Ancient Democracies and Republics Unit 1 Section 1

Defining Democracy a system of government by the whole population or all the eligible members of a state, typically through elected representatives There are multiple forms of democracy, including direct democracy and representative democracy. Which form of democracy do we have? (Technically we have a republic, but which one is more us?)

Direct vs. Representative So we would have a representative democracy. A direct democracy is also called a “pure democracy”, because it does not have elected officials; citizens vote on their own behalf. A representative democracy (also called a “republic”) is where a group of people vote for an elected official to represent them and to make decisions on their behalf. Ancient Athens and modern Switzerland are examples of a direct democracy. The USA is an example of a representative democracy.

Preconditions Democracy has two preconditions: The community must be small enough for citizens to be capable of attending debates and voting on issues. Its economy must give these citizens enough leisure to engage in politics. In the ancient world this meant having slaves to do most of the work.

Democracy of Athens The citizen democrats of Athens are: Males over the age of 18, who are sons to an Athenian father. After 451 BC their mother must be Athenian too. There were no more than 50,000 democrats in the whole of Attica (a section of Greece that Athens is in). In addition to these citizens the population includes about 25,000 metics ( from the word “metoikoi”, or foreigners trading in Athens, for it is a major commercial center) together with free women and children and perhaps 100,000 slaves. This gives us a total of about 300,000 people.

Approximately what percentage of the population is able to vote? Approximately 20% of the population could vote.

Democracy of Athens Athens wasn’t always a democracy. In prehistoric times (before recorded history), the aristocratic families were in charge because they provided the main fighting force (weapons and gear was expensive). Then in 7th century the new military concept of the heavily armed infantryman, the hoplite, was developed. A remorseless phalanx of hoplites were as effective on the battlefield as modern day tanks are. During the 7th and 6th century, this Middle Class of citizens had the power. The people who were giving up their own money to sacrifice their lives for the protection of Athens had the power in government. This makes sense, right? Would you want to give it all to receive no special say in your government?

Democracy in Athens The poorer citizens of Athens gained new power when in the 5th century BC Athens switched their efforts to building up an Athenian Navy. Triremes, the fast warships of the time, need men to row them. Suddenly every citizen has a part to play, and the crews of a fleet of warships have a self-evident political strength. A more radical democracy, introduced by Pericles in 462, is almost an inevitable result.

Citizens in Government In Athens in the 5th century BC, each citizen has involvement in government in a variety of ways. Each has a voice in the highest forum in the nation, the ecclesia, or assembly, which meets 4 times a month on the Pnyx, a flat- topped hill in Athens. On the major/important issues, as many as 5000 citizens attend. Any citizen may answer the herald’s question “Who wishes to speak?” but addressing such a large crowd in the open air is difficult. Most of the debate is carried out by regular speakers – in effect the leading politicians – who are known as rhetores (orators).

Citizens in Government The business of the day is fixed by another body of 500 members, called the boule or council. Here the principle of amateurism is more firmly established, for the members are chosen by drawing lots. Fifty are selected at village level by each of the ten tribes which make up Athenian society. The principle of selection by lot is carried even further in the council of 500. Each member serves for a month as one of the 50 prutaneis, or presidents, who run the everyday administration of the city (there are ten months in the Athenian year, so every councilor has one monthly term of office). Furthermore the chairman of the boule changes every day, again selected by lot from the 50 prutaneis. So almost every councilor is effectively head of state for one day of the year. Amateurism = literally just that they were unskilled (because they were selected at random and all). Boule = council Prutaneis = presidents

Citizens in Government The effective leaders of Athens, because of their responsibility for war (an almost constant state of affairs), are the ten strategoi or generals. There is one from each of the ten tribes, elected each year by the ecclesia in which every citizen has a vote. The only other officials to be elected rather than chosen by lot are the treasurers, with responsibility for the state's accounts - evidence again that the Athenian citizens recognize the areas where expertise rather than common sense is essential. Ecclesia = assembly In addition to all the people before, the assembly also elects these generals, one from each of the ten tribes, who is in office for a year.