1. City State Athens 1400-Today Birthplace of Democracy
Ancient Greece
City State
Athens
1400-Today
Birthplace of Democracy

2. Essential Standards
6.C&G.1 Understand the development of government in various civilizations, societies and regions.
6.G.1Understand geographic factors that influenced the emergence, expansion and decline of civilizations, societies and regions (i.e. Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas) over time.
6.H.2 Understand the political, economic and/or social significance of historical events, issues, individuals and cultural groups.

3. Clarifying Objectives
6.C&G.1.1 Explain the origins and structures of various governmental systems (e.g., democracy, absolute monarchy and constitutional monarchy).
6.C&G.1.2 Summarize the ideas that shaped political thought in various civilizations, societies and regions (e.g., divine right, equality, liberty, citizen participation and integration of religious principles).
6.G.1.3 Compare distinguishing characteristics of various world regions (e.g., physical features, culture, political organization and ethnic make-up).
6.H.2.2 Compare historical and contemporary events and issues to understand continuity and change.

4. Essential Questions
What is the basis of Democracy vs. Absolute Monarchy?
What were the political thoughts/ideas behind a Democratic Government?
How can politics characterize Ancient Athens?

5. City States Ancient Greece was broken up into city states
Think of this as all of Ancient Greece being the whole USA
North Carolina being one of the city states

6. Ancient Greece’s Government
Ancient Greece had always been run as a MONARCHY for hundreds of years
Then it was run as an OLIGARCHY
Then a TYRANY
Finally DEMOCRACY took root

7. Experiment called Democracy
All civilizations up until this point in history had been an ABSOLUTE MONARCHY
But what if the people were given the right to choose, make decisions
This was DEMOCRACY

8. Essential Questions Get with a partner and answer….
What is the basis of Democracy vs. Absolute Monarchy?

9. Persia was Coming
The great Persian Army was coming to take over all of Ancient Greece
The people were given a choice (vote) on whether to go & fight or to hide behind the city walls
The freedom for ordinary people to CHOOSE was DEMOCRACY at work for the first time in history

10. Political Thought
The idea/political thought behind democracy was give power to the people of the city
Not to Kings or Queens but rather to ordinary citizens
This was founded on the thought that every person deserved
Equality
Freedom
Liberty

11. Essential Questions Get with a partner and answer….
What were the political thoughts/ideas behind a Democratic Government?

12. Democracy Becomes the Way of Life
Democracy works so well in Athens that it becomes the way of life as people love having the power
There are no more Kings & Queens that will make decisions by themselves
How did it work??

13. Acropolis & Agora
There were two main important areas in the city state of Athens
Acropolis
Agora
Acropolis was a place of worship. It was on top of a hill and was where the temples were built
Agora was the place of government, place of decision making for the people

14. Acropolis Acropolis was the “high” part of the city of Athens
Highest point in the city
Place where they worshiped the highest gods in Greek Mythology
This was a place of worship to the gods & goddesses of Greek Mythology
It is highlighted by the Parthenon which was a temple built for the Goddess Athena

15. Agora Agora was the town center & marketplace of Ancient Athens
This is where all the Athenian people gathered
This was the center for Athenian people for…
Commercial
Social
Political

16. Athenian Commercial Agora
Commercial Section of the Agora was where Athenian citizens could buy & sell things
Athenians could either buy….
Food
Clothing
Books
It was the site of the world’s first malls

17. Athenian Social Agora
Social section of the Agora was where Athenians went to “hang out”
This was where the famous philosophers hung out and talked to people about their thoughts
It was also where rich Athenians went to school
Where Athletic events would take place

18. Athenian Political Agora
Political area of the Agora was where all the Democratic government decisions took place
This was where the…
Boule
Ekklesia (Pynx)
Dikasteria

19. Agora Boule
The Boule was a council of 500 men from every major part of Athens (big city)
They met everyday and decided what was going to be important enough to bring to Ekklasia

20. Agora Ekklasia (Pynx)
Agrora Pynx was a gathering place in the Agora where people would come to vote
There was enough room for 6,000 people at the Pynx
People would stand up at the front and state their idea & Athenians would either “cheer or boo” the idea

21. Orators
Orators are great public speakers that would try to convince the voters to vote for their ideas
The Pinnex would always have at least 2 Orators that would have two different sides to the argument
This way voters always got a chance to vote for what they felt was right

22. Example: How do we spend the silver?
Get a tax break from the Athenian Government (get a little bit of money) Or
Use the extra silver to construct more ships

23. Agora Dikasteria Dikasteria was the 3rd part of the political Agora
There were no police
This was another 500 man council that would act a court system
The members of the Dikasteria would decide who was innocent & who was guilty

24. Athens Becomes Powerful
Under the Democratic Government Athens became the most powerful city state in all of Greece
Democracy became the government choice of most of Ancient Greece

25. Athens lives On Today in America our government is a Democracy
We vote for the laws of our country
We are not governed by a King or Queen but rather by a President who is supposed to oversee the people not rule over them

26. Essential Questions Get with a partner and answer….
How can politics characterize Ancient Athens?

27. EOG Questions Order of Ruling Powers in Ancient Greece 1. Monarchy
2. Oligarchy
3. Tyranny
4. Democracy
Which statement explains the list above?
A) Some city-states of Ancient Greece went from being governed by their citizens to being ruled by a king.
B) Some city-states of Ancient Greece went from being ruled by nobility to being governed by their citizens.
C) Some city-states of Ancient Greece went from being ruled by military leaders to being governed by the upper class.
D) Some city-states of Ancient Greece went from being ruled by rich merchants to being governed by men of nobility.

28. EOG Questions
An absolute monarchy is a type of government structure. Which of the statements describes this type of structure?
A) The citizens have an equal say in their government.
B) The citizens elect representatives to run the government.
C) The ruler has complete power over the citizens or inhabitants.
D) The ruler has control of the government, but citizens have rights

29. Important Points 6.C&G.1.1 ATHENS is where DEMOCRACY started
6.C&G.1.1 DEMOCRACY is government by the citizens not by Kings & Queens
6.C&G.1.1 In DEMOCRACY the citizens get to CHOOSE
6.H.2.2 (Historical vs. Contemporary Events) Today the USA still uses Democracy to govern their people. They got this from Ancient Greece
6.C&G.1.2 (Political Thought/Idea) Liberty, Equality, Freedom, Civic Participation is the thought behind Democracy
6.G.1.3 (Distinguishing Characteristics) Everybody all over the world today knows that ATHENS started DEMOCRACY