One of the earliest known democracies was in Athens, a city-state in southern, ancient Greece. The United States has a representative democracy. It was possible to prolong the rule for the next term but in case of any abnormalities a quick change of government took place. The ancient civilization of greece was different from many of the civilizations in its time. These reasons include Pericles rise to power, the different members of government and their powers, and the changes in the idea of a democracy. Establishing government is one of the most important inventions develop human beings. Unfortunately, the government makes the people feel powerless to the point where theyre forced to elect a candidate whos not impotent. When a new law was proposed, all the citizens of Athens had the opportunity to vote on it. Sea travel connected Greece to other societies. Their division led to the widespread of language and culture. The democracy of Athens developed around 500 B.C.E because of the current uproar of oligarchies and dictatorship. Advantages And Disadvantages Of Greece - 709 Words | Bartleby Advantages Of Athenian Democracy - 1042 Words | Internet Public The answers given may be; a society where everyone votes, or by dictionary definition a system of government by the whole population or all the eligible members of the state; typically through elected representation. However when analyzing the etymology of the word democracy we come to find out that demos means the people and kratia means rule or power in greek. The biggest difference between Athenian democracy and almost all other democracies is that the Athenians had a direct democracy rather than being representative. Geography had an enormous impact on the ancient Greek civilization. This new city and surrounding area were not dominant or influential. Monarchy (advantage) Middle class realized that they could make changes (leads to democracy) Tyranny (advantage) The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". The two biggest city-states have always had issues. The Greek divine beings were A Spartan's life was centered on the state, because he lived and died to serve the state. Compare the advantages and disadvantages for settlers of Greece's physical geography. When you look at the literal definition of democracy in the Merriam-Webster dictionary, there is a decently large explanation. It showed him that his taxicab driver lacked knowledge of past history and basically judged a book by its cover. The most important city-states of Ancient Greece was Sparta and Athens. How do these two city-states differ? It was easy for the Athenians to see who the people are due to the population number at the time. They did have officials to run the government, however. Disadvantages: Limited rainfall. As a system to control a state or community, government serves for citizens and put them first. Advantages: Made it hard for enemies to get to Greece, Greeks developed very small, close kit communities, hill top lookouts for invaders. Who were excluded from Greeces limited democracy? The Aetolians settled while the Dorians divided into two forces and continued on where one force took over Messenia and the other moved into Laconia and Sparta. Disadvantages: Not a lot of flat land to farm, Diffcult to travel over land, Diffcult to unite under a single government, limited natural resources. If you have questions about how to cite anything on our website in your project or classroom presentation, please contact your teacher. The assembly passed laws and made policy decisions (PBS 1). 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. Disadvantages: controlled little territory, many rivals/more conflict. In the 4th to 5th century B.C, Athens was going through a prosperous period and in this period its people made remarkable achievements. 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 ancient civilization of Greece contained many different city-states; two of these city-states were Sparta and Athens. Pros And Cons of Ancient Athenian Democracy and Pros and Cons of American Democracy. By 508 BCE, Cleisthenes came to power in Athens and creates a democratic constitution of all people. What were the disadvantages of democracy in ancient Greece? Every city-state had their own coins, government, and laws. Weaknesses include the voters ability to make poor decisions and be swayed by rhetoric and short office terms that made implementing policies difficult. Press ESC to cancel. 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 Athenians valued their political freedom and free thought. In Athens, all men born to Athenian parents were citizens, in Sparta, only the wealthy were citizens. Metic. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Democracy is the idea that the citizens of a country should take an active role in the government of their country and manage it directly or through elected representatives. This completely contradicts the all-inclusive concept of direct democracy that the Athenian government preached so frequently. 1 What were the disadvantages of democracy in ancient Greece? Cinesiolgists study sceletons. It is tough terrain for attackers, and its also tough terrain for the Greeks. Demo, meaning the people, and kratia meaning the power or rule. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. Cons. 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. The difference in land as well as population perceives a relative historical comparison. Advantages: small, easy to control, centralized. When you reach out to him or her, you will need the page title, URL, and the date you accessed the resource. What are the pros and cons of Athenian society? Sage-Advices Pros: Many Tyrants ruled well and helped poor families by cancelling the debts of poor farmers. It had a place in the way the people of ancient times governed their lives. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. 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. Such abundance of water makes Ancient Greece good in fishing and trade. Undoubtedly it helped the citizens of Athens to broaden their minds, their cultural awareness and, what was probably most important, to develop. This crossroad marked a change to the government. Sparta and Athens are very different from the way they are administered as well as their practices. Sparta was focused on their military, discipline, and to have a strong state. Who were excluded from Greeces limited democracy? What are the pros and cons of Athenian society? Tyranny (disadvantage) Not a guarantee that the people chosen by lottery would make effective government decisions. Democracy (disadvantage) Few people were considered citizens and had a voice in government. These two city-states, Sparta and Athens have unique formations of government, histories, goals, as well as societies. Athens is more superior than Sparta through, government, economy, and culture. For a long time, historians have kept this question in mind while studying laws and methods of the Ancient Athenians. The audio, illustrations, photos, and videos are credited beneath the media asset, except for promotional images, which generally link to another page that contains the media credit. In Athens, the ruler Draco tried to make many reforms in the city state. 