1 / 13

Government in Athens

Government in Athens. Section 2, Chapter 9. Types of Government. Oligarchy. Tyranny. Democracy. Aristocrats and Tyrants Rule. Greece is the birthplace of democracy , a type of government in which people rule themselves. “Demo” means “the people”

troyh
Download Presentation

Government in Athens

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Government in Athens Section 2, Chapter 9

  2. Types of Government Oligarchy Tyranny Democracy

  3. Aristocrats and Tyrants Rule Greece is the birthplace of democracy, a type of government in which people rule themselves. “Demo” means “the people” But not all Greek city-states were this way…

  4. Oligarchy An oligarchy is a government in which only a few people have power Aristocrats, or rich landowners ran the city’s economy and served as generals and judges

  5. In the 600s BC there was a rebellion, but the rebels failed to overthrow the aristocrats. • As a result, Draco created new, harsh laws • In the 590s BC Solon created new laws, which were less harsh • All free men became citizens, peoplewho could participate in government

  6. Tyranny In 546 BC, Peisistratus overthrows the oligarchy He becomes a tyrant, or one who holds absolute power through force He brought peace and prosperity to the city His son took over after his death

  7. The aristocrats were not happy They convinced a rival city-state to attack Athens As a result of this attack, the tyrants lost power

  8. Athens Creates Democracy • Around 500 BC Cleisthenes gained power in Athens • He thought aristocrats had too much power • He overthrew the oligarchy and formed a new kind of government, a democracy

  9. Every citizen (free males) had the right to be involved in government • Voting was done by showing hands or sometimes ballots • As many as 6,000 people were needed to vote

  10. Changes in Athenian Democracy • As the government grew, changes took place • Smaller councils were made • They decided which laws should be presented to the assembly • Juries had from 200 to 6,000 people • Athens remained a democracy for about 170 years

  11. Pericles Lead the government from 460 to 429 BC He felt strongly that all citizens should participate Started the practice of paying those who served in office and on juries

  12. The End of Democracy in Athens Athens is conquered by Macedonia in 330s BC Remained a democracy, but in a limited way In 320s BC, it ended forever

  13. Direct Democracy All citizens (male and free) participate Each person’s vote counts Majority rules Representative Democracy Men and women vote Officials elected by the people to represent them These officials meet and make laws Ancient Athenian vs Modern American Democracy

More Related