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Democracy

Democracy in the Ancient World

There are several texts and a chronology available on the origins of democracy in Ancient Greece:

 

 

Chronology

An introductory text entitled "The beginning of democracy in the Greek polis".

A short background text on "the understanding of the state" in the Ancient World.

A more detailed text on the origin and development of the polis in Athens, which details the formation of democracy through the reforms made by Solon, Kleisthenes and Perikles.

Two texts on the creation and development of Ancient democracy.
A chronology on the creation of democracy.

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Buchauszug  The beginnings of democracy in the Greek polis

The origins of democracy are closely connected with the creation of the Greek polis. Since the modern understanding of the word state cannot easily be transferred to Ancient Greece, the term polis should be understood as community, and politics understood as the regulation of public affairs. The polis or city-state developed from primary communities made up of man and woman, and master and slave. The majority of families formed a union of the sexes; the large number of families formed the polis. These city-states, which began forming around 9 BC, developed a populace (demos) in which all freeborn citizens were politically equal.

Tempel Government in the individual poleis varied greatly and was initiated by public assemblies. At the height of Greek democracy during the fifth and fourth centuries BC, public assembly was responsible for lawmaking as well as foreign, domestic, economic and defence policy. Ancient democracy was based on the equality of all people before the law, the freedom of speech and free access to public institutions. Lay judges were elected from the centre of these public assemblies, who together acted as a court. Public office was awarded for a limited period only and the holders of such office were held publicly accountable for their actions.

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Looking at this form of government from a critical point of view, the disadvantages are clear. Firstly, all the city-state's rights and responsibilities were limited to a minority of citizens - the guardians. Women, foreigners, slaves and residents not regarded as guardians (Metöken) had either no rights at all or they were limited. They were forbidden from purchasing property, were not allowed to take public office and did not have the right to vote. Indeed, those responsible for the polis were from a minority of society. Since these public assemblies had direct rule they ran the risk of demagogy and making wrong decisions on the spur of the moment.

While this criticism is undoubtedly correct, the Ancient Greek polis can be credited with the foundation of democracy. Indeed, this was the first time that people had been regarded as individuals and that self-government and freedom from tyranny had been both practiced and based on philosophy (...).

The beginnings of democracy were also seen outside of Greece, but were not able to establish themselves in the same way and were not based on a philosophical understanding of the state.

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Romans and Teutons

Power in the Republic of Rome lies in the hands of the patricians. Following fierce social strife, the principle of democracy did become more established, the material situation and political importance of the poor population (plebeians) improved and public assemblies became more powerful, yet still not able to assert themselves.

The political structure of the north-European Teuton peoples was also based on the principle of equality among freeborn citizens and people's assemblies were the highest state body. Here too, however, rights were limited to the head person of families owning land and property. Other freeborn members of the family, the wide section of half-freeborn society and non-freeborns had no political influence.

[Hans-Helmuth Knütter, taken from: Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung: Demokratie, Informationen zur politischen Bildung Nr. 165, Neudruck 1992]

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Subjects:  Human Rights  I  Democracy  I  Parties  I  Examples  I  Europe  I  Globalisation  I  United Nations  I  Sustainability

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This online service on the subject of political education was developed by agora-wissen, the Stuttgart-based Gesellschaft für Wissensvermittlung über neue Medien und politische Bildung (GbR) (Partnership for the Exchange of Information Using New Media and Political Education). Please contact us with your questions or comments. Translation from German into English by twigg's Übersetzung deutsch-englisch.