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Athenian Democracy
The Assembly In the 5th century BC, after defeating the Persians, the Athenians developed the world's first democracy. All the free men of the city (about 30,000 men at its most) met in an assembly or Ecclesia at a hillside on the edge of the city (the Pynx hill). There had to be at least 6, 000 citizens for the assembly to take place. A slave was sent down to the market (the Agora) to make sure that citezens went to the assembly , rather than staying behind and doing business. The assemblies took place every ten days. At the assembly anyone could try to make himself heard but the length of speeches was limited by water - jars , used to measure the time . The Council, Generals and Judges The citizens voted on laws, city expenses and whether to go to war or not. It was a direct democracy (whereas today we elect members of parliament (deputies) who vote for laws for us in what is called a representative democracy). The citizens also voted for a city Council (of 500 men) to run the day to day affairs of Athens and ten generals to defend the city. They held a lottery to choose judges from among themselves Ostracism If citizens thought that one person , perhaps a general , was becoming too powerful, they would scratch his name on a piece of broken pottery called an ostracon and hand it to the Council. If the same name appeared too frequently, the council could banish the person for ten years. This was called ostracism. |