What was one advantage in the Greek world? Advantages: Made it hard for enemies to get to Greece, Greeks developed very small, close kit communities, hill top lookouts for invaders. This crossroad marked a change to the government. This caused some to view them with hostility which sparked the conflicts between Athens and Sparta that lead to the Peloponnesian War. Some of the major issues with government are the political lies and schemes it takes to get to the top and remain there. They took politics very seriously and made sure that everyone had a voiced opinion. The god in charge of Athens was Athena, goddess of wisdom. WebThe advantages of Greeks geography is that they had protection from invaders and some disadvantages were that they had a hard time farming and traveling. Therefore, they could easily make decisions. 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. WebOne of the main advantages of Athenian democracy was that the archon and his eight assistants were elected annually. Differences : Advantages And Disadvantages Of Athens And Sparta, Athens and Sparta are the two famous city-states in Ancient Greece. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. Additionally, the water access provides a stable fishing ground to provide food to people. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Athens was a small city compared to Rome that honored and protected citizenship. 1 What were the disadvantages of democracy in ancient Greece? The advantages of Greeks geography is that they had protection from invaders and some disadvantages were that they had a hard time farming and traveling. Democracy. Their government was Demokratia, and this excluded the women, the children, the metics, and the slaves. This article was useful to my essay as it provided detailed information on the gaps in Athenian democracy. You cannot download interactives. Press ESC to cancel. The Pros And Cons Of Ancient Athenian Democracy. Ancient Greece is often credited with being the birthplace of democracy. 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. Sparta advantage. Government failure. Athens was full of life and the people living there appreciated all of what others had to offer: arts, music, life, and new cultures. They could veto law proposals or rulings made by the council or assembly (PBS 1). Athens was more inviting and had many more fun things to do, which is why Athens is a better place to live. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. Athens is the capital and the largest city of Greece. One that originates from ancient Greece, at the cradle of civilisation.The word democracy comes from the Greek meaning the people and meaning power or rule. National Geographic Headquarters 1145 17th Street NW Washington, DC 20036. 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. Why is that so? Athens direct democracy had elected officials including ten generals, magistrates, and others (PBS 1). Some people think that ancient Athens was truly democratic, I think not. Each year 500 names were chosen from all the citizens of ancient Athens. The assembly met on the hill of the Pnyx to make these important decisions. One of the biggest weaknesses of Athenian democracy was highlighted by Plato; the masses are sometimes ignorant, and they are likely to be swayed by rhetoric. Athenian Values. It also represents the control of an organization or group by the majority of its members. Athens on the contrary, was a city that focused heavily on the arts and was a very relaxed and peaceful city to live in. The Athenians created a new kind of government where the people chose their leaders. Disadvantages: Limited rainfall. The government was also corrupted and dominated by the elite of the city-state. Give me balance, give me equality. Advantages: small, easy to control, centralized. They also had five overseers who were elected to do regular every-day operations of Sparta. Tenant farmer Person who pays rent, either in money or crops, to grow crops on another person's land Metic Foreigner in a Greek city-state, often a merchant or artisan Slavery Also, everyone is allowed to practice a religion of their choice. Democracy in Athenian government the way that the citizens pass a vote is getting done, in elected by the assembly annually for making decisions about military matters and by showing hands. One of the earliest known democracies was in Athens, a city-state in southern, ancient Greece. 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. Cons. 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. Democracy, a noun that means the society is governed by the people, a system of voting, and majority rules. Spartas only ace was its military way of life and war tactics. The ancient civilization of Greece contained many different city-states; two of these city-states were Sparta and Athens. The Athens lived by the Sea which was an advantage because they had an excellent trading system. Possibly could make faster decisions. Both Athens and Sparta hold historic value for Greece and the world. 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. if the majority of the citizens didn't like the ideas of a single citizen they were to be banished or killed. One that originates from ancient Greece, at the cradle of civilisation.The word democracy comes from the Greek meaning the people and meaning power or rule. 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. While Athens seems to only have a democracy. 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. Disadvantages: Not a lot of flat land to farm, Diffcult to travel over land, Diffcult to unite under a single government, limited natural resources. These reasons include Pericles rise to power, the different members of government and their powers, and the changes in the idea of a democracy. As records were made available for public examination, there was a means of holding public officials to account. 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. All rights reserved. The city-state of Athens, 5th century Athens to be precise, is the inventor and first practitioner of democracy. What is democracy? 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. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. 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). WebThus, the tyrants of the Archaic age of ancient Greece ( c. 900500 bce )Cypselus, Cleisthenes, Peisistratus, and Polycrates were popular, presiding as they did over an era of prosperity and expansion. 5. It may not be able to serve the needs of an emergency situation. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. The Athenians valued their political freedom and free thought. Weaknesses of the Athenian democracy include: The Athenian form of democracy was a contradiction in the sense that it did not allow participation of a large section of the public, namely, women and slaves. 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. Democracy Cons: Cons: Only citizens got to vote. Even girls were trained to become soldiers because for the Spartans there is no such thing as inequality; women can do the job of mem. Mountains covered about three-fourths of ancient Greece. 1 What were the advantages and disadvantages of Greece? What this means is that all the citizens voted on all the laws. Sparta, on the other hand, was recognized for its military strength. The city-states of Athens and Sparta are the best representatives of democracy and oligarchy, respectively. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The. They became skilled sailors. This completely contradicts the all-inclusive concept of direct democracy that the Athenian government preached so frequently. Sparta and Athens are very different from the way they are administered as well as their practices. Each city-state had its own form of government and its own army, and even sometimes its own navy. What were some geographic advantages the ancient Greeks had? Athens strengths included its large size, large trireme navy, wealth, and democratic government. WebI think Athens had a better government because they created a democracy. 