The Origin & Development of Democracy in Ancient Greece

1. The Origin & Development of Democracy in Ancient Greece

2. Objectives • What is Democracy? • What are the main types of democracy? • What pushed Greeks towards democracy? • Who was Solon and what were his reforms? • Who was Cleisthenes and what were his reforms? • Who was Pericles and what were his reforms? • What did Aristotle say about tyranny and democracy?

3. Definition of Democracy • Democracy: • Word has Greek language origin • Demos: people • Kratos: rule • Rule by/of the people

4. Definition • Democracy derives from the ancient Greek, “demokratia”: • demos = the people • kratien = to rule

5. Definition • Meant to distinguish the idea that it is the people collectively, not any class, family, or group that rules

6. Definition • Other types of government derived from Greek base: • Aristocracy: Rule by the best • Monarchy: Rule by one person • Oligarchy: Rule by the wealthy • Timocracy: Rule by the honorable • Tyranny: Rule by the rulers, for the rulers

7. Questions of Democracy • Who are “The People?”

8. Questions of Democracy • How do “the people” rule?

9. Questions of Democracy • How do we know what the people want?

10. Plato • Greek philosopher Plato distinguished democracy from: • Aristocracy or Oligarchy: rule by a small elite or wealthy class • Monarchy: rule by one individual, i.e. king or emperor

11. Main Types of Democracy • Direct Democracy: • System of government where the power rests with the citizens • Citizens themselves are the power (without representatives) • Power is exercised through voting – each citizen represents one vote

12. Main Types of Democracy . Representative Democracy: • Citizens are elected as representatives • Those elected officials are to act in the interest of the citizens • Normally they serve only for allotted period of time

13. Origin and Causes of Democracy • Began in Athens, Greece • Approximately 508 B.C. • Due to geography, isolated “city-states” began to emerge • City-states were given the name “polis” • A polis (or city-state) is an area with its own political system • A polis was independent from other polis’ (poleis)

14. Evolution of Democracy • Initially, a polis was styled after monarchies (circa 700 B.C.) • Over time, this evolved into an aristocratic style of rule • Over time, there became an imbalance of power • Wealthy: more power; the rest of the citizenry: less power • This pushed Athens towards becoming a democracy

15. Draco • The privileged eupatrid(aristocratic) few in Athens had been making all the decisions for long enough. • By 621 B.C. the rest of the people of Athens were no longer willing to accept arbitrary, oral rules of the eupatrid thesmothetai 'those who lay down the law' and judges. • Draco was appointed to write down the laws. Athens may have been a late-comer to the written law code since it may already have been done elsewhere in the Hellenic world.

16. First Glimpse of legal System • First written code. posted on wooden tablets, later on 3 sided pyramids. Probably just a codification of existing practices/oral law. Comparable to Hammurabi's Code. Violation and punishments clear. Laws readily available to all. Empowering. In effect, reduces power of aristocracy. Probably written b/c of pressure from new hoplite classes. All his laws were repealed by Solon apart from those dealing with homicide.

17. Problems Introduced by the Law Code of Draco • The story goes that when asked about the harshness of his punishments, Draco said the death penalty was appropriate for stealing even so much as a cabbage. If there had been a worse penalty than death, Draco would gladly have applied it to greater crimes.

18. Draco • As a result of Draco's strict, unforgiving code, the adjective based on the name Draco -- draconian -- refers to penalties considered excessively severe.

19. Slavery For Debt • Through the laws of Draco, those in debt could be made slaves -- but only if they were members of the lower class. • This means members of a genos (the gennetai) could not be sold as slaves, yet their hangers-on (orgeones) could.

20. Homicide • Another result of the codification of laws by Draco -- and the only part that remained part of the legal code -- was the introduction of the concept of "intention to murder." Murder could be manslaughter (either justifiable or accidental) or intentional homicide. With the new law code, Athens, as a city-state, would intervene in what were formerly family matters of blood-feuds.

