the legacy of ancient greece and rome judeo-christian traditions
TRANSCRIPT
FOUNDATIONS OF DEMOCRACY
•The legacy of ancient Greece and Rome• Judeo-Christian traditions
ESSENTIAL QUESTION
How did the cultures of ancient Greece and Rome and the belief systems of
Judaism and Christianity lay the foundation for the development of democracy in the modern world?
Greece
Ancient Greece Main contribution: concept of democracy Democracy – “rule of the people”
Comes from the Greek words “demos” (people) and “kratos” (rule).
Geographic isolation contributed to development of many independent city-states, rather than one central government.
Each city-state (polis) consisted of a city and surrounding countryside. (Ex: Athens, Sparta)
Case Study: Athens Largest, most powerful city-state C. 2000 B.C – 683 B.C. – monarchy 683 B.C. – aristocracy (rule by few nobles) 594 B.C. – the reforms of Solon transformed
Greece into a limited democracy by extending citizenship to more people. Still, only about one-tenth were considered “citizens.”
508 B.C. – Cleisthenes turned Athens into a full democracy.
Athens
Pericles led Athens from 461-429 B.C. (the Golden Age of Greece)Increased # of paid public officialsPaid jurors
○ These changes allowed even the poor to participate in the government
His changes transformed Athens into a true direct democracy.
Legacy Greek democracy ended in 338 B.C. when
conquered by Macedonia. Important ideas:
The Greeks’ respect for human intelligence and the power of human reason led them to choose democracy over authoritarian rule.
They were also the first to think of three branches of government ○ Legislative – pass laws○ Executive – carry out the laws○ Judicial – interpret laws and settle disputes
Rome
Ancient Rome
Main Contributions: Representative government ( a republic) and a written code of laws
C. 600 B.C. – Rome had a monarchy 509 B.C. – the king was overthrown and
a republic was established.Form of government where citizens have the
right to elect leaders to represent them. (Indirect democracy)
The Roman Republic
Executive Branch – two consuls – commanded army and directed govt (1 year term limits)
Legislative Branch Senate: aristocratic branchTwo assemblies: more democratic; included
other social classes
Roman Law
Roman law applied equally to everyone in the empire, even conquered people, regardless of their nationality.
451 B.C. – officials made a collection of Roman laws called the Twelve Tables.
A.D. 528 – the Emperor Justinian compiled all laws since the Tables.
Written laws were VERY important because they established the idea of “ a government of laws, not of men.”
Legacy of Rome
Summing it up…Idea of a republicLegal and political terms (senate, dictator)Every individual is a citizen of a state rather
than the subject of a rulerWritten legal codeLaws are to be applied equally and
impartially to ALL citizens
Judaism & Christianity
Judeo-Christian Tradition
These 2 religions taught individual worth, ethical standards, and the need to fight injustice, ideas that had a strong impact on the development of democracy.
Judaism
Monotheistic religion founded by Abraham and the Hebrews’ covenant with God.
Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament) state that humans are created in God’s image. This = that humans have a God-given dignity.
Comparison:Greeks/Romans: humans have dignity because
of ability to reasonHebrews (Jews): humans have dignity
by simply being a child of God
Judaism
Also had a written code of laws – Ten Commandments
Strong belief that every person has a responsibility to oppose injustice and oppression AND…
The community should help those in need
Christianity
Derived from the name Christ – which was given to Jesus by his followers“Christos” – Greek word meaning messiah
or saviorJesus’ teachings stressed the equality of all
human beings ○ “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is
neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus”Paul, one of Christianity’s first missionaries
Legacy of Judaism and Christianity To sum it all up…
Ideas that shaped democracy…○ Duty of the individual/community to fight
oppression○ Worth of each individual○ Equality of all people before God
The grand irony, however…. Despite what these traditions taught,
believed, practiced, they did not always practice it. Greece & Rome—did not allow everyone
(slaves, women) to participateWars/violence and slavery have been
justified by the Judeo-Christian tradition for 2,000 years.