2 What were the limitations of the ancient Greeks? As records were made available for public examination, there was a means of holding public officials to account. In fact, it adhered to a military oligarchy most of its existence. The assembly met on the hill of the Pnyx to make these important decisions. Each city-state had its own government. Athens had a geographic advantage because they were very superior. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". It combines two shorter words: demos meaning whole citizen living within a particular city-state and kratos meaning power or rule. Apart from many smaller changes, it was mainly based on the opportunity for all citizens over 20 to take part in governing the country. According to Peter Joyce (2005), the democratic government was initiated in the Greek city state of Athens in the fifth century B.C., so as a consequence, the word democracy derived from two Greek words, demos (meaning people) and kratos (meaning power) , which means government by the people. This excluded a majority of the population: slaves, freed slaves, children, women and metics (foreign residents in Athens). These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. After investigating the given evidence, it can be determined Ancient Athens did not always vote on important matters and only a small majority of the population could vote. It was easy for the Athenians to see who the people are due to the population number at the time. What were the disadvantages of democracy in ancient Greece? Athens is the symbol of freedom, art, and democracy in the conscience of the civilized world. The Athenians created a new kind of government where the people chose their leaders. Logically enough, the English word itself is derived from older Middle French or Middle Latin equivalents. Being the birthplace of democracy gives Ancient Greece a very important reputation. They all spoke the same language and they all believed in the same god. One of the earliest known democracies was in Athens, a city-state in southern, ancient Greece. All the sciences, democracy, philosophy etc were originally found in Athens. Sparta, on the other hand, was recognized for its military strength. In Athens, the ruler Draco tried to make many reforms in the city state. Now I will tell you that why direct democracy is not work in America. You cannot download interactives. What were the limitations of the ancient Greeks? advantages and disadvantages WebOverall, ancient Athens was indeed not truly democratic as a result of the government having male citizens have authority, being an oligarchy government instead of a democratic government, and voting not accessible to women, free foreigners (Metics), and slaves except for male citizens. However, in Athens, girls did not receive an education like the boys in Athen did but, instead, were expected to become housewives. Two of the biggest city-states were Athens and Sparta. 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. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". Also, the so called Ostrakismos made it possible to ban corrupt politicians from athens. 1996 - 2023 National Geographic Society. Ancient Greece Being the birthplace of democracy gives Ancient Greece a very important reputation. How do these two city-states differ? 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. Sparta and Athens had differences and similarities in the way they governed their city states, in how they established their military forces, how they treated women, their marriage customs and social gatherings. 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. 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. It is a powerful word. What are the advantages of the ancient Greek system? Government failure. 8 What are the advantages and disadvantages of ancient Greece? 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. According to the State of the World Atlas, 44% of the worlds population live in a stable democracy. Athens was the warm welcoming city-state in Ancient Greece, most unlike the horrific neighboring city-state, Sparta. Sarah Appleton, National Geographic Society. 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. The word democracy is greek, the word demos means people and kratos means power. Give me balance, give me equality. Each polis differ particular on economically, politically, and military, When in doubt, however, the city-states did not get along. The Athenians were stronger because they had a better geography, government, cultural achievements, and I would rather live in the Athens. What are the pros and cons of democracy in ancient Greece? Their members were elected by the people. In many scientific or philosophical words derived from Greek, the letter kkk is used to spell the kkk sound, as in skeptical and kleptomania. By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. 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. (Document B): The second reason is that if the court decides that someone has no right to be enrolled as a citizen he becomes. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. What were the advantages and disadvantages of Greece? Strong land army, protection. The Athenians were stronger because they had a better geography, government, cultural achievements, and I would rather live in the Athens. It seems fair and gives equality to all regardless of social class. This caused some to view them with hostility which sparked the conflicts between Athens and Sparta that lead to the Peloponnesian War. The mountains also make communication from city to city slow. Lets look at two of them. This information provided significantly when comparing modern societies to ancient Greece and also in justify as to why democracy was significant to Greece. While Athens seems to only have a democracy. So there are some representatives want to use the direct democracy like some old country such as ancient Greek. These ideas are infused in various pieces of literature where the idea of democracy leaves a visible mark on society, dividing it into two scales, one being unable to, Never before have there been so many democracies in the world or so many competitive elections conducted at national, subnational and region levels. 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. The system and ideas employed by the ancient Greeks had profound influences on how democracy developed, and its impact on the formation of the U.S. government. Some people think that ancient Athens was truly democratic, I think not. There was a thriving city. 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. 