Ancient Greek City-States
I agree, the Ancient Greek city-states were often at odds with each other. People
from other city-states were not as highly regarded as they regarded themselves and they
mostly went to war with each other for control over the peninsula. When the Persians
threatened all of Greece, they had no choice but to unite. This also showed them an
enemy that was far more different from them than people from other Greek-city states.
Continuous conflict and competition between city-states broke down a sense of
community in Greece. Constant war divided the Greek city-states into shifting alliances;
it was also very costly to all the citizens.
1. Greeks were characterized first and foremost by their fervent belief in the need for
freedom, equality and tolerance. Evaluate this statement?
Liberty or freedom in ancient Greece represented the status of the free man and
woman as opposed to that of the slave. The division between free people and slaves was
deemed to be a social and natural institution. Free status was identified by a set of various
rights and privileges. One of the rights of free individuals was to own other individuals as
slaves. Similarly, the political freedom of a community also represented the enslavement
of other communities.
2. To what extent was Athens a true democracy?
The biggest difference between Athenian democracy and almost all the following
democracies is that the Athenian version was direct rather than being representative. With a few exceptions, Athenians didn't vote for politicians to represent them; all Athenians
voted on just about every law or policy the city was to adopt. Shall we fight the Spartans?
The people vote and decide. Raise taxes? Build a navy? The people decide.
3. What was so revolutionary about Greek thought? What ideas continue to influence the West today?
Greek philosophy is the origin of western culture and its institutions: art, religion,
mathematics, natural sciences, ethics, education, politics, economics, law, etc. Almost all
of the conflicts and solutions that govern the history of the West can be traced to Greek
philosophy. In other words, the Greeks are our intellectual sources.
The ancient Greeks made important discoveries in science. They developed
democracy, where people govern themselves rather than being ruled by a king. The
Greeks also valued beauty and imagination. They wrote many stories and plays that
continue to be performed today.
from other city-states were not as highly regarded as they regarded themselves and they
mostly went to war with each other for control over the peninsula. When the Persians
threatened all of Greece, they had no choice but to unite. This also showed them an
enemy that was far more different from them than people from other Greek-city states.
Continuous conflict and competition between city-states broke down a sense of
community in Greece. Constant war divided the Greek city-states into shifting alliances;
it was also very costly to all the citizens.
1. Greeks were characterized first and foremost by their fervent belief in the need for
freedom, equality and tolerance. Evaluate this statement?
Liberty or freedom in ancient Greece represented the status of the free man and
woman as opposed to that of the slave. The division between free people and slaves was
deemed to be a social and natural institution. Free status was identified by a set of various
rights and privileges. One of the rights of free individuals was to own other individuals as
slaves. Similarly, the political freedom of a community also represented the enslavement
of other communities.
2. To what extent was Athens a true democracy?
The biggest difference between Athenian democracy and almost all the following
democracies is that the Athenian version was direct rather than being representative. With a few exceptions, Athenians didn't vote for politicians to represent them; all Athenians
voted on just about every law or policy the city was to adopt. Shall we fight the Spartans?
The people vote and decide. Raise taxes? Build a navy? The people decide.
3. What was so revolutionary about Greek thought? What ideas continue to influence the West today?
Greek philosophy is the origin of western culture and its institutions: art, religion,
mathematics, natural sciences, ethics, education, politics, economics, law, etc. Almost all
of the conflicts and solutions that govern the history of the West can be traced to Greek
philosophy. In other words, the Greeks are our intellectual sources.
The ancient Greeks made important discoveries in science. They developed
democracy, where people govern themselves rather than being ruled by a king. The
Greeks also valued beauty and imagination. They wrote many stories and plays that
continue to be performed today.