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The Greek Adventure 2 (Athens and Sparta (Greeks knew four types of…
The Greek Adventure 2
Athens and Sparta
the two poleis that dominated Greek life and politics in the Classic Age: Athens and Sparta
Athens
center for Greek educational, artistic, and scientific activity as well as the birthplace of political democracy
Sparta
militaristic, authoritarian society that held the arts and intellectual life in contempt and dreaded the extension of freedom to the individual or the community
the two opposites came into conflict
Athenian polis provoked the war that ultimately ruined it
Greeks knew four types of government
Monarchy
ruled by a single person - queen or king
has the final word in law
Aristocracy
rule by those who are born to the leading families and thereby are qualified to rule
Oligarchy
rule by a few, who are almost always the wealthiest members of society
Democracy
rule by the people - by majority vote on disputed issues
voting rights in executive and legislative acts are limited to citizens: freeborn adult males
Tyranny: rule by dictator who had illegally seized power
Early Athens
original monarchy pushed aside by aristocrats
aristocrats gave way in the 500's to oligarchs - some were nobly born and some were rich commoners
most important oligarch - solon
Solon established a constitution that made an uneasy balance between demands of the wealthy and the demands of the impoverished
Aristocratic tyrant: Pisistratus
After him came: Cleisthenes: an aristocrat and the true founder of the Athenian democracy
Early Hellenic Civilization
institution of polis: the community of adult free person who make up a town or any inhabited place
basically a city state
at one time, the Greek mainland was the home of more than two hundred poleis
each thought of itself as a political and cultural unit-independent of every other
also considered itself to be part of the family of peoples calling themselves the Greeks
frame of reference for the entire public life and for much of private life for the its citizens
citizenship
many people excluded from political life including women and slaves - many people were excluded because of gender, age, or social status
Athens and Sparta 2
Athenian Democracy
Cleisthenes gave away his tyrannical powers to a series of political bodies: democratic
the ekklesia, the boule, the deme
ekklesia: town meeting: all free male athenians make critical decisions affecting the future of the polis
boule: council of five hundred citizens who were chosen by lot for one year terms
the deme: basic political subdivision of the polis
idea of ostracism or the pushing out of a citizen who would not conform to the will of his neighbors - having this enforced the will of majority without resorting in bloodshed
Spartian Militarism
Spartan polis: located in southern Peloponnesus - small city surrounded by pastoral villages
population grew in the 700's - spartans engaged in territorial war -
the Messenian Wars with their closest Greek neighbor - and won
people who lost were reduced to a state near slavery (helotry)
Spartans devoted to the military arts