This limits the majoritys right to rule. 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. Both Athens and Sparta hold historic value for Greece and the world. The Athens lived by the Sea which was an advantage because they had an excellent trading system. Hard work and equality is what makes a nation outstanding. What are the limitations of a majority rule democracy? As we look back upon the two significant differences in the governmental systems of Sparta and Athens, there are also many other characteristics that distinguish the differences and similarities of these two city states. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Each city-state had its own way of doing things. 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. In Athens all men are on an equality which means Not of the few but of the many (doc 3 pericles). 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? WebHowever, Athens under the rule of Pericles should be considered a democracy for several reasons. Ancient Greece is often credited with being the birthplace of democracy. Democracy in Ancient Greece was very direct. In Athens, the ruler Draco tried to make many reforms in the city state. Athens was a superior city state over Sparta. Sparta and Athens were different in their values, politics, and societies. Athens is more superior than Sparta through, government, economy, and culture. It was possible to prolong the rule for the next term but in case of any abnormalities a quick change of government took place. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. Athenians were the most scholarly types while the Spartans were more of the military type. If they did not fulfill their duty they would be fined and sometimes marked with red paint. (Figure 2). Democracy is the rule of the whole of the people,excluding minors and maniacs only. There was some farmland for crops, but the Greeks could always count on seafood and waterfowl to eat. The Athenian democracy, while it did give more power to the people, still left a lot of citizens out. 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. The first reason is because Our constitution favors many instead of the few, this is also why it's called a democracy. Advantage: They had access to trade, transportation, fish, and water. Along with the Aetolians, they invaded the Peloponnesus from across the Corinthian Gulf (Halsall, 1999). 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. Cons. 7 What are the limitations of a majority rule democracy? What are the advantages and disadvantages of ancient Greece? WebThe ancient civilization of greece was different from many of the civilizations in its time. 6 What are the pros and cons of democracy in ancient Greece? Due to the geographical disadvantages of grease The civilization was divided into many city-states instead of having one main government. This excluded a majority of the population: slaves, freed slaves, children, women and metics (foreign residents in Athens). Athens was the warm welcoming city-state in Ancient Greece, most unlike the horrific neighboring city-state, Sparta. Sparta, it appears, had fewer changes to government over time as compared to Athens. Athenian democracy also had one-year term limits. Monarchy (advantage) Middle class realized that they could make changes (leads to democracy) Tyranny (advantage) Athens Sparta lacked in education, they were too harsh on the children in military training, and the Spartans didnt allow traveling. It may not be able to serve the needs of an emergency situation. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. In the 4th to 5th century B.C, Athens was going through a prosperous period and in this period its people made remarkable achievements. An outstanding statesman and poet called Solon acted in, The name comes from demos-people and kratos-power, so literally power of the people. The Greek idea of democracy was different from present-day democracy because, in Athens, all adult citizens were required to take an active part in the government. They were only given a cloak - no shoes or other clothes, and not enough food so they had to steal (to learn survival skills). The people of Athens were interested in arts, music, and intellectual pursuits. From the system of creating new laws to the checks and balances that define the American government. The Greek divine beings were On the other hand, Sparta had an oligarchy. When women were forced to produce offspring, many of the weak babies were left to die. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. The city-state of Athens, 5th century Athens to be precise, is the inventor and first practitioner of democracy. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". They could veto law proposals or rulings made by the council or assembly (PBS 1). The first known democracy in the world was in Athens. Many people were disenfranchised. This means that the Constitution regards to the American citizen as something that is held to deserve meaning the importance, worth, or usefulness of something. WebAdvantages And Disadvantages Of Athens Democracy characterized in terms of unlimited political power anymore as it has transformed to a more citizen-friendly government. 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. Athens was a small city compared to Rome that honored and protected citizenship. It does not store any personal data. In 508 BCE, the Athenian aristocrat Cleisthenes instituted the first Athenian political democracy. As the Greek playwright, Euripides wrote in his play that, Nothing is worse for a city than a tyrant. (Section 2.2The Rise of Democracy and the Threat of Persia) Cleisthenes knew that, so he gave every. They are just more carful. WebThe Sea shaped the Greek civilizations as rivers did in the other ancient civilizations. Sea travel connected Greece to other societies. In blues, certain "flattened" notes create the (allusion, illusion) of a human voice. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. Unless someone was part of the 1 percent, Athens gave members of society more rights than Sparta. Being the birthplace of democracy gives Ancient Greece a very important reputation. 1 What were the disadvantages of democracy in ancient Greece? Democracy is now prescribed as inseparable from good governance and an antidote to corruption. Advantages: protects individual rights, input is taken from many different sources to make a governmental decision, people are the government. And also huge people complain about the racism and the guns. Representative democracy is a government in which citizens vote for representatives who create and change laws that govern the people rather than getting to vote directly on the laws themselves. 8 What are the advantages and disadvantages of ancient Greece? 9 What was the disadvantage of tyranny in ancient Greece? WebThe term democracy, like many other political terms, was first discovered in Ancient Greece. 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. It is tough terrain for attackers, and its also tough terrain for the Greeks. 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. 