History 107 Lecture 12

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History 107Lecture 12

• The Origins of Greek Democracy

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History Government in Athens

• c. 600 B.C.E. -- Athens rises to power as
  important city/states,
• Governed by aristocrats with little interest in
  common man
• Hoplites emerge as warrior class that allows
  non-elites to have an impact on policy.
• 594 B.C.E. -- Solon creates broader power base w/
  hoplites to end feuds
• Solon establishes ekklesia (citizen assembly)

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Clisthenes Democratic Reforms

• 510 B.C. Cleisthenes overthrows bad ruler but is
  exiled from Athens
• 508 B.C. -- People rebel overthrow pro-Sparta
  government, then bring Clisthenes back to create
  broad based leadership
• New government is democratic because it operates
  through broad participation of the people
• All free men can debate issues and vote yes or no
  with white or black rocks
• 40,000 men eligible to vote but in practice about
  5,000

Athenian democracy is the ancestor of the English
Parliament and American Congress
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Democratic traditions in Ancient Athens

• New voting assembly seen as novel in ancient
  world the ancient precursor to English
  Parliament and American Congress
• Eventually the Athenian ekklesia elected a 500
  person council and then judges
• Athenian democracy still excluded ¾ of population
  (women, slaves, aliens)
• Cleisthenes also established ostracism, which
  could banish an unpopular leader for ten years

Athenian democracy fosters creativity and the
advances of classical Greece
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Film

• PBS Empires Series The Greeks
• Consider
• 1) Class struggle in Athens Elites vs. ordinary
  people
• 2) The relationship between Athens and her
  neighbors
• 3) Characteristics of Greek warrior elites (the
  heroic ideal Achilles the archetypal hero)
• 4) The relationship between democracy and the
  Greek warrior ethic
• Consider the film to be a multimedia lecture and
  take notes, etc.