The advantages of Greeks geography is that they had protection from invaders and some disadvantages were that they had a hard time farming and traveling. What were the advantages and disadvantages of the city-state model of government in Greece? Not everyone gets to participate. 3 What were the strengths and weaknesses of ancient Greece? The system and ideas employed by the ancient Greeks had profound influences on how democracy developed, and its impact on the formation of the U.S. government. Women could own property. Oligarchy (advantage) If the leader is strong/effective, the civilization is in good shape. 6 What were the advantages and disadvantages of the city-state form of government? Democracy is the modern day standard for governmental systems. Pros: Many Tyrants ruled well and helped poor families by cancelling the debts of poor farmers. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. First of all, the economy was very strong in Athens. Because Athens (back then it was called Athenai), was where the concept of democratic society was first formed. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. Each year 500 names were chosen from all the citizens of ancient Athens. Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. Geographical formations including mountains, seas, and islands formed natural barriers between the Greek city-states and forced the Greeks to settle along the coast. But those attitudes shifted in the course of the 5th century under the influence of the Persian invasions of Greece in 480479 bce. Secondly, Giovanni Sartori (1997), a Political Science Researcher states that democracy is an abbreviation that means Liberal Democracy. Their government was Demokratia, and this excluded the women, the children, the metics, and the slaves. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. Every city-state had their own coins, government, and laws. The audio, illustrations, photos, and videos are credited beneath the media asset, except for promotional images, which generally link to another page that contains the media credit. 4 What are the pros and cons of democracy in ancient Greece? A belief in shared power: based on a suspicion of concentrated power (whether by individuals, groups or governments). Monarchy (advantage) Middle class realized that they could make changes (leads to democracy) Tyranny (advantage) Many people were disenfranchised. Tenant farmer Person who pays rent, either in money or crops, to grow crops on another person's land Metic Foreigner in a Greek city-state, often a merchant or artisan Slavery The main disadvantage for the Athenians was that around 430 BCE, a plague struck Athens. Disadvantages: controlled little territory, many rivals/more conflict. As I will come to. Sparta was cruel, disgusting, and uninviting each day would be a struggle to survive. The assembly passed laws and made policy decisions (PBS 1). In document A, I found that is truly democratic because your social class is not allowed the interfere with someone 's merit. Specifically in America, one is taught that they live in a democratic society. In Homeric Age, the regime of Athens is citizens can go into politics directly, just like governor who wield the supreme power, this kind of regime called Direct Democracy. Athens is the capital and the largest city of Greece. The Pros And Cons Of Ancient Athenian Democracy. As I will come to. Democracy is now prescribed as inseparable from good governance and an antidote to corruption. Each polis differ particular on economically, politically, and military, When in doubt, however, the city-states did not get along. The Athenians were stronger because they had a better geography, government, cultural achievements, and I would rather live in the Athens. The weaknesses weighed Sparta down, so here are some of those weaknesses. From the system of creating new laws to the checks and balances that define the American government. Having good harbors and water access is good for trade, and trade brings economic stability. What are the advantages of the ancient Greek system? 3 What were the advantages and disadvantages of the city-state model of government in Greece? With this came many different governments for each city-state causing each city-state to have a different View On their morals. Its also said that Sparta is the foundation for the governments we now have in the world. Sea travel connected Greece to other societies. When you look at the literal definition of democracy in the Merriam-Webster dictionary, there is a decently large explanation. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. What are the pros and cons of democracy in ancient Greece? Spartan women are better than Athenian women because they have more rights, these rights coclude of being able to marry anyone they wish to. 5. Unless someone was part of the 1 percent, Athens gave members of society more rights than Sparta. The first one is Document A: Pericles and the other one is Document B: The The Athenian Constitution. Established on September 17, 1787, the U.S. Constitution established Americas national government and fundamental laws, and guaranteed rights for its citizens. While there were opportunities for public officials to be reelected, this did mean that implementing policies became difficult, as there was not enough time to execute them. It took longer to make political decisions than some of the city-states that operated oligarchies did. They became skilled sailors. 