introduction to Greece notes pt. 2

government terms

  • polis: fundamental political unit, made up of a city and the surrounding country-side
  1. politics, poll, policy
  • monarchy: rule by a single person (king in Greece)
  • aristocracy: rule by a small group of noble, very rich, landowning families
  • oligarchy: wealthy groups, dissatisfaction with aristocracy rule, who seized power (often with military help)
  • tyrant: powerful individual who seized control by appealing to the common people for support
transformation of government
  • during the sixth and seventh centuries BCE, aristocrats ran the show in most of Greece
aristocracy
  • aristocracy: numbers of the ruling class
  • they attended symposiums, meetings where elite men would enjoy wine, poetry, dancers, acrobats, hetaeras (hookers) while discussing politics
politics
  • no women (except entertainment)
  • no middle class
  • no slaves
  • some aristocrats
  • What to do if you're on the outside?
tyrants seize control
  • Draco (621 BCE)
  1. all Athenians are equal
  2. death is the punishment for most crimes
  3. debt slavery is okay (but work as a slave to repay debts)
  • Salon's reforms (594 BCE)
  1. outlaws debt slavery
  2. all Athenians can speak in assembly
  3. any citizen can press charges against wrongdoers
Cleisthenes
  • more reforms (500 BCE)
  1. allowed all citizens to submit laws
  2. created council of 500
  3. only free adult male property owners born in Athens were considered citizens
  4. no women, slaves, "foreigners"

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