the concept of democratic society was first formed. What does checks and balances refer to quizlet? Democracy. What was the disadvantage of tyranny in ancient Greece? 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. After Pericles died Athens could not defeat Sparta in the Peloponnesian War and also couldnt hold the truce that was signed in 421 BC which allowed Sparta to gain overall victory in the, The Democracy of Athens meant that the people rule themselves. National Geographic Headquarters 1145 17th Street NW Washington, DC 20036. 2 What were the limitations of the ancient Greeks? The biggest difference between Athenian democracy and almost all other democracies is that the Athenians had a direct democracy rather than being representative. Its also said that Sparta is the foundation for the governments we now have in the world. Sparta lacked land area and was forced to seek other land in the fertile plain of Messenia. The Best Benefits of HughesNet for the Home Internet User, How to Maximize Your HughesNet Internet Services, Get the Best AT&T Phone Plan for Your Family, Floor & Decor: How to Choose the Right Flooring for Your Budget, Choose the Perfect Floor & Decor Stone Flooring for Your Home, How to Find Athleta Clothing That Fits You, How to Dress for Maximum Comfort in Athleta Clothing, Update Your Homes Interior Design With Raymour and Flanigan, How to Find Raymour and Flanigan Home Office Furniture. Weaknesses include the voters ability to make poor decisions and be swayed by rhetoric and short office terms that made implementing policies difficult. Disadvantages: Limited rainfall. Which is correct poinsettia or poinsettia? In the period known as classical Greece in the years 800-323 BCE, Greece comprised of small city states (poleis) which were considered and operated as independent small countries. This is why we give the ebook compilations in contribution to our knowledge of ancient Greece--its politics, philosophy, and literature, from Homer to Plato. Ancient Athens, had a much more stronger basis than ancient Sparta. WebCompare the advantages and disadvantages for settlers of Greece's physical geography. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. This meant that they may not have represented mass opinion, whereas getting all males over the age of 18 involved in politics increased the likelihood of policies representing what people wanted. WebThe term democracy, like many other political terms, was first discovered in Ancient Greece. Apart from many smaller changes, it was mainly based on the opportunity for all citizens over 20 to take part in governing the country. The Athenians valued their political freedom and free thought. Athens on the other hand had a democracy as stated in Document 3, an excerpt from Funeral Orations by Pericles a quotes from this excerpt states it is true that our government is a democracy, because its administration is in the hands, not of the few, but of many.. This quote clearly states that the type of government Athens has is a. The Athenians were stronger because they had a better geography, government, cultural achievements, and I would rather live in the Athens. Athens had a geographic advantage because they were very superior. The Athens lived by the Sea which was an advantage because they had an excellent trading system. What disadvantages did Athens have? The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". What is democracy? Members of Spartan offices were also restricted to people who had very high social standing. The Athenians were stronger because they had a better geography, government, cultural achievements, and I would rather live in the Athens. Geography had an enormous impact on the ancient Greek civilization. The Athenian democracy, while it did give more power to the people, still left a lot of citizens out. When a new law was proposed, all the citizens of Athens had the opportunity to vote on it. During the times of Ancient Greece, two major forms of government existed, democracy and oligarchy. Their members were elected by the people. WebHowever, Athens under the rule of Pericles should be considered a democracy for several reasons. Each city-state had its own way of doing things. In document A it also states that you get equal justice. And thats the way it should be. Athens had a geographic advantage because they were very superior. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Begin typing your search term above and press enter to search. It showed him that his taxicab driver lacked knowledge of past history and basically judged a book by its cover. Advantage: They had access to trade, transportation, fish, and water. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. However up until 500 BCE, the concept of Democracy was a foreign concept, and the great civilizations of that era were run by monarchs, aristocrats, and religious leaders of sorts. Unless someone was part of the 1 percent, Athens gave members of society more rights than Sparta. 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. Now, there are a lot of people was worried about the system, because there are too many problems of their government. Disadvantages: Not a lot of flat land to farm, Diffcult to travel over land, Diffcult to unite under a single government, limited natural resources. How to Market Your Business with Webinars? Disadvantages: controlled little territory, many rivals/more conflict. A body of land that has water on three sides, A narrow strip of land that connects two bodies of land, A peninsula; the southern portion of Greece, The Balkan peninsula, connected to other parts of Europe to the north, Elements of a Story and Plot : Base Literary, advantages and disadvantages of government in, Unit 2: Renaissance and Reformation Vocabulary, Of Mice and Men: Chapter 5 & 6 Review Project, Disadvantages and Advantages of Japan's Locat, Dahia Ibo Shabaka, Larry S. Krieger, Linda Black, Phillip C. Naylor, Roger B. Beck, PT600 - SysPath - Pathologies of Endocrine Sy. What are the pros and cons of Athenian society? The Greeks never unified, Sparta is a better place to have an exciting or joyful life because you would be isolated by mountains and oceans. So there are some representatives want to use the direct democracy like some old country such as ancient Greek. Each year 500 names were chosen from all the citizens of ancient Athens. One of the biggest weaknesses of Athenian democracy was highlighted by Plato; the masses are sometimes ignorant, and they are likely to be swayed by rhetoric. Now I will tell you that why direct democracy is not work in America. 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. Athens was a democratic state that was peaceful and where women were open to culture and democracy. Athens and Sparta were two of the most powerful and well known cities among all the Greek nations. In Athens, the ruler Draco tried to make many reforms in the city state. Athens offered many activities for all men, women, and children. The focus of the times was directed towards military capabilities, while the Athenians were more interested in comfort and culture. Such abundance of water makes Ancient Greece good in fishing and trade. During that year, they were responsible for making new laws and controlled all parts of the political process. The United States has a representative democracy. Athens was a democratic state that was peaceful and where women were open to culture and democracy. reading #2: "Greek Art." Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Athens government is a democracy which means all citizens get to take part. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Women were forced to go through training to become strong, to male healthy babies, it was tough. The word democracy is greek, the word demos means people and kratos means power. As I will come to. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. This group of people only included white male citizens, meaning that slaves, foreign born residents, women and some men who hadnt obtained citizenship couldnt vote (Doc D). 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. Disadvantages: Not a lot of flat land to farm, Diffcult to travel over land, Diffcult to unite under a single government, limited natural resources. Mountains covered about three-fourths of ancient Greece. Sarah Appleton, National Geographic Society. Use this knowledge to correct the spelling errors below. The concepts of limiting individualism, encouraging positive associations, and moderating the tyranny of the majority that Tocqueville observed during his trip in America helped maintain the new democratic republic built after the revolution. WebAs a result the Ancient Greece developed into isolated, small, independent communities. The Role Of Democracy In Ancient Greece. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Disadvantages: Not a lot of flat land to farm, Diffcult to travel over land, Diffcult to unite under a single government, limited natural resources. Why Ancient Athens is better than Sparta? 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 Two of the most well known and powerful city-states were Sparta and Athens. This basically means that if you are not wetly than they won't treat us the same as wealthy people. Lets look at two of them. They became skilled sailors. The idea of liberalism first began in the 1600s with John Locke as he believed that the people should be allowed to remove the government currently ruling when they have misused their power for ulterior motives.