21. Three Democratic Reformers • SOLON • Gap between wealthy & non-wealthy considered a crisis • Solon, a respected leader, elected to reform Athens • Reforms of Solon: • Slavery outlawed • The debts of farmers were abolished • Established four classes of citizenship • Based on wealth, not heredity • Citizens of three highest classes could hold office • All adult male citizens were granted citizenship • This dramatically increased citizen participation in government

22. Solon’s Constitutional Reforms • Arconship– 9 + 1 • Areopagus – aristocratic council / Council of Elders • Consisted of former archons • Final decisions on legislation, war and peace • Meets 3-4 times/month • Power reduced by Solon. Transferred to Boule • Boule / Council of 400 • Upper house • Each of 4 tribes elect 100 members • Sets agenda for Ekklesia. • Ekklesia • 1-3 allowed in (no Thetes) • Annual elections • 43,000 people. However, only those wealthy enough to spend time away from home would have been able to participate • Heleai – Judicial Branch • 6000 jurors • All cases except treason and murder

23. Pisistratus: A Special Kind of Tyrant • Maintained Solon’s reforms and pol. structures. Tyrannical enforcement of Solonic democracy. Stacked his men in positions of power. • Objective: to reduce factional/class tensions. Methods: • For the rich: • Some control of Areopagus • Maintain archonships • Allies with Tyrants and develops trading networks • Attic exports to Ionia, Cyprus, Syria, and Spain • Est. colonies in Dardanelles

24. Pisistratus: A Special Kind of Tyrant • For the poor: • Cut taxes for poor • Est. 5% tax on ag. production. 1st tax in Athens. • Gave away state owned land • Est. circuit courts • Athenian beautification-aqueducts, roads, temples… • Mining at Larium • Promoted arts

25. Three Democratic Reformers • CLEISTHENES • Reforms of Cleisthenes: • Formed the Council of 500 • Members were chosen randomly from the citizenry • Council was made a “legislature” (law-making body)

26. Conclusions : • Father of Athenian Democ? • By end of 5th C, most Athenians had a small plot of land • A time of peace • Too moderate? Frieze on temple of Apollo at Delphi, “Nothing in Excess” attributed to Solon. • Make everyone unhappy, but kept peace. Persuaded rich and poor to compromise. Forestalled revolution. “Radicals criticized him for failing to establish equality of possessions and power; conservatives denounced him for admitting the commoners to the franchise and the courts.” (Durant, 117) • Asked if he had given Athenians the best laws he replied, “no, but the best that they would receive.” (Durant, 117) • Asked what is good government, he replied “when the people obey the rulers, and the rulers obey the laws.”

27. Solonian Reforms: Conclusions • challenged power of aristocrats • ↑ political competition • ↑ political participation • ↑ factionalism

28. Three Democratic Reformers • PERICLES • An instrumental figure in Athenian democracy • Reforms of Pericles: • All citizens of Athens encouraged to take part in government • Council of 500 increased dramatically—at times, it was made up of 6,000 members • Number of paid government officials increased • Lower-class citizens were now permitted to hold office • Citizens who served as jurors were now paid • Overall, the reforms increased participation among all the social classes of Athens.

29. Read the two excerpts from Aristotle’s Politics below. Dissect and shrink each excerpt to two sentences. On the Nature of Tyranny: “The Tyrant must ‘cut down to size’ those who raise their heads too high, destroy men of Spirit, not allow common meals, political clubs or education . . . and he must guard against all things that might inspire courage and confidence among the people. . . A tyrant must make every effort to know what each of his subjects says and does . . . he must employ spies . . . The tyrant must also encourage quarrels among the people, pitting friend against friend, the common people against the gentry and the wealthy against one another. . . . The Tyrant must also be a warmonger so that the people will be kept busy and will constantly feel the need for a leader.”

30. On the Nature of Democracy: “. . . rulers should be chosen by all citizens and from all citizens . . . each citizen should be ruled by all citizens and all citizens by each one of them; . . . the tenure of all offices . . . should be short; . . . the jury courts should be chosen from all citizens; . . . The assembly should be sovereign over all things and no official is supreme over anything accept quite unimportant matters; . . . no official should serve for life.Equality does not imply that the poor should rule instead of the rich or that they alone should hold power, but that all people should share power equally , according to their numerical strength.