Ancient Greece: Development of DemocracyBased on Geography, why did Greek government organized into a Polis system and not an empire?

Ancient Greece: Development of Democracy

• Peninsula +2000 islandsLong distance sea trade, communication

• City states (700 BCE): separate governments (Polis), common culture (olympics, alphabet, pottery, arts).

• Slaves: mostly captured in war

Criteria for Democracy?(Demos=people; Cracy=rule by)

• Citizenship• Popular participation• Common law• Juries• Branches of government (separation of power)?• Class system?• Gender equality?• Slavery?• All participate?• Church-state separation?

• Different governments among city states: Monarchy (single king), Aristocracy (landowning nobility), Oligarchy (merchant-artisan elite)

• Limited Democracy in Athens: 3 branches

Rule by men with property

Common law

Assembly of all citizens: all can propose and vote on laws

Executive: Council of 500 men, chosen by lot

Courts: Juries (varied in size), but no attorneys nor appeals

Pericles: 461-429 BCE (rule)—paid officials, direct democracy (not representation)

• Gender inequality

Ancient Greece: Development of Democracy

Parthenon and Lincoln Memorial

Theater at Epidarus, 350 BCE

• Individualism: excellence in ability: can improve, create own destiny, ascribe success to self—not gods

• Reason: humans can solve problems of universe, explain cause and effect (rather than supernatural forces)

• Civic Humanism: citizens have political duty to serve

• Human perfection in art: heroic, public

• Alexander the Great: spreads Greek ideas (“Hellenization”)

Athenian Democracy: Humanism

Sophocles, imitation of Greek Bronze, 4th century BCE.

Discobolus (Roman copy of bronze original), 450 BCE

Plato versus Aristotle

Plato

• Guardians=philosophers

• Don’t mix philosophers with cobblers and carpenters

• Oligarchy

Aristotle

• Inequalityenvy, hatred, violence

• Most should be middle class

• Government works best when no inequality and run by all people

• Militaristic state:

• Peloponesian wars—struggle between Athens and Sparta. Later join under Delian League to defend against Persians (more than 140 cities).

Sparta and Oligarchy

Unit IV: Faith and Empire in the Ancient Mediterranean: Greece, Rome and Monotheistic Belief

Overview of Classical Greece, 2000—300 BCE

• Socrates killed for his ideas

Ancient Greece versus Jewish Gods

Greek Gods

• Each had different human qualities

• Interacted with each other

Jewish God

• Created humans in likeness of God

• Embodied understanding of good and evil

• Interact with humans

Ancient Greece: Birth of DemocracySolon, 594 BCE

• No citizen shall own another

• 4 social classes; top 3 hold office, all participate in assembly

• Any citizen could bring suit against other

Cleisthenes, 500 BCE

• Organized citizens by district, not wealth

• All citizen could submit laws to assembly

• Council of 500: members chosen at random

• Citizens were male, Athenian property owners—women, slaves, foreigners excluded

Golden Age of Athens, including Pericles, 461-429 BCE• Increase number of paid officials• Direct democracy• Leaders chosen by lot• 3 Branches of government

Ancient Greece: Birth of DemocracyGolden Age of Athens, including Pericles, 461-429 BCE

• Increase number of paid officials

• Direct democracy

• Leaders chosen by lot

• 3 Branches of government

Humanism: Law made by people, higher than any individual

Civic Humanism: Responsibility to participate

Tragic-comedic depiction of Herakles slaying Bousiris, 470 BCE

Funerary statue, 525 BCE

The Poseidon of Artemision. Bronze. God about to hurl trident against adversary (Zeus?).460-450 BCE.

Empire of Alexander the Great and the spread of Hellenism, 4th century BCE

Alexandria, EgyptGhandara region, India

Hellenism: the spread of Greek influence by Alexander the Great

Language

Libraries

Art

Trade

Universities

Science (astronomy, mathematics, physics,

Literature

Alexandria, Egypt

Classical Greek statue

Classical Buddhist statue from India

Buddha from Ghandara region of India

Alexander the Great reached the Indus River in 326 BCE