7 What are some pros and cons of Spartan society? Athens weaknesses included its unwritten laws, lack of unity at the beginning, insatiable hunger for new territories, and constant power struggles with other poleis. Beginning with contrasts in government, Sparta, was an Oligarchy where most of the power was shared between two kings. Athens was a much more superior polis compared to Sparta because the Athenians invented new ideas and creations that supported the people, such as democracy, the Athenians led the Delian League, and Sparta created the Peloponnesian League after the Athenians created their alliance, and the Athenians changed the ways of their government many times to suit the people, and the Spartans did not. It does not store any personal data. The city-state of Athens, 5th century Athens to be precise, is the inventor and first practitioner of democracy. National Geographic Society is a 501 (c)(3) organization. All rights reserved. Children were tortured to become strongerand all men would be fighting and stealing things just to survive. While this advancement occurred. They all spoke the same language and they all believed in the same god. While it has been stated that Athens is the cradle of democracy, and that it was better than any of the other governments in the world, it was still a work in progress. The five most powerful Greek city-states were; Athens, Sparta, Corinth. After Pericles died Athens could not defeat Sparta in the Peloponnesian War and also couldnt hold the truce that was signed in 421 BC which allowed Sparta to gain overall victory in the, The Democracy of Athens meant that the people rule themselves. The Spartan government is made up of kings and elders only. Advantages: Made it hard for enemies to get to Greece, Greeks developed very small, close kit communities, hill top lookouts for invaders. Rather than vote for representatives, like we do, each citizen was expected to vote for every law. The Sea shaped the Greek civilizations as rivers did in the other ancient civilizations. Who were excluded from Greeces limited democracy? Limits of Greek Democracy Socrates (469-399 BCE) and Aristotle (384-322 BCE), two of the most influential of the ancient Greek philosophers, were suspicious of the idea of equality. Athens was a democratic state that was peaceful and where women were open to culture and democracy. This article was useful to my essay as it provided detailed information on the gaps in Athenian democracy. They could veto law proposals or rulings made by the council or assembly (PBS 1). First, all true democracies limit majority rule in order to protect the rights of minorities. Amongst those city states Athens and Sparta were two of the most powerful and considered in Greek history as the most influential states to western civilisation. Why Ancient Athens is better than Sparta? Monarchy, aristocracy, tyranny, oligarchy and democracy were all forms of government found at different times and in different city-states in Ancient Greece. Advantage: They had access to trade, transportation, fish, and water. The Spartans changed their society to remove all social distinction and became the greatest soldiers in Greece. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. Spartas government was said to have a mixture of the major types of government which is oligarchy, monarchy, and democracy. Hard work and equality is what makes a nation outstanding. Sea travel connected Greece to other societies. Each city-state had its own way of doing things. Sparta was focused on their military, discipline, and to have a strong state. In Athens, the ruler Draco tried to make many reforms in the city state. Tenant farmer. The word democracy has its origins in the Greek language. What were the limitations of the ancient Greeks? They took politics very seriously and made sure that everyone had a voiced opinion. What are the pros and cons of Athenian society? Due to the fact that Sparta had a very military lifestyle, they were good at raising strong outspoken women in a society where women were kept at home. For example, if youre poor youre still able to serve the state or be part of the government. Slavery. Absolutism was characterized by the ending of feudal partitioning, consolidation of power with the monarch, rise of state, rise of professional standing armies, professional bureaucracies, the codification of state laws, and the rise of ideologies that justify the absolutist monarchy. How to Market Your Business with Webinars? Athenian citizens in that era were generally expected to have respectful qualities, like openness, a rational mind and belief in their authority, although they did have shortcomings. Athens was a small city compared to Rome that honored and protected citizenship. Advantages: small, easy to control, centralized. Some farmers in archaic and classic Greece werent choosing which crops to plant based on local nutritional needs. And they only let men vote which means that only 12% in ancient Athens can vote.In Athens no one had freedom of thought and expression either. There was a thriving city. These two city-states, Sparta and Athens have unique formations of government, histories, goals, as well as societies. Spartas kings ruled until death or forcibly removed from office. All city-states differed from each other in some ways but all shared some characteristics too. What are the advantages of the ancient Greek system? So that is why I conclude that ancient Athens was indeed not truly. