Ancient Athens The Prototype for Western Democracy Essays

Ancient Athens serves as a beacon within Western antiquity as the center for culture with its cultural advancements impacting the culture of today. Founded nearly 9,000 years ago, Athens formed itself as the center of Greek culture and education during the classical period. Considered the prototype for Western Democracy, it allowed for the rise of a citizenship of voters, something unique in the ancient world. The Athenian love of physical activity culminated in the Olympics, an event that though ended by the Roman Empire, inspired the Olympics of the modern era. Though Athens was later conquered by the Roman Empire, it still served as the center of culture until its ultimate collapse in the 6th century AD via the Eastern Roman Empire.†¦show more content†¦In 600 B.C.E. polis, also known as city-states were mostly ruled by a small group of wealthy land owners . An increasingly rough terrain and increased importing of goods pushed most small, independent farmers into debt, wi dening the gap between the minority of wealthy land owners and the majority of the poorer local farmers. Social dispute ensued as more and more farmers were forced to sell their farms to cover their mounting financial debt. A free-thinking statesman and land owner, Solon, was elected to create a reform of laws that would later set the stage for democracy. His reform included an assembly of 400 men, drawn by lottery, to vote on new laws and serve as a jury; abolishing the rule of the wealthy. Women and foreigners were excluded from this lottery, as citizenship in Athens was determined by bloodline, not land ownership. Under this new reform of laws, slavery for agricultural debts was terminated, as was the incurring debt of farmers. During this assembly, current laws were constantly under review and revision, and new laws were voted on and passed by popular vote. City officials were also elected and dismissed, court trials, and appeals were also conducted by citizen vote. The assembly was held monthly, with citizens rotating in and out with each new lottery. This new system equalized the power between the wealthy and poor social classes. A laterShow MoreRelatedAthenians and Spartans : Difference in Values1369 Words   |  6 PagesHow and why did the values of Athenians differ from that of the Spartans? Ancient Greece provided the rudiments of Western civilisation; it has had a colossal influence on language, politics, educational systems, philosophy, science, and arts. In the following several pages I hope to demonstrate explicitly, the bold differences between the two provinces, and to suggest the relativity, of Ancient Greece conventions, to modern times. In doing this I will bring upon wars, economic stances, and mostRead MoreOne Significant Change That Has Occurred in the World Between 1900 and 2005. 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