Today we often take Democracy for granted. As if it was always there. But this is not the case. Democracy in Ancient Athens was a true novelty and there are some points we all need to know so as to appreciate its true value and impact on the western world.
Why is Democracy in ancient Athens important?
In the vast majority of cases, people thought that Kings and Queens were the natural leading authority. The royalty claimed that they knew “what was best for their people”. And people agreed. It was all they knew, the way it was always done.
In most parts of the world at the time, royalties presented themselves as divine choices. They often posed as semi-gods.
Royalty, the aristocracy, and the clergy were co-dependant powers who created a reality for the public very difficult to dispute. The status-quo.
That is why Athens’ choice to leave the decision-making to its citizens is such a revolutionary notion.
The Greek word for Democracy is Democratia which means “people’s power”. People had equal rights, decision-making authority on all issues, both everyday small ones and major issues, and complete freedom of speech.
They voted by raising their hand and not by shouting (dia vois).
Who were the key leaders?
Solon, a Greek statesman, famous for his wisdom, placed a number of reforms that made Democracy possible. In 594 BCE, he diminished the power of the noble families and redefined citizenship for the Athenians. He also abolished debt slavery. He divided Athenians into social classes giving rights to all.
A few years later Cleisthenes (507 BCE) introduced Democracy. He was the one who took Solon’s reforms a step further by changing the groups people belonged to. The decisive factor now was regional. He organized Athenian citizens into ten groups according to the region they lived. And established the right to one vote for each citizen!
The longest-lasting democratic leader was Pericles. Under his rule democracy was strengthened and the city was led to its Golden Age.
Who had the right to vote in the Athenian Democracy?
Athenian Democracy was a direct one, meaning that people vote for themselves without any representatives. It was as if there was a referendum every few days!
The voting right and the active citizenship role were for all who met the following conditions:
- they were free, not slaves
- they were male,
- they were adult citizens (over 18 years old),
- they were of Athenian birth, irrespective of how many generations they lived in Athens
- they had served in the army if needed,
- they were paying taxes regularly,
- and they treated their parents with respect!
These prerequisites were not in-name-only. Athenians regularly checked them and everybody took them very seriously.
All citizens constituted the Assembly which met once a month at a minimum, on the Pnyx Hill. Overall, they met about 40 times per year. There, after presentations and discussion, they decided upon all issues, everyday administrative ones or important long-term issues.
Although in many cases citizens who lived further away did not attend all assembly meetings, people valued participation.
“Citizens who do not participate in the democratic procedures are useless.”
Thucydides
Pericles increased people’s power even further. He arranged for the State to cover all transportation expenses of the poorest citizens and enabled them to participate in the decision-making processes.
The Courts reached their decisions through the body of juries. Juries were citizens over 30 years old. Their selection was random. They were 6.000 of them. That was about one-fifth of the total citizens’ population. This way there was no room for corruption.
The jury’s random selection is the norm today in many democracies in the Western world.
Who had the right to rule in Athenian Democracy?
In a unique way – even by today’s standards – people who occupied a state position in the Athenian Democracy considered themselves to be true servants of the public interest. A duty and an honor for all.
The body of Vouli was of 500 members, and Prytany consisted of 50 members.
Everybody had the right and duty to serve in the state’s governing institutions. Their term varied. Any citizen could become a civil servant. The system’s aim was to represent all citizens. Not one specific group could dominate or corrupt the procedures through its power.
There was a statistical “certainty” that during their lifetime Athenians would take some state position. This placed everyone in the role and the mentality of a possible ruler.
“No polis had ever dared to give all its citizens equal political rights, regardless of their descent, wealth, social standing, education, personal qualities, and any other factors that usually determined status in a community.”
K. A. Raaflaub, historian about Democracy in ancient Athens
What is the critique of Athenian Democracy?
Plato, with his Platonic School of Thought, and the comedy writer Aristophanes, were both well-known fierce critics of the Democratic system.
They based their concerns on the notion that many times uninformed citizens were deciding upon basic issues for the city. They feared that a good public speaker could mislead them.
These were the demagogues. We still use today the same word in modern Greek to describe someone who influences the public on an emotional level, for personal gain.
In 399 BCE the enemies of the philosopher Socrates managed to do just that and led the jury to one of the most notorious decisions, Socrates’ death sentence.
Democracy was the dominant political system during the Athenian Golden Age. Pericles had to convince his fellow citizens before starting the construction of the Parthenon about the works, about his vision. The Athenians agreed on the use of funds and voted for the constructions we marvel today.
Following that, during the Roman Empire, Athenian democracy was substituted by the Roman Emperor’s ruling system. But Athenians had already drastically influenced generations to come with their thought process, their views on citizens’ equality, and their politics.
As Pericles said:
“What you leave behind is not what is engraved into stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others.”
Pericles, 495 – 429 BCE