 Communities that survived the Dark Ages were very small and simple  Ruled by local nobles and wealthier citizens who owned most of the land:  Virtually impossible to change your status in life  Commoners were forced to pay tribute to these rulers

 Evolve into city-states  Remember: Greece is not one unified nation, but rather a collection of federations  The Greeks called their city-state the polis.  Each polis was an independent governing unit with varying forms of government.

AAristotle: RRule by the one RRule by the few RRule by the many Now it is evident that the form of government is best in which every man, whoever he is, can act best and live happily…holla!

 Most notably Athens was a democracy; however, it was not the only form of government in the city state…

Monarchy: Rule by king or queen Aristocracy : Rule by a small group of land owning elite Tyranny: Rule by one person, the Tyrant, who takes power, sometimes by force Democracy: Rule in which the people are the source of power

 On its way from a Monarchy to Democracy Athens had several people who made important reforms to develop their government:  Early Athens was ruled by a king after it became a unified polis about 700 B.C.  Later Aristocrats took power as they controlled most of the land  Increased trade led to the development of a merchant class, these merchants become Tyrants

 First Athenian lawmaker (7th century BC)  The first to codify & write down laws of Athens—previously interpreted & administered arbitrarily by aristocratic magistrates  Code famous for its harshness  Death was the penalty for almost all crimes  One advance was in the laws of homicide, which recognized the responsibility of the state, not the victim's family, in punishing a murderer; thus blood feuds were to be avoided  Draconian - unusually severe or cruel

 Laid foundation for democracy in Athens  Drew up clear, simple plan that balanced rights of citizens  Built-in safeguards to keep one group from oppressing others  Passed law that canceled all debt owed by poor to rich landowners ; forbade anyone be enslaved for debt  Wrote code of laws, simpler and less brutal than existing Draconian laws  Divided citizens into 4 classes according to property ownership (each with a different share in the government) Draco needed to chillax…

Pentacosiomedimnoi - property or estate could produce 500 bushels of goods per year; eligible for all top positions of government in Athens. Hippeis - the second highest; made of men who could afford to maintain a war horse in the service of the state Zeugitai - hose whose property or estate could produce 200 bushels per year; men who could afford armor or a yoke of oxen Thetes - manual workers or sharecroppers, they served voluntarily as auxiliaries or naval row men; didn’t produce enough for military census Drafted into army based on what you could provide:

 Aristocrat who seized power in 560 B.C. and becomes a “tyrant”  Took land from the rich and gave it to the poor  Greek Robin Hood?  Popular with the poor in Athens  First form of “socialism”?

 Came from one of the most powerful families in Athens  Created a new council of 500 that oversaw foreign affairs, and made laws that were voted on by male citizens  The basis for The Boule (council of 500); came into prominence after his rule helping to shape Athenian Democracy.

 Organized a vote in the popular assembly that deprived the Areopagus (old aristocratic courts & judges) of its remaining power  Power to the People!  Believed to have been the defining moment of Athenian democracy

 Athenian democracy was a participative democracy.  Government was carried out directly by the people who voted on all major issues  Two Governing Groups:  Ekklesia- general assembly, the main body, open to all male citizens over the age of 18  Boule - a council of 500 elected officials

Adult male Athenian citizens who had completed their military training as ephebes – About 20% of the population Excluded a majority of the population: – slaves, freed slaves, children, women and metics.

 Set the agenda for the ekklesia  Carried out all laws & administered decisions of ekklesia  Did not receive recompense  Requirements: > 30 and an Athenian citizen  Served for one year at a time and could not serve for more than two years in a lifetime  50 men were elected from each of the 10 tribes of Athens  Chosen by lot  Each section of Attica was equally represented

 A highly unusual system of government  Primarily an oligarchy, but it included democratic elements.  Two kings from two different families ruled the city-state, but a 28-member 'council of elders' limited their powers.  Council of Elders (known as the Gerousia)  male citizens over the age of sixty  elected and served for life.  Apella  all male citizens over the age of thirty  voted on proposals that originated in the gerousia  also elected the elders who served on the gerousia.