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. In America today, democracy is something we take pride in. Additionally, the reliability affected by the emotive language being employed in this article as the author utilises this language it demonstrates that bias is present. Such abundance of water makes Ancient Greece good in fishing and trade. The Athenians were stronger because they had a better geography, government, cultural achievements, and I would rather live in the Athens. Sparta advantage. The Constitution also represents the value and principles of democracy and republicanism that the United States of American stands by. In all fairness I believe Athens had the better system of government. WebAdvantages: Greece has mountains which were good for grazing sheep and goats, Greece is next to the Ionian sea on the west, the Mediterranean Sea on the south, and the Aegean sea on the east which enabled the Greeks to fish and to trade with older, more complex cultures, the climate was good for growing deep rooted plants like olives and grapes, so olive oil and However up until 500 BCE, the concept of Democracy was a foreign concept, and the great civilizations of that era were run by monarchs, aristocrats, and religious leaders of sorts. There was a constant importance of acknowledging all citizens hard work and participation. The Athenians created a new kind of government where the people chose their leaders. It was easy for the Athenians to see who the people are due to the population number at the time. In many scientific or philosophical words derived from Greek, the letter kkk is used to spell the kkk sound, as in skeptical and kleptomania. Disadvantage: Unpredictable sea, need boats to travel. No i don't think Athens was truly democratic because, all the rules of ancient Athens are very unfair with all their rules and rights for all citizens. Government failure. Give me balance, give me equality. National Geographic Headquarters 1145 17th Street NW Washington, DC 20036. The Rights Holder for media is the person or group credited. What are the pros and cons of democracy in ancient Greece? The geography of the region helped to shape the government and culture of the Ancient Greeks. Greece, and especially Athens, is the cradle of democracy in the western civilization. There are many limitations on democracy as a majority rule. Some of the strengths of Athenian democracy include making decisions based on the opinions of many rather than a few, giving responsibility to more citizens and making records available for public examination. When looking at this definition and trying to decide whether the Athenian democratic system was truly democratic, one would have to go with the answer no. The ancient civilization of greece was different from many of the civilizations in its time. + PRO: Though harder to find, more affordable options exist. Each city-state had its own form of government and its own army, and even sometimes its own navy. Sparta advantage. They became skilled sailors. Together it means rule by the people. Athens was also referred to as the birthplace of democracy, a government system still in use today! The idea of liberalism first began in the 1600s with John Locke as he believed that the people should be allowed to remove the government currently ruling when they have misused their power for ulterior motives. Even girls were trained to become soldiers because for the Spartans there is no such thing as inequality; women can do the job of mem. Geography had an enormous impact on the ancient Greek civilization. Sparta is far better than Athens on the grounds that their armed force was strong and defensive. The Athenians were stronger because they had a better geography, government, cultural achievements, and I would rather live in the Athens. Athens had a geographic advantage because they were very superior. The Athens lived by the Sea which was an advantage because they had an excellent trading system. What disadvantages did Athens have? While both Athenian and Roman form of democracy was a major step away from autocratic rule, but they both had their drawbacks. To have a powerful and lasting empire with great prosperity you must have a series of strong leaders. The Greek idea of democracy was different from present-day democracy because, in Athens, all adult citizens were required to take an active part in the government. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. 7 What are the limitations of a majority rule democracy? The reason why Takaki tells us the story of his interaction with the taxi cab driver is because the driver assumed since he was not white, that he was not American. They used to stay in caves located near the sea and their main occupations were hunting, fishing, farming and later on they started sailing and making pots. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. WebWidely thought of as the birthplace of democracy, Athens is Greece's central hub and has contributed much to the worlds of art, theatre, architecture, philosophy and politics. The rule of the people is the definition of Democracy. In a democracy all of the people are able to vote, and have a choice on who runs their city.