The period of prosperity in Athens was so short lived because they only had one strong leader, Pericles. The constitution favor many people instead of few people. Advantages And Disadvantages Of Athens Underline the word or expression in parentheses that best completes each sentence. Athens is the symbol of freedom, art, and democracy in the conscience of the civilized world. City-state is an independent or nearly independent state in which political and cultural activities are concentrated in a single urban center (Legon). What are the pros and cons of democracy in ancient Greece? What else does he accomplish at the same time? Unlike the Romans, Athenians had a strict but fair schedule that allowed them to enjoy citizenship equally. 1996 - 2023 National Geographic Society. 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. Members of Spartan offices were also restricted to people who had very high social standing. By 508 BCE, Cleisthenes came to power in Athens and creates a democratic constitution of all people. A Monarchy is a political system ruled by one individual 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. Athens was truly democratic because everyone had the equal justice, people were voted into office, and ones social class did not determine what a person could become. Greece; The Pros and Cons of Democracy Originally Answered: why is Athens Greece considered the birthplace of democracy? Democracy (disadvantage) Only the elite or upper class had a role in government, lower class not represented. The women had limited rights and privileges, had restricted movement in public, and were very segregated from the men. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. Athens was a much more superior polis compared to Sparta because the Athenians invented new ideas and creations that supported the people, such as democracy, the Athenians led the Delian League, and Sparta created the Peloponnesian League after the Athenians created their alliance, and the Athenians changed the ways of their government many times to suit the people, and the Spartans did not. Each city-state had its own way of doing things. Athenians made it clear that the poor helped build the city 's power and not just the wealthy. Advantages: small, easy to control, centralized. 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. Democracy (disadvantage) Only the elite or upper class had a role in government, lower class not represented. A tyrants son does not usually inherit his fathers power. Spartas government was said to have a mixture of the major types of government which is oligarchy, monarchy, and democracy. It showed him that his taxicab driver lacked knowledge of past history and basically judged a book by its cover. It was easy for the Athenians to see who the people are due to the population number at the time. In fact, it adhered to a military oligarchy most of its existence. Democracy 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. 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. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. Enter a Melbet promo code and get a generous bonus, An Insight into Coupons and a Secret Bonus, Organic Hacks to Tweak Audio Recording for Videos Production, Bring Back Life to Your Graphic Images- Used Best Graphic Design Software, New Google Update and Future of Interstitial Ads. 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. This new city and surrounding area were not dominant or influential. They are just more carful. Having good harbors and water access is good for trade, and trade brings economic stability. How to Market Your Business with Webinars? Disadvantage: Unpredictable sea, need boats to travel. 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. Athens was full of life and the people living there appreciated all of what others had to offer: arts, music, life, and new cultures. Disadvantages: Limited rainfall. In 594 BCE, Salon, the new leader of Athens, he created a constitution that ended the political control of the wealthy. Democracy in ancient Greece served as one of the first forms of self-rule government in the ancient world. 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. One reason why Athens had a greater respect for human rights is that they had a direct democracy, while Sparta had an oligarchy. Tyranny (disadvantage) Not a guarantee that the people chosen by lottery would make effective government decisions. In ancient Athens only the men were able to vote. The key aspects of what makes Australia a democracy being the electoral role, Australian Electoral Commission (AEC), referendumsm, the rule of law, Democracy is beautiful in theory; in practice it is a fallacy, said Benito Mussolini. While it has been stated that Athens is the cradle of democracy, and that it was better than any of the other governments in the world, it was still a work in progress. cons of Athenian style Democracy Unfortunately, the assembly was open to all citizens except women. WebI think Athens had a better government because they created a democracy. Two of the most well known and powerful city-states were Sparta and Athens. Athens also had much more trading power, and controlled more land than Sparta. Therefore, they could easily make decisions. When a new law was proposed, all the citizens of Athens had the opportunity to vote on it. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. Due to the geographical disadvantages of grease The civilization was divided into many city-states instead of having one main government. What are the advantages of the ancient Greek system? What were some geographic advantages the ancient Greeks had? Self- Government/Democracy: "Rule by the people." 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. Along with the Aetolians, they invaded the Peloponnesus from across the Corinthian Gulf (Halsall, 1999). 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. What were the disadvantages of democracy in ancient Greece? What was the disadvantage of tyranny in ancient Greece? Tyranny Cons: Cons: Some tyrants were corrupt. Advantages And Cons Of Classical Athens Under The Rule 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. Sparta and Athens were different in their values, politics, and societies. This is one reason Ancient Athens was not a democracy. Unless someone was part of the 1 percent, Athens gave members of society more rights than Sparta. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Although, if we look at the Athens, we see that they had no issues with plentiful land, as they possessed large and populous territory. 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. First, all true democracies limit majority rule in order to protect the rights of minorities. CON: Much of the citys accommodation is pricey. Athens was a democratic state that was peaceful and where women were open to culture and democracy. Mountains covered about three-fourths of ancient Greece. Established on September 17, 1787, the U.S. Constitution established Americas national government and fundamental laws, and guaranteed rights for its citizens. Each polis differ particular on economically, politically, and military, When in doubt, however, the city-states did not get along. When you reach out to him or her, you will need the page title, URL, and the date you accessed the resource. The period of prosperity in Athens was so short lived because they only had one strong leader, Pericles. This article was useful to my essay as it provided detailed information on the gaps in Athenian democracy. As records were made available for public examination, there was a means of holding public officials to account. In document A, I found that is truly democratic because your social class is not allowed the interfere with someone 's merit. The countrys valleys, mountainous terrain, and offshore islands encouraged the development of many city-states. Athens was a small city compared to Rome that honored and protected citizenship. A source that shares this view is the Ted-Ed video this also similarly to historian Paul Cartledge states that Athens was a direct democracy and also that not all of the population had the right to.      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.