Athenian Democracy

The best example of Greek democracy comes from the city of Athens,
disorder
where around the year 600 BC the city was thrown into turmoil due to an
economic crisis. Many members of the lower class found themselves in
debt, often forced into slavery when they were unable to pay. As a result,
much of the population rebelled against the aristocracy that ruled the city.
Hoping to avoid a tyranny, the aristocrats appointed a reformer named
sow·luhn
Solon to rule and end the crisis. Solon canceled all land debts, freed
peasants who had been sold into slavery, and even took land from the rich
and gave it to the poor. Despite Solon’s best efforts, however, a tyrant
named Peisistratus seized Athens in 560 BC.
Peisistratus immediately began his own campaign of reforms. He
increased trade to please merchants and gave even more land to the poor.
Despite these efforts, the people of Athens rebelled again in 510 BC, ending
Clis·the·nes
the tyranny, and they appointed a reformer named Cleisthenes as their ruler.
Cleisthenes created a ruling council of 500 that oversaw the main
functions of government and gave ultimate authority to an assembly made
up of male citizens. For the first time in history, a ruling majority had the
agreement
power to negotiate treaties, make laws, and declare war. Democracy was
born.
Athenian democracy went through many reforms and revisions after
Cleisthenes, eventually becoming a direct democracy led by a statesman
Per.ri.Kles
named Pericles. Under this system, all male citizens had a voice in the
decisions of government through debate and direct vote. Any male citizen
could speak on any issue, and poor citizens as well as those of the upper
class were eligible for any public office. Judges and generals were elected,
and to guard against the ambitions of any one man, a majority of citizens
expel
could at any time banish anyone considered harmful to the state in a
practice known as ostracism.
leading
Under democratic rule, Athens became the preeminent power in Greece,
huge
building for itself a vast and wealthy empire known as the Delian League.
Using these vast riches, Pericles launched several impressive building
projects, including the construction of the Parthenon, regarded as one of the
greatest temples of the ancient world. Athens also became the center of art
first to explore
and education, its citizens pioneering the fields of mathematics, astronomy,
biology, and philosophy.
Despite these accomplishments, though, it is important to note that the
vast majority of Athenians did not take part in Athenian democracy.
Noncitizen males, women, and slaves were excluded from the government.
Despite the fact that there were as many as 40,000 male citizens in Athens
at any given time, on average the number of participants in debate and
voting seldom reached 6,000.
fall down
Ultimately, direct democracy led to the collapse of the Athenian empire,
as the majority of people called for war against the city’s chief rival, Sparta.
aggressive behavior
Despite Pericles’ best efforts, the majority ruled in favor of hostilities,
beginning a long series of conflicts known the Peloponnesian War. The war
between Athens and Sparta lasted decades, during which the city of Athens
suffer
endured several losses, including a plague that wiped out more than a third
of the city’s population and resulted in the death of Pericles himself. Still
the war dragged on until finally in 405 BC, the majority of the once
powerful Athenian fleet was destroyed. Within a year, Athens surrendered
and the Athenian empire was destroyed.

EXERCISE 2

Athenian Democracy
Directions: Read the passage and then answer the questions that follow.
Pericles,
ceremony
a statesman of ancient Athens, made this speech at a public
funeral after the first battle of the Peloponnesian War in 431 BC.
 Excerpt from Pericles’s Funeral Oration, 431 BC

Our form of government does not enter into rivalry [competition]

with the institutions of others. Our government does not copy our
neighbors’, but is an example to them. It is true that we are called a
democracy, for the administration is in the hands of the many and not
of the few. But while there exists equal justice to all and alike in their
disagreement/argument
private disputes, the claim ofrecognize excellence is also recognized; and
as different
when a citizen is in any way distinguished, he is preferred to the
special right
public service, not as a matterdifficultyof privilege, but as the reward of
goodness
merit. Neither is poverty an obstacle, but a man may benefit his
unimportance
country whatever the obscurity of his condition. There is no
restricted
exclusiveness in our public life, and in our private business we are
not suspicious of one another, nor angry with our neighbor if he does
what he likes; we do not put on sour looks at him which, though
enjoyable not restricted
harmless, are not pleasant. While we are thus unconstrained in our
attitude deep respect affect
private business, a spirit of reverence pervades [spreads through] our
public acts; we are prevented from doing wrong by respect for the
authorities and for the laws. . . .
 quotation
1. Which phrase from the excerpt BEST expresses a central idea of
democracy?
A. “Our government does not copy our neighbors’”
B. “administration is in the hands of the many”
C. “we are not suspicious of one another”
D. “a spirit of reverence pervades our public acts”
2. Which phrase BEST completes the chart?

A. Equal justice for all

B. Competition with other governments
C. Discrimination against the poor
D. Better treatment for the wealthy
3. According to Pericles, one responsibility of a citizen in a democracy is
to do which of the following?
A. Elect only the wealthy to public office.
B. Never share opinions with others.
C. Operate a private business.
D. Take part in the civic affairs of the nation.