The Road to Independence

1. The Road to Independence Greek Democracy

2. The City-State/Polis • One of the most important development in ancient Greece was the emergence, after 800 BC, of the independent city-state, the polis. • Prior to the city states - small, petty cities. To organize the cities, the primary consideration was defense.

3. built on defensible positions, erecting the acropolis. Next came the houses. • also included the surrounding farmlands, fields, pastures and woodlands. suburbs and fields.

4. Citizenship • a community that included both men and women. • Outside this group were slaves and aliens, people who had no rights within the polis. • Citizenship was enjoyed only within one’s own polis.

5. one overall social movement that was common to all – the movement toward some kind of self-government by the male citizens. • The evolution to democratic government was not inevitable in a state.

6. 4 Political Developments • Monarchy – an officer known as king (sometimes multiple kings). No real power as power was vested in a council. After tiring of a king they moved on to the next stage. • Aristocratic oligarchy –political power was vested in a few nobles.

7. Tyranny (a tyrant) –simply a leader, and not in today’s sense of a tyrant, but comes from the Greek work tyranos – leader. The people would rally around this person, especially for the defense of the city. • Democracy – Perhaps the greatest gift of the ancient Greeks to the world - Power vested in the hands of the people

8. Cleisthenes • Athenian exile, introduced democracy in Athens. • In 510 B.C., had his supporters enlisted the help of the Spartans to drive out the new Athenian tyrant. • Exerting his influence in Athenian politics, he proposed a scheme whereby the masses would participate more directly in running the state. He was very aware that the nobles’ power was very disproportionate.

9. Council of 500 • Clans and Cliques - city states were divided into 4 parts and each was led by a clan. Each clan was led by a clique. Each of the four cliques worked together to dominate the city states. • Council of 500 – created by Cleisthenes as he did away with the cliques. • This council planned business for the public assembly.

10. All male citizens above 30 could serve for one year and the council was chosen new every year by drawing lots. • No man could serve more than twice: in this way political experience was shared by many citizens, even if this led to government by amateurs rather that professionals.

11. A fair chance that every eligible Athenian would be chosen to serve once during his lifetime. • With such a personal stake in democracy, citizens would not conspire with those who wanted to abolish the system. • This form of Athenian democracy endured for several centuries and laid a basis for democracy in western civilization.