Prologue The Rise of Democratic Ideals

Section 1- Legacy of Ancient

Greece and Rome

Terms to Know:

1. Government

2. Monarchy

3. Aristocracy

4. Oligarchy

5. Democracy

6. Direct Democracy

7. Republic

8. Senate

Athens Builds

a Limited Democracy

Building Democracy

• 2000 BCE Greeks establish cities known

as city states.

• Each city state had a unique government.

- Monarchy – Aristocracy

– oligarchy - Limited Democracy

• Athens was the largest and most powerful.

• Citizens participated in

governmental decision making.

• Citizens were adult male

residents.

• Citizens elected three nobles to

rule.

• After a year of service the

nobles became part of a larger

advisory group.

• Circa 600 BCE Athens

suffered severe

economic problems.

• Poor farmers sold

themselves into slavery

to cover their debts.

Reforms of Solon

• Outlawed slavery based

upon debt

• Developed four classes of

citizenship based upon

wealth and not heredity.

• Top three classes could

hold public office.

• All classes could vote.

• Council of 400

• Any citizens could bring about charges against

wrong doers.

• Government participation increased.

• 1/10th of the population were considered

citizens.

• Athenian Law denied citizenship to women,

slaves, and foreign residents.

• Slaves formed 1/3rd of the population.

The Areopagus, as viewed from the Acropolis, is a monolith where Athenian

aristocrats decided important matters of state during Solon's time.

This is one of the earliest known coins. It was minted in the early 6th century BC in Lydia, one of

the world's then 'superpowers'. Coins such as this might have made their way to Athens in

Solon's time but it is unlikely that Athens had its own coinage at this period

Cleisthenes Enacts

More Reforms

• Considered the

founder of

democracy in

Athens.

• Balanced power

between the rich

and the poor.

• Developed a way for all citizens to submit laws

for debate and passage.

• Developed the Council of 500

• Council proposed laws

to the Assembly.

• Council members were

chosen at random.

• 1/5th of Athenian

residents were

considered citizens.

Greek Democracy Changes

Pericles Strengthens Democracy

• Increased paid jurors and public official

numbers.

• Poorer citizens could now participate.

• Athens evolved into

a Direct Democracy.

• Citizens no longer

acted through

representatives.

• The Peloponnesian War in 431, which

pitted Athens against a coalition of land-

based states led by Sparta.

• Democracy ended in Greece after the war

between Athens and Sparta.

• The conflict marked the end of Athenian

command of the sea.

• The war between the two city-states

ended in a victory for Sparta.

• Macedonia invaded Greece and defeated

the weakened city states.

Greek Philosophers Use

Reason

• Sought to investigate

the universe.

• The first of these was

Socrates

• He asked his

students to assess

their most closely

held beliefs.

• He preferred a

question and

answer method of

teaching.

• The second was

Plato (a pupil of

Socrates)

• The Republic

• Philosopher

Kings rule

• Plato’s student Aristotle

examined the nature of the

world and of human belief,

thought, and knowledge.

Legacy of Greece

• Greeks used reason and intelligence to develop

Natural Laws.

• Developed Direct Democracy

• First to develop Legislative, Judicial, and

executives branches.

Rome Develops a Republic • While Greece was in

decline.

• From 1000 to 500 BCE

the Romans (The

Latins) battled with

Greeks and Etruscans

for control of the Italian

Peninsula.

• The Romans were the

victors.

From Kingdom to

Republic

• Beginning 600 BCE

a series of kings

ruled Rome.

• 509 BCE the

aristocrats

overthrew a harsh

king.

• They established

The Republic.

• In Rome (as in Greece) citizenship was only

given to free born males.

• In the early Republic two groups battled

for control.

• Patricians- aristocratic land owners

• Plebeians – common farmers, artisans,

and merchants.

Twelve Tables

• Plebeians forced a

written law code to be

created.

• 451- a group of ten

officials began writing

down Rome’s laws.

• They had the laws carved

on 12 tables (tablets) and

had them publicly

displayed.

Republican Government

• Two officials called consuls (1 year term) commanded the army and directed the government.

• The legislative Branch was made up of a Senate and two assemblies.

• Patricians made up the Senate. It controlled foreign and financial policies and advised the consuls.

• The two assemblies were composed of the other citizens.

• In times of crisis the Republic also provided for a dictator (6 month term)

• Rome expanded rapidly through conquest and trade.

• Rome constantly bounced between civil war and

authoritarian leaders.

• 27 BCE the Republic collapsed and came under the

rule of an emperor.

Written Legal Code

• 451 BCE (1,000 years

later)

• Emperor Justinian

ordered the

compilation of all

Roman Laws.

• These were broken

into four works.

Legacy of Rome

• Rome provided the

world with the idea of the

Republic.

• Refined the idea of

citizenship

• Written legal code