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. WebAdvantages And Disadvantages Of Athens Democracy characterized in terms of unlimited political power anymore as it has transformed to a more citizen-friendly government. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. They did have officials to run the government, however. Greece is also quite mountainous. Overall, 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. Athens was also referred to as the birthplace of democracy, a government system still in use today! Democracy is the rule of the whole of the people,excluding minors and maniacs only. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. The city of Athens was named after their special goddess. Lastly, because so much of Greece is rocky, mountainous terrain, there isnt a lot of fertile soil. 1031 Words5 Pages. 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 Athens was more superior then Sparta. 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. It consists of two short words: demos which means either a citizen in a particular city-state or the lower orders, and kratos which means either rule or power - but these two are not of the same meaning. 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. If they did not fulfill their duty they would be fined and sometimes marked with red paint. some might say the Romans were better. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". If you have questions about licensing content on this page, please contact ngimagecollection@natgeo.com for more information and to obtain a license. This society came to be known as one of the largest nations in Eurasia. They are just more carful. Climate was varied but moderate, with temperature between 48 degrees Fahrenheit in winter and 80 degrees Fahrenheit in summer. They became skilled sailors. During 750-500 B.C.E, Ancient Greece is a place that is known for some city-states, called poleis. All the sciences, democracy, philosophy etc were originally found in Athens. They all spoke the same language and they all believed in the same god. During the Archaic Age, Sparta was solely focused on fighting wars and training their children for these wars. The first inhabitants of Attica (the wider area of Athens), of who we are aware, lived during the Neolithic Period (6,000-2,800 BC). Why was the Athenian form of democracy a contradiction? True democrats would elect all officials through voting by the people. It was possible to prolong the rule for the next term but in case of any abnormalities a quick change of government took place. Cons. The ancient civilization of Greece contained many different city-states; two of these city-states were Sparta and Athens. The current American democracy may have steamed from Athens, but they do not really have that much in common. What does checks and balances refer to quizlet? Athenians made it clear that the poor helped build the city 's power and not just the wealthy. Now, there are a lot of people was worried about the system, because there are too many problems of their government. In the 4th to 5th century B.C, Athens was going through a prosperous period and in this period its people made remarkable achievements. Undoubtedly it helped the citizens of Athens to broaden their minds, their cultural awareness and, what was probably most important, to develop. Disadvantage: Unpredictable sea, need boats to travel. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. In fact, it adhered to a military oligarchy most of its existence. What were the advantages and disadvantages of the city-state form of government? The idea of liberalism first began in the 1600s with John Locke as he believed that the people should be allowed to remove the government currently ruling when they have misused their power for ulterior motives. What are the advantages of the ancient Greek system? And they only let men vote which means that only 12% in ancient Athens can vote.In Athens no one had freedom of thought and expression either. 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. I do not believe that in the 4th to 5th century BCE ancient Athen were democratic for many reasons. Due to the geographical disadvantages of grease The civilization was divided into many city-states instead of having one main government. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. If you have questions about how to cite anything on our website in your project or classroom presentation, please contact your teacher. Athens was a superior city state over Sparta. In document A it also states that you get equal justice. And thats the way it should be. The people of Athens were interested in arts, music, and intellectual pursuits. When you look at the literal definition of democracy in the Merriam-Webster dictionary, there is a decently large explanation. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. On the other hand, Sparta had an oligarchy. Weaknesses include the voters ability to make poor decisions and be swayed by rhetoric and short office terms that made implementing policies difficult. When you look at the literal definition of democracy in the Merriam-Webster dictionary, there is a decently large explanation. Every city-state had their own coins, government, and laws. Athens had a geographic advantage because they were very superior. Oligarchy (advantage) If the leader is strong/effective, the civilization is in good shape. So there are some representatives want to use the direct democracy like some old country such as ancient Greek. WebThe Sea shaped the Greek civilizations as rivers did in the other ancient civilizations. Moreover, the article provided a perspective that highlighted the differences in Athenian democracy such as that Athens was a direct democracy and that only some of the population was eligible, it mainly created a feeling that Athens was advanced for its time however the system had discrepancies. In Document 2, an excerpt from The Spartan Constitution by Aristotle theres a quote that states they praise Lacedaemon because it is made up of oligarchy, monarchy, and democracy.. This quote tells exactly what type of government Sparta had. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. A Monarchy is a political system ruled by one individual Demo, meaning the people, and kratia meaning the power or rule. The ancient Greeks believed that each city-state had one or two gods keeping a special eye on that city-state. As I will come to. They are also carful with who can be a citizen rather then "stingy". So that is why I conclude that ancient Athens was indeed not truly. The plague also led to social unrest and lack of unity. The United States has a representative democracy. 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. Times change and with it human desires, but not many people challenge it or seem to think outside the box. The Constitution also represents the value and principles of democracy and republicanism that the United States of American stands by. In document A, I found that is truly democratic because your social class is not allowed the interfere with someone 's merit. 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. Originally Answered: why is Athens Greece considered the birthplace of democracy? 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. The two biggest city-states have always had issues. What were the limitations of the ancient Greeks? 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. 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. Sparta is far better than Athens on the grounds that their armed force was strong and defensive. Advantage: They had access to trade, transportation, fish, and water. 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. 8 What are the advantages and disadvantages of ancient Greece? The Spartan government is made up of kings and elders only. reading #2: "Greek Art." Each city-state had its own way of doing things. This caused some to view them with hostility which sparked the conflicts between Athens and Sparta that lead to the Peloponnesian War.