United States Government and Citizenship Chapter 1: Ancient to 1604 Section 2: Greek Democracy

By Dallin F. Hardy Ancient Greece

 Greek Kings

 2000-1200 B.C.  Monarchy

 Government

 Rule by one  Polis

 750 B.C.

 City-state  Acropolis

 Center of

 Athenian Government  Aristocracy of Ancient Greece  Aristocracy

 Rule by

 Elite few based on

 Hereditary

 Ancient Greek Tyrants

 700-500 B.C.  Tyranny

 Rule by

 Absolute ruler

 Rules for himself

Sparta

 800-600 B.C.  Lycurgus

 800-730 B.C.

 Lawgiver of Sparta

 Military State  Spartan Society  Totalitarian  Spartan Government

 Oligarchy  Oligarchy

 Government

 Rule by a few  Decline of Sparta

 Due to

 Lack of

 Individual freedom

 Athens

 Cradle of

 Western Civilization  Athenian Government

 7th century B.C.

 Dominated by

 Aristocratic Rule 

 Governing council of

 Athens  Solon

 Received

 Full power to enact reform

 “Laws of Solon”

 594 B.C.

 First written form of

 Self-government  Solon’s Reforms

 Established

 Checks and balances

 Cleisthenes

 510 B.C.  Established  Democracy  “Father of Athenian democracy”

 Democracy

 Direct rule of the people  Greek Democracy

 509-336 B.C.  Athenian Assembly

 Had

 6,000 Members

 495-429 B.C.

 Athenian Ruler  “Golden Age of Athens”

 461 B.C. to 429 B.C.

 Athenian Democracy 

 One citizen

 Banned from Athens for

 10 Years

 Socrates

 470-399 B.C.

 Believed

 Principles of

 Right

 Justice

 Law

 Based upon

 Wisdom

 Universal reason

 Death of Socrates

 399 B.C.  Plato

 428-348 B.C.

 Student of

 Socrates  The Republic

 380 B.C.  The Statesman

 Laws

 “Mankind must have laws, and conform to them or their life would be as bad as that of the most savage beast.”

 Plato  Aristotle

 384-322 B.C.

 Ancient Greek Scholar

 Government

 Three forms

 Rule by one

 Rule by a few

 Rule by the many  Politics

 “Where the laws are not supreme, there demagogues spring up…. This sort of democracy…grows into despotism; the flatterer is held in honor…; they exercise a despotic rule over the better citizens. The decrees of the demos [the people] correspond to the edicts of tyrants…. The demagogues make the decrees of the people override the laws….”

 Aristotle