The Government and Laws of Ancient Greece

The Government and Laws of

Ancient GreeceBy Timothy

Callery

The History of Athens’ Government

1. City of Athens founded in about 700 B.C. 2. Cleisthenes Born 570 B.C. 3. Oligarchy as Government until Pisistratus in 547 B.C. 4. Monarchy under Pisistratus and his son 547 B.C.-510 B.C. 5. Pisistratus son’s monarchy falls 510 B.C. 6. Athenian government organized by Cleisthenes About 510 B.C. 7. Isagoras siezes power with “The Four Hundred” Assembly in 508 B.C.8. Isagoras Overthrown by Athenian people in 507 B.C. 9. Cleisthenes brought back to the city and helps organize the democracy of Athens in 507 B.C. 10.Athenian “Golden Age” with Pericles as lead figure in Athens from 470 B.C.- about 450 B.C. 11.Athens surrenders to Philip II and is part of the Greek Empire in about 338 B.C.

Oligarchy What is an oligarchy, you may ask? An oligarchy is a system of government in which the richest and most powerful citizens rule over the city or country. The complete definition is “the richest and most powerful citizens controlled decision-making” [Our World]. These citizens were called aristocrats. They took what the peasants who worked in the fields, shops, and workshops of the city in return for protection. This is a little bit like an early version of feudalism, in which only nobles had major power. Most city-states in the Classical [city-state] Greek Era had this form of government. Cleisthenes, the person who used the Greek Solon’s idea of democracy, who founded Athens’s democracy was the son of Aristocratic parents

Monarchy What is a Monarchy? A monarchy is a government under control of one monarch, or simply a king and/or queen. In Athens, Pisistratus and his son were monarchs. This is an example of a monarch who had a son or daughter and passed on power to their child. This is what a monarch wanted to do, so that his family would stay in power. This is especially what Pisistratus wanted to do during his reign over Athens. The monarch usually had a court, which was a group of nobles and close friends that gave the monarch advice or did a service to help him or her rule. Many city-states also had this form of government.

The First Democracy in AthensAfter Isagoras’ cruel rule over Athens

angered the people, and in a stunning event, Isagoras surrendered. He had banished the aristocrats from Athens, but the people brought them back for help in organizing their new government. Cleisthenes, a strong supporter, of Solon’s idea of democracy, helped the people in forming and organized democracy. No city-state of Greece, or anywhere in the world had this form of government. It was a revolution in government, but this idea of a “government of the people”, or “rule by the people” [definitions of democracy] needed a lot of work. Cleisthenes had to organize a WHOLE ENTIRE government that would make the people happy and content. He based most of the government on voting and people’s decisions. All of the citizens were important in ALL decisions.

Organization of the GovernmentPynx [Assembly]--The Assembly was where any citizen could speak up and talk about things that they wanted to change; from the price of rugs, to an important military campaign. All citizens voted on these subjects in the assembly, including ostracizing. Ostracizing was the Athenian assembly used shards of pottery with names on them, and whoever’s name appeared the most was banished from the city, usually because the people thought that the citizen was gaining too much power.

Court/Jury--The Court was where all criminal cases were heard, though, the Athenian court was very different from our modern court. There were NO lawyers for anyone, but they did have a jury, and usually organizers/judges who were both paid. The jury voted on how the case’s outcome went, and the judges finalized it. Usually, the prosecutors would win these crude cases, because there were no lawyers. In Pericles’ funeral speech, he says that the free, equal, and represented Athenian citizens live “lawless”, even though there were laws, but not laws like: “You must obey the King’s orders or you will be hanged.”

Bibliography. “Greeks: Crucible of Civilization”. Our World Textbook.PBS “Greeks: Crucible of Civilization” Site