Democracy In Ancient Athens Essay

Have you ever heard of Athens and the first democracy, well I have been studying it for a few months. After studying Athens widespread forms of government and it’s so called democracy, I have come to a conclusion that Athens wasn’t truly democratic for many textual reasons. Here's why

a. Oligarchy – rule by a few and a minority group holds power over a majority as in an aristocracy or a clerical establishment

Oligarchy - a form of government where the power rests in the hands of a few individuals

Absolute monarchy where a ruler man or woman has complete control over the government. Some may view monarchy as a way to keep everything under control, while most individuals view it as a way a ruler can torment his subjects to his bidding. Rulers viewed proper role of an absolute monarchy as a way to unite the people, on the other hand in their subjects perspective it was a cruel rule and the reason for their laborious life.

Athens and Sparta were two powerful city-states, different from each other where Athenian democracy focused on economic advancement, while Sparta oligarchy focused on military force. Democracy is a system of government where citizens have the right to vote, whereas oligarchy is a system of government where only a group of people is in control and only their opinion or decision that were taken into consideration. Leading to the thesis statement that people are better served by Athenian democracy than the Spartan oligarchy, supported in three evidence points. Firstly, Athenian democracy allowed citizens participation in government that gave them freedom to vote and take part in legislation. Secondly, the Athenian government provided Athenian men better education, by being taught how to read and write to reach their academic advancement. Lastly, the Athenian democracy’s contribution to Athens military advancement that protected its citizens.

mandate, to power. Typically it a tyrant was an aristocrat who took over, often with the support of the

Oligarchy comes from the Greek words “oligos” meaning “few” and “archo” meaning “rule”. Essentially “oligarchy” means “rule of the few in their own interests and not in the interest of the majority or the public good.” (Melville, 2011). Melville states that oligarchy was a “degeneration” of aristocracy as stated by Aristotle. Oligarchies were the most common form of government in the Ancient Greek city-states. In Sparta, the Gerousia (council of twenty-eight men over sixty-year of age together with the two kings) was an elite assembly dominated by the wealthier members of Spartan society. The Gerousia approved all laws that were submitted to the popular assembly for vote. The Ephors were a group of five men who were elected annually for a single term of office. The Ephors usually deferred to the guidance of the Gerousia (Brand, n.d.).

In Aristotle's Politics, he focuses much on the regimes of an oligarchy and of a democracy. Democracies exists when the free and poor, being a majority, have authority to rule, and have an equal share in the city. Oligarchies exists when the few wealthy and better born have authority and grant benefits in proportion to a person's wealth (1280a:10-30;1290a:5-10).

An example of such found in the past would be Sparta. In Sparta, the largest segment of the population was not permitted to vote and only a few had any political power ("Oligarchy"). The Soviet Union could have also been deemed an oligarchy because communist countries are characteristically considered such. Even after the fall of the Soviet Union, Russia can still be thought of as an oligarchy due to the events following the collapse of the communist regimen, a select few accumulated wealth, and along with wealth, political power ("Oligarchy"). Wealth, social standing, and military force are the driving factors that determine which people are in a power welding group. Usually it is a blend of these three factors. The citizens are controlled in oligarchies similarly to autocracies. This is done in order to keep as much power with as few as people as

It is when the power changes to another by force instead of inheritance. It wasn’t really uncommon in many places in Greece to have tyrants who were even praised and loved by their own people, because not tyrants were bad as we imagine them today. According to Mark Cartwright “Pesisistratos in Athens (from c. 560 BCE) - a typical benevolent tyrant who actually paved the way for democracy” were not a typical form of tyranny which we come to think of today. Come to think of it, it there is a ruler in a city who has made things worse for its subjugates and an able ruler throws him off and takes care of its city and population would be

In the fifth-century BC, Athens emerged as one of the most advanced state or polis in all of Greece. This formation of Athenian ‘democracy’ holds the main principle that citizens should enjoy political equality in order to be free to rule and be ruled in turn. The word ‘democracy’ originates from the Greek words demos (meaning people) and kratos (meaning power) therefore demokratia means “the power of the people.” The famous funeral speech of Pericles states that “Our constitution is called democracy because power is in the hands not of a minority but of the whole people.” However, only citizens (free adult men of Athenian descent) could participate in political matters. Women and slaves held no political rights, although they were

Though usually spoken about now in the same breath as invading armies and rampaging people, tyranny has root in many cultures as an instrument of change brought about by the people. In Ancient Greece, tyranny shaped the future of the nation, and the world by allowing the people, though not by voting, to put a person of popular choice in charge. If a leader was oppressive or cruel, the people would revolt and place one of their own on the throne, giving them more say. Most tyrants were benevolent rulers, though there were some rogues, quickly replaced.

Oligarchy is a form of government or regime that is based on the battle of properties between the poor and the rich. This regime is created when in a timocratic regime the individuals become greedier and greedier to acquire more wealth. The people within society chose those with great monetary power to rule (rich people). Socrates makes it clear that in a oligarchy “they allow no one whose property falls below the amount fixed to have any share in the government”; meaning that no one with great monetary income will be able to participate in the government. The gaps between each class are so huge that they are constantly causing problems. This form of government does not have warriors to fight in a war nor they would not fund it because they are greedy enough to feel it is a waste of money. Poverty is a humongous problem in this regime that only becomes bigger with time; poor people will eventually become robbers, thieves or beggars. Under this form of government a man will be in charge of many positions including: husband, tradesmen, and warrior. Socrates claims that oligarch leaders are form when a son of a timocratic man watches his father lose everything. This son does not care about honor, he becomes greedy and in desire of money to prevent what has happened to his father. A oligarch leader is selfish, wants to make profit about everything, does not care about education, will not spend money if is not absolutely necessary. Basically, money will control the people in this

Aristocratic Government – the rule by few elites. Its success is depended on the people that rule. It however degenerates into oligarchy which is when men of property take over government.

The third and final type of monarchy is an absolute monarchy. In an absolute monarchy, the monarchy has supreme and absolute authority to do what it wishes. An example of this occurs in the country of Saudi Arabia. In Saudi Arabia, the royal family can enforce any law it wishes- no matter how bad it could be for the country. Absolute monarchies are often very oppressive to its people. For example, Saudi Arabia has very strict laws that have been put in place by the royal family. The people living in the country have no voice in an absolute monarchy.