Dikasteria's Democracy: The Formation Of Athenian Democracy
Athens Democracy
The first person to define democracy was an Athenian leader called Cleisthenes. He called it Demokratia, which meant rule by people. In their democracy, only male citizens who were older than eighteen could participate. Demokratia gave a strong structure to the Athenian government, which served as a model for future governments in the world.
The Demokratia had three main institutions. The first one is the Ekklesia, which is an assembly in which all qualified citizens could participate. The Ekklesia made decisions about laws, policies, and war. They also could expel citizens from the city for ten years. Their decisions depended on majority vote.
The second institution was the council of five hundred, which was called the Boule. …show more content…
It consisted of five hundred men, fifty from each Athenian tribe. Their meetings were every day, and they dealt with things like ships and army horses. They also talked to representatives from other city states, and decided what would be presented to the Ekklesia. The members of the Boule were chosen by lottery, not election.
The third institution was the Dikasteria, or the popular courts.
More than 500 members were chosen every day, as jurors, by a group of citizens, which had to be male and older than thirty. People believed that the members of the Dikasteria almost had unlimited power. Athens had no police, so the members of the Dikasteria brought people to the courts and tried them. The jurors received wages for work, but their wages were less than what normal workers would earn.
The Demokratia declined gradually. One of the main reasons was Macedonia's rise to power in the Greek world under Alexander the Great. His father Philip and his army defeated Athens in a huge battle that made Athens enter a league against Persia. This league gave Philip more power over Greece. After Philip`s death, Alexander attacked Persia, and Athens was left in confusion without any real government to rule. Some institutions continued to function, but without real assemblies or actual members. Athens would never be completely free after that.
After the Athenians started democracy, other city states in Greece tried to follow. Unlike Athens, most of these governments consisted only of wealthy landowners. Jury and assembly members were less important, and most people didn’t
vote.
Democracy can be still seen today, although it's not the same as Athens Demokratia. Since the Cold War, many countries have chosen democracy for their government. Now, many powerful countries, organizations, and politicians believe that democracy is the best form of government. Even though the democratic process didn't survive long in ancient Greece, the ideals still influence governments and politics today.
The first person to define democracy was an Athenian leader called Cleisthenes. He called it Demokratia, which meant rule by people. In their democracy, only male citizens who were older than eighteen could participate. Demokratia gave a strong structure to the Athenian government, which served as a model for future governments in the world.
The Demokratia had three main institutions. The first one is the Ekklesia, which is an assembly in which all qualified citizens could participate. The Ekklesia made decisions about laws, policies, and war. They also could expel citizens from the city for ten years. Their decisions depended on majority vote.
The second institution was the council of five hundred, which was called the Boule. …show more content…
It consisted of five hundred men, fifty from each Athenian tribe. Their meetings were every day, and they dealt with things like ships and army horses. They also talked to representatives from other city states, and decided what would be presented to the Ekklesia. The members of the Boule were chosen by lottery, not election.
The third institution was the Dikasteria, or the popular courts.
More than 500 members were chosen every day, as jurors, by a group of citizens, which had to be male and older than thirty. People believed that the members of the Dikasteria almost had unlimited power. Athens had no police, so the members of the Dikasteria brought people to the courts and tried them. The jurors received wages for work, but their wages were less than what normal workers would earn.
The Demokratia declined gradually. One of the main reasons was Macedonia's rise to power in the Greek world under Alexander the Great. His father Philip and his army defeated Athens in a huge battle that made Athens enter a league against Persia. This league gave Philip more power over Greece. After Philip`s death, Alexander attacked Persia, and Athens was left in confusion without any real government to rule. Some institutions continued to function, but without real assemblies or actual members. Athens would never be completely free after that.
After the Athenians started democracy, other city states in Greece tried to follow. Unlike Athens, most of these governments consisted only of wealthy landowners. Jury and assembly members were less important, and most people didn’t
vote.
Democracy can be still seen today, although it's not the same as Athens Demokratia. Since the Cold War, many countries have chosen democracy for their government. Now, many powerful countries, organizations, and politicians believe that democracy is the best form of government. Even though the democratic process didn't survive long in ancient Greece, the ideals still influence governments and politics today.