Greek Government

By Emily

 

The Greek government was very well thought out, organized, and advanced.  In fact, they were the first to have a democracy.  Whenever you hear that, doesn’t it make you wonder: “What influenced Greece to make the first democracy?” Which then leads to other questions: “Who was involved?”, “Where did the idea come from?”, “Were there any opposers?”, “How was life in Athens before the democracy?”, and “How did the democracy work?”  Having asked those questions, I have gone and looked up the answers.  So, here are they are, answers and all!

            “Who was involved?” is more difficult than it looks.  The roots of democracy can be traced as far back as 594 b.c.e., when Solon was elected archon.  He changed the law drastically.  The outcome?  Something called Boule (the Council), which decided what was to be discussed at the full Ekklesia (or Assembly).  Some years after that (around 560 b.c.e.), Pisistrataus made himself ruler.  He was neither cruel, nor unjust and ruled according to the laws of Solon.  But the real father of democracy was Cleisthenis.  He gave every citizen—meaning a free man who is neither an immigrant nor a foreigner—a right to vote.

            “Where did the idea come from?” is the least clear.  Originally, the poor citizens complained of having no power, and no legal decision.  So, seeing their powerless state, Cleisthenes, along with many other people, changed the laws so that everyone who was a free citizen could vote, and they could voice their opinion and be heard.  But mainly, even though it seems silly, the form of governing was inspired by the Athenian play, The Suppliants.  In the play, the assembly overruled the traditional authority of the king.  The audience was influenced greatly, thereafter changing the Greek government tremendously. 

“Were there any opposers?” is fairly easy.  The answer is, in fact, yes—completely and wholeheartedly yes.  The rich aristocrats of Athens were always criticizing the Athenian democracy.  Aristocrats were very rich, high-class citizens who, in these days, would probably be somewhat close to republicans. They would have much preferred ruling by means of aristocracy.  Aristocracy was when the aristocrats would be the larger and most important part of the government.  But, many of them put up with it by learning public speaking and winning over crowds of a lower class than themselves.  So in the end it worked out for mostly everyone.

            “What was life in Athens like before the democracy?” has many answers.  Greece was split up into many different city-states.  Each one had its own army, government, and the works.  So, really when people talk about Greece’s government, they have to take into consideration that it was actually made up of all different governments.  Life was hard for many poor or even average citizens who wanted to be big or important.  They were always shunned aside or in some cases, not even paid attention to.  So, for many, the Athenian democracy was a life saving change.

            Finally, “How did the democracy work?” The core of the government was really the Ekklesia (or Assembly) and the Boule (or Council), making a two-part legislature.  The Council was made up of 500 people (fifty from each tribe) and was where they decided what was to be discussed at the full Assembly.  The citizens who participated in the Assembly gathered every ten or so days at the top of a high hill to discuss important issues.  There the person/people who talked would stand on a raised platform, and the citizens could vote afterwards.  Every man who did not attend and was supposed to, got whipped lightly with a long, freshly painted, red whip.  Whoever had a red mark on their clothing when the Assembly came down from the hill had to pay a generous amount to the city.  That is just the basics on how the democracy worked, so I’m almost positive that if you looked, you would find a lot more information.

            So, back to that big, difficult question: “What influenced Greece to form the first democracy?”  There will never be one single answer for it.  But I will try my very best to sum it up.  Really, democracy was first formed in the minds of the people of Greece, and then brought to the mind of its ruler.  Along the way there were inspiring incidents that helped to bring the issue closer up.  So, actually it was a group effort: the poor having little power—or in most cases none at all—and the reality that in the pre-democracy age the rich ruled. It’s as simple as that: some people got together and changed things—not only for Greece, but eventually for the greater part of the world.

               

Works Cited

 

Secondary Sources

 

Connely, Peter.  Ancient Greece.  New York: Oxford, 2001

 

Freeman, Charles. The Greek Achievement New York: Penguin Group, 1997

 

“Government in Greece.” Greece web page.                     http://www.fcpsk.k12.va.us/OakViewsES/harris/9697/agespages/greecegovernment.html

 

Hillyer, V.M. and E.G. Huey. Ancient World. Chicago: Children’s Press, 1996

 

Nardo, Don. Life in Ancient Greece. San Diego: Lucent Books, 1996

 

Powell, Anton. Ancient Greece. New York: Facts on File, 1989

 

Shuter, Jane. Cities and Citizens.Des Plaines: Reed Educational, 1999