Political+Greece

__Classical Greek Politics __

Early Greek City-States Due to Greek topography, which was significantly mountains, rivers, and ocean, feudal city-states were the most effective and commonly used government system.
 * Each were governed differently
 * Differing cultures
 * However the language was unified
 * Could be small or large and highly influential (e.g. Sparta or Athens)
 * City states existed because of the mountains in Greece that made close communication and large connections very difficult

Greek Aristocracy Because there was no truly centralized government in classical Greece, the aristocracy ruled each city state.
 * Early Grecian political form was aristocracy
 * This form was challenged as commercial expansion began because the aristocracy caused issues for the merchant class
 * Sparta continued in the aristocratic way and became a huge and strong military regime
 * Tyranny in certain city-states rose as aristocracy fell
 * E.g. Solon became popular for setting laws that eased the burden of debts on farmers
 * Aristocracy’s fall also helped develop strong infantry under the rule of non-aristocrats

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Greek Democracy <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Classical Greece was especially famous for its democracy, especially in Athens, where trials were held to determine consequences. For instance, it was the democratic method that condemned Socrates to death through ingesting hemlock.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Depended on popular assembly for authority
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">All decisions were made by this group- all action had to be approved
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">American democracy was influenced later by this
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Each representative was elected
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">These reps usually came from nobility, but could be punished and demoted for faulty service if need be
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Terms were also brief
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Even at its best, Athenian democracy was highly influenced by the aristocrats of the time because many men were not citizens (as slaves or foreigners) and women held no political power
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Pericles:
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Used wise manipulation to stay in power and guide Athens through its glory years after mid-5th century B.C.E.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Leader of Athens for a long amount of time until he died of the plague

[by Ria Guest]

· Greek was divided by city-states o Each city-state was an individual political unit o Ruled by land-owning aristocrats o Free farmers were citizens who supported the government o A city-state was a regional government centered in a large city o Had their own laws and government o Divided geographically o Would often fight wars amongst each other to gain more land § Encouraged an intense political life o This system was becoming a challenge by 700 B.C.E, aristocratic rule was disputed and some city-states escaped major contests and remained strictly agricultural · Greek civilization was a revival of eastern Mediterranean trade · Legendary Athens and Sparta o Athens 5th century B.C.E., a democratic tendency began to take place o First society to have a democracy where everyone had a say and the majority ruled § Women, slaves, and foreigners were excluded from the voting § Votes were generally overpowered by aristocratic men of the society § PROS: gave the citizens jobs in court, everyone had a say, and freedom of speech § CONS: very inefficient, voting was held at inconvenient times, and immediate decisions could not be made right away · Alexander the Great: gained power at the age of 20 and wanted to finish the conquering his father Philip II started o Moved into Asia with 35,000 troops and in 333 B.C.E, he defeated the Persian armies o His thirst for expansion continued to grow and he expanded through Asia up till the border of India. · Hellenism: meaning “derived from the Greek” · The Hellenistic period was the time in which Greek values were spread across Asia
 * __ Greek Politics __**

--Yusra