GREEK DEMOCRACY: ORIGIN, CHARACTERISTICS, PROMINENT CHARACTERS - HISTORY - 2025

The Greek democracy was a kind of government that appeared on the sixth century. C. in the polis of Athens, reason why many historians call it Athenian democracy. The characters who most contributed to the adoption of this type of political system were Solon, Cleisthenes and, above all, Pericles.

Since Clístenes changed the laws in force to establish democracy, about 508 BC. C. until the Macedonians finished with it, almost 200 years passed. During this time, the democratic system had many supporters, but also such illustrious opponents as Plato and Aristotle.

Pericles Funeral Speech - Source: Philipp Foltz. www.ancientgreekbattles.net/…/Pericles.htm

Democracy in Ancient Greece was quite different from today. To begin with, not all inhabitants had political rights, since women, those not born in the polis and slaves were excluded.

Those who did have the right to participate met in the ecclesia, an assembly in which government affairs were debated and corresponding decisions were made. On the other hand, there were a series of institutions, some of whose members were chosen by lot. This method was considered more democratic than voting.

Origin of Greek democracy

Greece, or more specifically the polis of Athens, was the birthplace of democracy. Over time, other polis adopted the same mode of government, although many others did not.

Thanks to their documentation systems, today the mechanisms they created to implement this political system are known.

Background

Between the years 800 and 500 a. C. the cities of the Hellenic culture were increasing in complexity and size. Normally, each of these polis had a monarchical system of government, although later they came to be ruled by local aristocracies.

The expansion of maritime trade and the cultivation of land were two of the factors that led to the emergence of economic elites. Over time, these elites seized power, in what are called "tyrannical regimes." This system appeared between the 6th and 5th centuries BC. C.

The increase in population made the pressure on these tyrants grow. His response was to grant some rights to the people. Similarly, the military structure was reorganized and many former farmers came to play an important role in defending the polis.

On the other hand, the Greek polis developed an economic system in which slaves played a fundamental role. One of the consequences was a clear social hierarchy, since the differences in rights between so-called citizens and non-citizens were reinforced.

Added to this, in this context, what experts consider primitive constitutions began to be written.

Timocracy

One of the fundamental milestones in the process that led to the creation of democracy in Athens occurred during the government of Solon, in 594 BC. C.

Solon believed that power should be exercised by the most prepared, which at the time was identified with the philosophers. Only they, thanks to their knowledge, could properly manage all the affairs of the city. This system of government is called timocracy.

In 594 a. C., Solón approved a Constitution to implant that system of government. In addition, the leader managed to eliminate the debt of the exploited Athenians and prohibited those who were in debt from being turned into slaves.

Cleisthenes, Pericles and Ephialtes

Pericles

Later, at the end of the 6th century BC. C., a new ruler, Clístenes, ended the rule of the elites and imposed democracy.

Two other great names in the history of Greek democracy were Ephialtes and Pericles. Both lived in the fifth century, when Athens resisted the invasion attempts of the Achaemenid Empire. After this victory, the less privileged population groups demanded an increase in their political rights.

The reforms of Ephialtes and Pericles allowed these groups to have a much greater participation in political life. In addition, the second of them created the different institutions that developed in this system of government.

Features and operation

Athens was the first polis to adopt democracy, a system of government in which citizens participated in political decision-making. From that city, democracy spread to other polis.

Etymology

The word democracy was created in the 5th century BC. C., in the polis of Athens. It is composed of two words: demos (people) and kratos (power or government).

Some authors claim that this etymology could be more complex. Thus, "demos" could have its origin in the fusion of "demiurgi" and "geomoros". Plutarch, a Greek historian, claimed that the demiurges, the geomoros, and the eupatrids were the three social classes of free citizens that made up the society of Attica.

According to Plutarco, the nobles would be the Eupatrids; the artisans, the demiurges; and the peasants, the geomoros. In this way, democracy would mean “the rule of the artisans and the peasants, the two groups that opposed the rule of the nobles.

Citizenship

Greek democracy had many differences from what is understood as such today. To begin with, the concept of citizen was very small: only men over 20 years old and who had completed their military training were considered that way.

Women, foreigners and slaves did not have that consideration and, therefore, could not participate in political life.

Government Bodies

Demosthenes before the ecclesia in 346 BC. C.

In Athens, where Greek democracy originated, there were three governing bodies. The first of them was the Ekklesia or Assembly and exercised the functions of the governing body of the polis. In some ways, it had a function similar to that of parliaments.

The main difference was that its members were not elected, but rather that any citizen (not women, foreigners, slaves or those under 20) could participate in its meetings. Those who, being able, did not want to participate were called "idiotai", a word from which the term "idiot" comes.

The second of the governing bodies was the Boule, also known as the Council of the Five Hundred. As its name indicates, it was made up of five hundred men who were selected by lottery and who held office for a year. This body took care of the practicalities and met every day.

The last body was the Dikasteria, the people's courts. It was the judicial branch of the polis. Like the previous one, it was made up of 500 men, also chosen by lottery.

