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
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. Father of Athenian Democ?
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
Region
Ideology
Class
Supported
Peralia
S&W - Shores
Moderates
Mid Class-Traders
Solon
Pediakoi
C - Plains
Aristocrats
Rich
Lycurgus
Diakroi
E – Mountains
Radicals
Poor
Pisistratus

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. On the Nature of Tyranny:
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.