Why Did Athens Build The Greek Empires
ATHENIAN DEMOCRACY – HOW IT ALL BEGAN
The majority of countries in history have been ruled by either a monarchy or an oligarchy. A monarchy involves a single individual with a high status ruling over the state or country. An oligarchy is best defined as leadership by a select few. The Greek city states were no different. But it was a Greek city state that first introduced us to a government system of the people, for the people, by the people – and became the world’s first fully democratic state.
During the Bronze Age, Greek states were monarchies, primarily ruled and managed by kings, who had absolute power and had little interest for the common people. Their schemes and laws were only made in the interest of themselves, and they cared only …show more content…
He decided that there would be no more General Assembly, and that once again Aristocrats would have total power. Having lost their General Assembly, and the justice that was offered to them by previous rulers, the common people of Athens were furious. They tried asking Cleisthenes, who had stemmed from the nobility, to help them, but he couldn’t raise a large enough army to drive the aristocrats and their Spartan friends from the city. With no one to save them, the people had to take matters into their own hands. They rebelled and revolted, and besieged and executed the leaders. They invited Cleisthenes back from exile, and gave him free reign to form a new government where the interests of the common people were not ignored. With the people of Athens behind him, he invented the world’s first democracy, the first system of government of the people, for the people and by the people.
Cleisthenes bought back the General Assembly, and gave them the responsibility of running the state. Everybody was allowed to vote once, so everyone had a fair chance to have their say. He decided that the oligarchic Archons and Areopagus could stay, but their power was greatly reduced. Everything the Archons used to control was now controlled by the General Assembly. They were left with nothing to do but offer advice and oversee trials for treason, religion or
The majority of countries in history have been ruled by either a monarchy or an oligarchy. A monarchy involves a single individual with a high status ruling over the state or country. An oligarchy is best defined as leadership by a select few. The Greek city states were no different. But it was a Greek city state that first introduced us to a government system of the people, for the people, by the people – and became the world’s first fully democratic state.
During the Bronze Age, Greek states were monarchies, primarily ruled and managed by kings, who had absolute power and had little interest for the common people. Their schemes and laws were only made in the interest of themselves, and they cared only …show more content…
He decided that there would be no more General Assembly, and that once again Aristocrats would have total power. Having lost their General Assembly, and the justice that was offered to them by previous rulers, the common people of Athens were furious. They tried asking Cleisthenes, who had stemmed from the nobility, to help them, but he couldn’t raise a large enough army to drive the aristocrats and their Spartan friends from the city. With no one to save them, the people had to take matters into their own hands. They rebelled and revolted, and besieged and executed the leaders. They invited Cleisthenes back from exile, and gave him free reign to form a new government where the interests of the common people were not ignored. With the people of Athens behind him, he invented the world’s first democracy, the first system of government of the people, for the people and by the people.
Cleisthenes bought back the General Assembly, and gave them the responsibility of running the state. Everybody was allowed to vote once, so everyone had a fair chance to have their say. He decided that the oligarchic Archons and Areopagus could stay, but their power was greatly reduced. Everything the Archons used to control was now controlled by the General Assembly. They were left with nothing to do but offer advice and oversee trials for treason, religion or