DEMOCRACY IN ANCIENT ATHENS. Vth CENTURY B. C.

THE POLIS

• It’s formed by quite a small territory which includes a central city and the rural space in the city’s surroundings.

• It’s the principal institution of sociopolitical organisation in Ancient Greece.

• The most prominent examples: Sparta and Athens.

Sparta

Social organization in Sparta

• A privileged and militarized class: the homoioi.

• The apella, the gerousia, the ephors and the two kings.

• Farmers, craftsmen and merchants: the perioeci.

• The slaves: the helots.

Athens

EKKLESIA

BOULEPOPULAR COURTS

MAGISTRATES

GOVERNMENT ORGANS IN ATHENS

• ALL THE ATHENS’ CITIZENS• TO VOTE TAXES AND LAWS• TO DECLARE THE WAR

• 500 CITIZENS, ELEC-TED FOR ONE YEAR• TO REDACT THE LAWS

• 6000 CITIZENS •ELECTED AT RANDOM

• TO RULE ATHENS’ POLI-TICS AND ATHENS’ ARMY• ELECTED FOR ONE YEAR

PRINCIPAL CHARACTERISTICS OF ATHENS’ DEMOCRACY

• All the citizens have the same rights (isonomia)• All the citizens are allowed and encouraged to

speak in the Ekklesia (isogoria)• All the citizens have the same chances to hold a

political post (isocracia)• Take for granted that women, foreign people and

slaves are excluded of Athens’ citizenship.

The man: Pericles (490-429)

• He was the leader of Athens’ democratic group for more than thirty years.

• All over those years, he took a lot political posts. For fifteen years he was reelected for that of estratega, something like the leader of Athens’ army.

• During the time of his leadership it was decided to build the Parthenon.

LEGISLATIVE POWER

EXECUTIVE POWER

JUDICIALPOWER

GREEK DEMOCRACY

MODERN DEMOCRACY

COMPARISON WITH MODERN DEMOCRACY

ECLESIA PARLIAMENT

GOVERNMENTMAGISTRATES

JUDGESPOPULAR COURTS