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. The main disadvantage for the Athenians was that around 430 BCE, a plague struck Athens. Greece, and especially Athens, is the cradle of democracy in the western civilization. Ancient Greece is often credited with being the birthplace of democracy. Additionally, the water access provides a stable fishing ground to provide food to people. 6 What were the advantages and disadvantages of the city-state form of government? Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Athens was full of life and the people living there appreciated all of what others had to offer: arts, music, life, and new cultures. Not many dare to explore the flaws or disadvantages. Spartas only ace was its military way of life and war tactics. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. An outstanding statesman and poet called Solon acted in, The name comes from demos-people and kratos-power, so literally power of the people. Sea travel connected Greece to other societies. Rather than vote for representatives, like we do, each citizen was expected to vote for every law. Apart from many smaller changes, it was mainly based on the opportunity for all citizens over 20 to take part in governing the country. Disadvantages: Not a lot of flat land to farm, Diffcult to travel over land, Diffcult to unite under a single government, limited natural resources. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. Why is Greece the birthplace of democracy? Athens, on the other hand, was a democracy after periods of monarchies and aristocracies. 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 Athenian democracy, while it did give more power to the people, still left a lot of citizens out. Some farmers in archaic and classic Greece werent choosing which crops to plant based on local nutritional needs. Government failure is a term to describe how government intervention can cause its own problems. 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? What are the pros and cons of democracy in ancient Greece? Mountains covered about three-fourths of ancient Greece. 5 What are the disadvantages of Constitution? Democracy is an aspect that can be included in many different governments including, republics, monarchies, and theocracies. The Roman Republic was all the more a time. 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. Two of the biggest city-states were Athens and Sparta. In Athens all men are on an equality which means Not of the few but of the many (doc 3 pericles). The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". Advantages And Disadvantages Of Democracy | ipl.org The Athens lived by the Sea which was an advantage because they had an excellent trading system. However, they choose the candidates based on the (1)facades they create, which causes the people to become (2)distorted by their seemingly noble intentions. A tyrants son does not usually inherit his fathers power. Athens strengths included its large size, large trireme navy, wealth, and democratic government. Advantages: protects individual rights, input is taken from many different sources to make a governmental decision, people are the government. Advantages: Made it hard for enemies to get to Greece, Greeks developed very small, close kit communities, hill top lookouts for invaders. Web3.It made abuse of power complicated, as you could always bring a charge against an official in the peoples assembly. The first known democracy in the world was in Athens. The god in charge of Athens was Athena, goddess of wisdom. Unlike Sparta, who has an oligarchy, monarchy, and democracy. Sparta was focused on their military, discipline, and to have a strong state. As I will come to. Specifically in America, one is taught that they live in a democratic society. Sparta was cruel, disgusting, and uninviting each day would be a struggle to survive. These factors empowered Sparta and led to the development of an authoritative and potent state. WebAdvantages And Disadvantages Of Athens Democracy characterized in terms of unlimited political power anymore as it has transformed to a more citizen-friendly government. Democracy in Ancient Greece was very direct. Spartas government was said to have a mixture of the major types of government which is oligarchy, monarchy, and democracy. Pros and cons of moving to Athens 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. Athens was a democratic state that was peaceful and where women were open to culture and democracy. They were only given a cloak - no shoes or other clothes, and not enough food so they had to steal (to learn survival skills). From the system of creating new laws to the checks and balances that define the American government. 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). Advantages: meet outside often, healthy outdoor lifestyle, they had good temperature for farming and prospering, very moderate climate. WebI think Athens had a better government because they created a democracy. Democracy is a system of government by the whole population or all the eligible members of a state. National Geographic Headquarters 1145 17th Street NW Washington, DC 20036. Ancient Athens has two documents that discuss democracy. By the time one enters the third grade they become aware of concept of democracy. 7 What are some pros and cons of Spartan society? 7 What was the disadvantage of democracy in ancient Greece? It is a powerful word. Pre-Classical Greece saw a Dorian movement take place after the Trojan war. 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. The goal of a vote was not to decide which special interests could muster the most votes, it was about how to bring together the information and know-how of the citizens to solve public problems. For example, if youre poor youre still able to serve the state or be part of the government. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. Cons. With this came many different governments for each city-state causing each city-state to have a different View On their morals. The biggest difference between Athenian democracy and almost all other democracies is that the Athenians had a direct democracy rather than being representative. When women were forced to produce offspring, many of the weak babies were left to die. What were the strengths and weaknesses of ancient Greece? This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. It does not store any personal data. 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 else does he accomplish at the same time? This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. 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. As we know, this system is a norm to the Western world, in order to preserve personal freedom and make sure that the will of the people is upheld. Ancient Greece was divided into many different city-state who had their different cultures, the most critical being Athens and Sparta.They adored a broad range of god and goddesses,the most imperative of whom, the Olympians, small thought to live on Mount Olympus. So that is why I conclude that ancient Athens was indeed not truly.