By far the most well-documented and studied example is the Athenian democracy
Athenian democracy
Athenian democracy developed around the fifth century B.C. in the Greek city-state (known as a polis) of Athens, comprising the city of Athens and the surrounding territory of Attica and is the first known democracy in the world. Other Greek cities set up democracies, most following the Athenia…
How many Greek city-states were ruled by democracy?
Several hundred of the Greek city-states scattered around the Mediterranean were ruled by democratic means. The source for all ancient Greek democracy was its largest city, Athens, which ruled the area of Attica.
Where was the first democratic country in the world?
The first known democracy in the world was in Athens. Athenian democracy developed around the fifth century B.C.E. The Greek idea of democracy was different from present-day democracy because, in Athens, all adult citizens were required to take an active part in the government.
What type of government did ancient Greece have?
Greek democracy. During the Classical era of Ancient Greece many city-states had forms of government similar to a democracy, in which the free (non- slave ), native (non-foreigner) adult male citizens of the city took a major and direct part in the management of the affairs of state, such as declaring war, voting supplies,...
How was Athenian democracy different from modern democracy?
Athenian democracy developed around the fifth century B.C.E. The Greek idea of democracy was different from present-day democracy because, in Athens, all adult citizens were required to take an active part in the government. If they did not fulfill their duty they would be fined and sometimes marked with red paint.
What was the first democracy in Athens?
How many cities did democracy spread?
How many times a year could a male attend a meeting in Athens?
What is Greece famous for?
Who took over Athens in 510 B.C.?
Who was the tyrant ruler of Athens?
Who was the ruler of Greece in 336 B.C.?
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Ancient Greece for Kids: Greek City-States - Ducksters
History >> Ancient Greece. Ancient Greece wasn't a single country or empire united under a single government, it was made up of a number of city-states. At the center of each city-state was a powerful city.
What is a Greek city state?
Greek City-States. Encyclopedic Entry. Vocabulary. A city-state, or polis, was the community structure of ancient Greece. Each city-state was organized with an urban center and the surrounding countryside. Characteristics of the city in a polis were outer walls for protection, as well as a public space that included temples and government buildings.
Why did the Greek city-states develop?
Greek city-states likely developed because of the physical geography of the Mediterranean region. The landscape features rocky, mountainous land and many islands. These physical barriers caused population centers to be relatively isolated from each other. The sea was often the easiest way to move from place to place.
Why was the Parthenon built?
The Parthenon was a temple built to honor the goddess Athena. The majority of a polis ’s population lived in the city, as it was the center of trade, commerce, culture, and political activity. There grew to be over 1,000 city-states in ancient Greece, but the main poleis were Athína (Athens), Spárti (Sparta), Kórinthos (Corinth), Thíva (Thebes), ...
How did Sparta differ from Athens?
Each city-state ruled itself. They differed greatly from the each other in governing philosophies and interests. For example, Sparta was ruled by two kings and a council of elders. It emphasized maintaining a strong military, while Athens valued education and art.
What is the Acropolis?
Acropolis. Noun. large, flat-topped hill that is the highest point of the city of Athens, Greece. ancient Greece. Noun. loosely united civilization founded on and around the Peloponnese peninsula, lasting from about the 8th century BCE to about 200 BCE. aristocracy.
Which Greek city-states had democratic regimes?
However, at least fifty-two classical Greek city-states including Corinth, Megara, and Syracuse also had democratic regimes during part of their history.
What was the political center of gravity in Greece during the 3rd century BC?
During the 3rd century BC, the political center of gravity in Greece shifted from individual city-states to leagues, such as the Aetolian League and the Achaean League. These were confederations that jointly handled the foreign and military affairs for the member cities. Their internal structure was democratic with respect to the member cities, that is, each city within the league had weight roughly proportional to its size and power. On the other hand, the cities themselves were largely represented in the leagues by the wealthy elites.
What was the first democracy in Athens?
Athens may have been the first democracy, but it was not quite the same as democracy today. Only free male citizens could vote on decision-making or serve on juries. Women were not allowed to participate in politics, nor were slaves or foreigners. Athenian democracy consisted of three tiers. The assembly was the principal ruling body and made decisions by majority vote. Eligible male citizens could attend meetings held 40 times a year. The boule was a council of 500 men, chosen by random lottery, who handled daily government matters. The dikasteria was the courts system. Every day, 500 jurors over the age of 30 were randomly chosen to decide legal matters in Athens' courts. Participating in the democracy was important to Athenians, who thought "of a man who takes no interest in public affairs not as apathetic, but as completely useless."
How many cities did democracy spread?
At its peak, the democratic system of city-state rule spread to several hundreds of the 1,500 cities scattered around the Mediterranean. The system endured less than two centuries, however. Wars and the rise of an Athenian aristocracy caused disruptions to democracy from 431 B.C. onward.
How many times a year could a male attend a meeting in Athens?
Eligible male citizens could attend meetings held 40 times a year. The boule was a council of 500 men, chosen by random lottery, who handled daily government matters. The dikasteria was the courts system. Every day, 500 jurors over the age of 30 were randomly chosen to decide legal matters in Athens' courts.
What is Greece famous for?
Greece is not just famed for its historic ruins and ancient civilization. Ancient Greece was the birthplace of democracy, or rule by the people. Several hundred of the Greek city-states scattered around the Mediterranean were ruled by democratic means.
Who took over Athens in 510 B.C.?
In 510 B.C., the leader Cleisthenes managed to take over Athens and resurrected Solon's democratic ideology. Cleisthenes was initially exiled by an aristocrat, Isagoras, but the people of the city revolted against a return to aristocratic power.
Who was the tyrant ruler of Athens?
In times of crisis or war, Greek city-states would elect a "tyrant" ruler who had absolute power to deal with the emergency situation. Solon was a tyrant ruler of Athens, elected to deal with economic, social and political crises in 594 B.C. A political solution proposed by Solon was to extend political power to wealthy men as well as aristocrats.
Who was the ruler of Greece in 336 B.C.?
The following year, King Philip II was declared autocratic ruler of Greece. His son, Alexander the Great , became ruler in 336 B.C. and was renowned for his leadership and skills in battle. Alexander's military genius led to the creation of the Greek Empire, one of the largest in the ancient world.
