Athenian Government
Government:
- The Athenians had a direct democracy
- A direct democracy is where the people vote on what should happen
- Ex: should we fight? The people would put their vote in and the outcome decided what happened
- Unlike todays democracy there was no them versus us
- Power to the people
People allowed to vote:
- 18 to vote
- Be a male citizen
- Only the 6000 or so citizens to show up at the assembly deliberate and vote because that was all that could fit in the meeting
Peoples reaction to the government:
- As far as elections in the government go there weren’t too many complaints
- There were some who thought that perhaps being a citizen should be all not just
- These people were overruled by the rich and the member of the government
Critics:
- Socrates and Aristotle
- Aristotle didn’t like democracy
- Socrates hated the thought of a democracy
- Often tried to find errors in conventional views
Branches of Government:
- Assembly
- Regular meeting of males
- Voted on decrees that affected every aspect of Athenian life
- Council
- Full time government
- Mainly to prepare for agenda for the assembly
- Legislation
- Laws were discussed and any citizen could request a change of that law
- Areopagus
- Was there long before the democracy and changed many times
- It was a court
- Peoples court
- Juries of people would listen to cases and vote on the guilt or innocents of their fellow citizens and their punishments
Key Players:
- Perciles
- Became the leader of the Athenian democracy
- Offered many benefits to the common people
- Weakened the aristocracy
- Rose to political prominence in the 450s
- Believed Sparta was a major threat
- Outstanding orator
- Supported by common people
- Put down rebellions and sent armies to colonize other area of asia minor
- Introduced pay for jurors and magistrates
- Cleisthenes
- Came before perciles and themistocles
- Made the basis of citizenship geographical
- Established council of 500
- His reforms gave every citizen a chance to serve in govern.
- Themistocles
- Came before perciles
- Built up the naval fleet
- Defeated Persians
- It is believed by many historians that he would not have been able to build up the fleet without Cleisthenes reforms
Elections in the government:
- Members of the government were chosen by the high council
- In order to be on the council, you had to be a citizen
- The people would not have much of a say in the choice of who was added to the govern., but most of the decisions by the council were sound
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