Public charges

Public offices in this system of government were elected in two different ways. The first, as noted, was by lottery. This was the most common method, as it was considered the most democratic.

On the other hand, there were also some positions that were elected by vote. Roughly one hundred out of every thousand officials came to office in this way. They were, for example, the treasurers and the strategoi, generals of the army.

Functioning

The participation of the citizens, with the exception of the idiotai, was mandatory. This group had equal political rights, in addition to freedom of expression.

To propose a law, the citizen had to write his proposal on a tablet and deposit it in the agora. Later, that proposal was debated in the Council of Five Hundred. In the case of considering it convenient, the Council drafted a bill to present it to the Assembly.

After sacrificing a piglet, the citizens present at the Assembly meeting debated the approval of the project, in sessions that could last up to 6 hours. In the end, they voted by show of hands.

End of Greek democracy

Representation of hoplites from Ancient Greece, 5th century BC Source: Megistias background cleaned by Chabacano / CC BY-SA (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)

Athens lived through its golden age during its democratic period, despite having to endure a war against Sparta. The plague epidemic that appeared during the siege to which the city was subjected caused numerous deaths, including that of Pericles.

Although Athens lost that war, democracy remained in the polis until 322 BC. Then the supremacy of Macedonia in Greece began and the end of the democratic system.

Arguments for and against

Greek democracy is considered one of the great advances in the history of Western civilization. Even today, liberal democracies claim to descend from the one created in that period.

However, and apart from its non-universal character by excluding women and other social groups, already in its time it found quite a few critics.

critics

Two of the best known critics of the democracy implanted in Athens were Plato and Aristotle. These great philosophers explained the faults they found in this system of government.

Aristotle claimed that it was a perverse system of government. Plato, for his part, wrote in his Republic that the lottery typical of Greek democracy allowed many positions to be filled by people without training or ability.

Plato also went further with his criticism. For the philosopher, the democratic person lacked discipline and shame. According to him, these individuals only wanted freedom to do what they wanted and, therefore, to satisfy their bodily desires.

On the other hand, the democratic system established in Athens excluded most of the population. Only citizens, free men, had political rights. Some calculations affirm that, on the 430 a. C., only 10% of the 300,000 inhabitants of the city could participate in political life.

Arguments in favor

The one who best explained the advantages of Greek democracy was Pericles. In his funeral speech he defined this system as follows:

“We have a political regime that does not emulate the laws of other peoples, and more than imitators of others, we are a role model. Its name, because the government does not depend on a few but on the majority, is democracy. As regards private affairs, equality, according to our laws, reaches everyone, while in the election of public office we do not put class reasons before personal merit, according to the prestige enjoyed by each citizen. in their activity; and no one, because of their poverty, encounters obstacles due to the darkness of their social condition if they are in a position to provide a service to the city "

In this way, albeit in a limited way, democracy allowed the people to give a voice and vote for the first time. Furthermore, the abuse of the rulers was greatly limited.

Prominent figures

Pericles

Pericles came to the world in 495 BC. C., in the polis of Athens. His father was Jantipo, a military man who had commanded the army in his victory against the Persians at Micala, in 479 BC. C.

As a member of a privileged class, Pericles had very prestigious teachers, such as the philosopher Anaxagoras or the sophist Damon.

In addition, he surrounded himself with a group of important intellectuals of the time: Herodotus, historian, Sophocles, playwright, or Phidias, sculptor. Even his lover, Aspasia de Mileto, was known for her great culture

Pericles, leader of the faction defending democracy, tried to get all citizens to participate in government. Likewise, he introduced payment in exchange for services rendered to the State and was the creator of the lottery system to elect public officials.

The attack by the Persians that led to the creation of the Delian League made Pericles the leader of Athens for fifteen years. During that period, he promoted the restoration of the temples destroyed during the war, in addition to constructing several new buildings, including the Parthenon.

Solon

At a time when Athens was suffering major internal conflicts due to the concentration of land in the hands of the aristocrats, Solon was chosen as arbitrator to end the fighting that was taking place.

This legislator set out to totally change the political and social system of the city. His intention was to promote a permanent social peace and that no new problems arise. To do this, he sought a formula to bring the privileged groups and the oppressed into agreement.

In the agricultural field, Solón proposed the elimination of charges. His proposal included changing the currency pattern, thereby reducing debt by 30%. In addition, it declared the expiration of the mortgages.

On the other hand, Solón was an ardent defender of citizen freedom, since he believed that without it misery would not stop growing. In this way, he drew up a new code of laws that increased personal freedoms.

Although, in a strict sense, the system formulated by Solon was not a democracy, it is considered as an antecedent of it.

Cleisthenes

Clístenes was an Athenian politician born in 570 a. His main contribution was the implantation of democracy in his city-state.

His intention to implement democracy met with the rejection of the Athenian oligarchy. To defeat it, Clístenes allied himself with the democratic faction, led by Isagoras. Both would end up facing each other for power, a fight that ended with the victory of Cleisthenes.

Once settled in power, Cleisthenes began to develop the necessary reforms to democratize the government. With the support of the Athenian people, he created the foundations of a system based on equality before the law of citizens.

References

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