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
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
Athens
Cradle of
Western Civilization Athenian Government
7th century B.C.
Dominated by
Aristocratic Rule Areopagus
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
Pericles
495-429 B.C.
Athenian Ruler “Golden Age of Athens”
461 B.C. to 429 B.C.
Athenian Democracy Ostracism
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