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. Draco organized laws by putting them in a written code, letting everyone know what the laws were and, The name comes from demos-people and kratos-power, so literally power of the people. They all spoke the same language and they all believed in the same god. How does Coyote kill the giant? Establishing government is one of the most important inventions develop human beings. WebThe word democracy or demoskratos in Greek, is a form of government where the (ruling) power is in the hands of the people. Athens was a democratic state that was peaceful and where women were open to culture and democracy. Spartas only ace was its military way of life and war tactics. State of the art architecture. To have a powerful and lasting empire with great prosperity you must have a series of strong leaders. If you have questions about how to cite anything on our website in your project or classroom presentation, please contact your teacher. Two of the biggest city-states were Athens and Sparta. These two city states shared some common characteristics whilst in some instances they were very different from each other. The city of Athens was named after their special goddess. Sparta was focused on their military, discipline, and to have a strong state. Its population was over five times as great as the other small city-states. Other contrasting issues included womens rights, social classes, and value of human life. Unfortunately, the assembly was open to all citizens except women. Unlike the Romans, Athenians had a strict but fair schedule that allowed them to enjoy citizenship equally. According to the Athens and Sparta Document Set, a democracy means rule by the people. 1996 - 2023 National Geographic Society. The countrys valleys, mountainous terrain, and offshore islands encouraged the development of many city-states. Sparta and Athens were different in their values, politics, and societies. The Pros And Cons Of Ancient Athenian Democracy. Having good harbors and water access is good for trade, and trade brings economic stability. Disadvantage: Unpredictable sea, need boats to travel. It also means its citizens come first in order of importance. Only the men truly had a say, and ran ancient Athens. Their members were elected by the people. Unlike the Romans, Athenians had a strict but fair schedule that allowed them to enjoy citizenship equally. This is the great story of Ancient Greece and how individualism changed the view Greece had on certain issues. WebDemocracy (advantage) Allowed more points of view to make decisions because a small group was in chargenot a single person. 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. CON: Much of the citys accommodation is pricey. 5. Disadvantages: Not a lot of flat land to farm, Diffcult to travel over land, Diffcult to unite under a single government, limited natural resources. Tyranny Cons: Cons: Some tyrants were corrupt. Sparta was focused on their military, discipline, and to have a strong state. Sparta lacked land area and was forced to seek other land in the fertile plain of Messenia. Cinesiolgists study sceletons. 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. Athens was renowned as a center of wisdom and learning. Democracy is the modern day standard for governmental systems. It also represents the control of an organization or group by the majority of its members. 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. The five most powerful Greek city-states were; Athens, Sparta, Corinth. One of the main advantages of Athenian democracy was that the archon and his eight assistants were elected annually. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". 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. Pros. The period of prosperity in Athens was so short lived because they only had one strong leader, Pericles. Democracy (disadvantage) Only the elite or upper class had a role in government, lower class not represented. Tyranny (disadvantage) Not a guarantee that the people chosen by lottery would make effective government decisions. What was the disadvantage of tyranny in ancient Greece? 2 What were the limitations of the ancient Greeks? What are the advantages and disadvantages of a government? When you look at the literal definition of democracy in the Merriam-Webster dictionary, there is a decently large explanation. By 508 BCE, Cleisthenes came to power in Athens and creates a democratic constitution of all people. 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, Athens is superior towards Sparta throughout ancient Greek history. Democracy, a noun that means the society is governed by the people, a system of voting, and majority rules. Two of the most well known and powerful city-states were Sparta and Athens. + PRO: Though harder to find, more affordable options exist. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. Its also said that Sparta is the foundation for the governments we now have in the world. It seems fair and gives equality to all regardless of social class. WebGreece's victory ensured the independence and security of the Greek city-states, so that Greece continued to dominate the eastern Mediterranean for centuries, which is known as Gold Age. 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. 4 What are the pros and cons of democracy in ancient Greece? A belief in shared power: based on a suspicion of concentrated power (whether by individuals, groups or governments). This horrible plague killed the Athenian leader Pericles along with many other Athenians, which took a huge toll on their morale. The Spartans changed their society to remove all social distinction and became the greatest soldiers in Greece. 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. This crossroad marked a change to the government. Established on September 17, 1787, the U.S. Constitution established Americas national government and fundamental laws, and guaranteed rights for its citizens. These two city-states, Sparta and Athens have unique formations of government, histories, goals, as well as societies. 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). Not many dare to explore the flaws or disadvantages. Altogether there were over 1500 city-states, but some of these barley qualify because they are so small. They had two kings who controlled the army and religions of Sparta. During the times of Ancient Greece, two major forms of government existed, democracy and oligarchy. Athens direct democracy had elected officials including ten generals, magistrates, and others (PBS 1). 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. 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. Sparta is far better than Athens on the grounds that their armed force was strong and defensive. 7 What was the disadvantage of democracy in ancient Greece? All the sciences, democracy, philosophy etc were originally found in Athens. Lycurgus accomplished the consolidation. Some of the major issues with government are the political lies and schemes it takes to get to the top and remain there. All city-states differed from each other in some ways but all shared some characteristics too. Athens is the symbol of freedom, art, and democracy in the conscience of the civilized world. Democracy (disadvantage) Few people were considered citizens and had a voice in government. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. Socrates did not care for the idea in general, and Aristotle thought it could, within a state, yield new forms of abuse of power. Possibly could make faster decisions. It showed him that his taxicab driver lacked knowledge of past history and basically judged a book by its cover. Democracy. Climate was varied but moderate, with temperature between 48 degrees Fahrenheit in winter and 80 degrees Fahrenheit in summer. So that is why I conclude that ancient Athens was indeed not truly. Athenian democracy also was cumbersome and operated slowly. Disadvantages: takes more time to make decisions, more costly. Originally Answered: why is Athens Greece considered the birthplace of democracy? Mainland Greeks moved to Ionia. Compare the advantages and disadvantages for settlers of Greece's physical geography. Advantages: They could raise goats and sheep, could grow olives and grapes for oil and wine, which could favorable trade. Disadvantages: Good farming soil was limited, mountains isolated people.