Examples Of Pericles What Were The Goals Of Athens

Was ancient Athens truly democratic? Democracy is a system of government by the whole population or all the eligible members of a state. I do not believe that in the 4th to 5th century BCE ancient Athen were democratic for many reasons.

Pericles argues that Athens has become a model for others, and articulates what it is to be a good citizen. This can be seen when he says, “although the eyes of an enemy may occasionally profit by our liberality; trusting less in system and policy than to the native spirit of our citizens; while in education, where our rivals from their very cradles by a painful discipline seek after manliness, at Athens we live exactly as we please, and yet are just as ready to encounter every legitimate danger.” (Thucydides, 2.39) It proves that Ancient Athens’ valued greatness and worked in order to achieve the excellence of the state, by focusing on rebuilding themselves back up after the Persian war. Pericles played a big role in this because he showed his ambitions to rebuild Athens, which lead to the thriving of other subjects such as literature, philosophy, science, art, and religion.

After the Persian war and having spent money for the Delian League, the individuals living in ancient Greece must have found themselves hoping for a better future. The Periclean Building Program was introduced by Pericles in hopes of beautifying Athens, building temples, and providing free theater. While this has its benefits, there were some drawbacks to this program such as using the money meant to defend the city-states in the Delian League. The debate groups were able to use both pros and cons to argue the future of their city states. While facing the audience the participants of the debate used two very effective ways to sway the opinions of the audience.

Athens has been known to have very strong government leaders, such as Draco, Solon, Peisistratus, and Cleisthenes, as their laws and reforms have paved the way for many of our governments today. Among these was an outstanding leader, Peisistratus, who managed to complete the nearly impossible task of pleasing all social classes while maintaining a strong and efficient government. Peisistratus, mentee of Solon, kept Solon’s polished version of Draco’s government, and made reforms such as reduced taxes, introduction of festivals, production of coin money, and increase in trade. Peisistratus also set more jobs for the poor in the form of cleansing and sanitation of the city, which would keep the cities clean and please the aristocrats. Towards

Solon planned to make Athens a better city, and he did so by adding and fixing laws and relieving tension between

In this essay, I would like to answer and discuss the following questions: How did the people in Athens and Sparta obtain the right to participate in public life and make decisions affecting the community? Who held public office? What rules governed the selection of public office holders? How were two city-states similar in their governmental structures and how did they differ with each other? For the Spartans the right to participate and made important decisions from the entire community were only exercised by the adult and legitimate male citizens of Sparta.

He did this by making a place where the rich and the poor could help each other with voting. He then instituted the right of the people. He essentially made it so the common man had equal power to the wealthy man in terms of politics. He also united Athens by abolishing the four rival tribes, the Phylai and then making

Pericles was an Athenian Statesman born in 495 BC in a small town named Holoros, north of Athens. He came from a family of rich Aristocrats, and was deeply involved with changing the structure of Greek government. In 461 BC, Pericles was pronounced the leader of Athens. He created laws that allowed every citizen to be a part of the government, and laws that balanced the rich and the poor. Pericles strengthened Athens by creating and introducing direct democracy to them, and also by valuing their arts and literature.

Who was the better Greek city-state? Athens or Sparta? A question asked for quite some time now, probably since they existed. It’s time we get an answer! If you ask me, I think it was Athens that was the better Greek city state.

Pericles did not rule merely because he thought he was the best, or because he thought some god had designed him to be in charge. He ruled because he thought the ideas he held would help the people. He believed that democracy, the arts, and philosophy would allow the people gain freedom and assist Athens in rising to glory. Under Pericles leadership, Athens would experience its Golden Age, proving that Pericles was right in his ideas and

Democracy, a form of government, allows the people in their own nationality to vote for people in order for them to become representatives as a result to vote on new laws that would affect their own nationality. One of the many states of Greece, ancient Athens was indeed not truly democratic as a result of not inclusive, other than male citizens, to gain authority in ancient Athens, ¨Demokratia was ruled by male citizens only, excluding women, free foreigners(Metics) and slaves.¨(Document D), therefore ruling Athens was only accessible to male citizen since since women, free foreigners(Metics), and slaves were not allowed to rule as a result of not being male citizens. One of the many states of Greece, ancient Athens, was indeed not truly democratic as a result of not even using the essentials of democracy that is used today, “Thus, by our standards, it was oligarchy, not democracy.¨(Document D), therefore ancient Athens was not using democracy as their form of government, they were using oligarchy,another form of government in which a small group of people has power and control, as their form of government instead of democracy.

Socrates and Pericles had extremely differing views about Athenian life. Pericles was a Politician, whereas Socrates was a philosopher. In “The Funeral Oration of Pericles”, Pericles contradicts himself a lot. While in “The Apology of Socrates”, Socrates does not go back on what he said in the past. He stands by everything he has said.

While some, like Plato in his The Republic, thought it weak to give government into the hands of the common people, Pericles countered this argument with a compelling argument of greatness. By putting government into the hands of the people, the people are united and more devoted to their country. Democracy bonds the people together in a way that no other government can understand. Pericles confidently states, “Athenians advance unsupported into the territory of a neighbor, and fighting upon a foreign soil usually vanquish with ease men who are defending their homes.”

The concept of leadership was prevalent in the ancient world. It had a place in the way the people of ancient times governed their lives. Greece, and especially Athens, is the cradle of democracy in the western civilization. Athens owes the first penal and civil law code to Draco. An outstanding statesman and poet called Solon acted in Athens at the same time as Draco.

The new reforms and laws made the Athens internally more stable and connected people of Athens together, at least for some time. There were institutions where men can pursue various courses in art and science. Women were not allowed to get education. Their lives were limited to houses most of the times. Men also takes part in politics and voice their opinions but it was seen that the influence of the powerful individuals still prevailed as the normal citizen did not had enough knowledge or experience to participate in political