Classical Athens

Democracy in classical Athens provided Athenian citizens with absolute political and social freedom. This freedom, however, came with the price of civic duties. Due to the human nature of self-interested citizens, the public neglected to fulfill many of these civic obligations. If a civic duty compromised a citizen’s own success, then it could be assumed that the citizen would most likely attempt to evade a duty through the use of either persuasion or bribery. Christ’s The Bad Citizen in Classical Athens

government of ancient Athens, some might say that it was a democracy, however, it can be better described as an oligarchy: a form of government in which a small group of people has the power and control (Doc. D by Mogens Herman Hansen). A democracy takes all the citizens’ opinions and thoughts into account, unlike an oligarchy that only takes the male citizens’ opinions and thoughts into account. Thus, Athens is more similar to an oligarchy than a democracy. The people of Athens also decide as a whole

Majority Rule in Classical Athens The word Democracy was created by a Greek historian known as Herodotus in the 5th century B.C., it was created to signify "popular rule" in the Greek city-state, which is also known as Polis of Athens, comprising the city of Athens and the surrounding territory of Attica. The citizens of Polis were equal in their political rights they discussed and debated public issues as a large group whatever side had the most votes won they were protected against tyranny by respect

of Athens and Sparta were geographically close, and their political models had some similarities, the two rival Greek states ultimately grew in different directions in terms of culture and political life. While Sparta's people dedicated themselves to military might, war, with strength, organization, and idealization of the male soldier being paramount to their culture, Athens grew increasingly committed to the arts, culture, and reason, becoming the first democracy. How did people in Athens and

Athens vs. Sparta Each polis in ancient Greece had its own form of government. Most city-states, like Athens and Sparta, at the beginning were ruled by kings. Gradually, Athens developed a different type of government and they were ruled by the people as direct democracy. Some, like Sparta, were ruled by kings at first, and then ruled by a council, which was a small group of elderly and powerful people called Gerousia and five magistrates called Ephors. This type of government was called Oligarchy

Athens vs. Han China While both classical Athens and China were about six thousand miles apart, each civilization produced influences that still affect our world today as we speak. Though China and Athens shared many similarities, they also had many differences including art, society, and government. Art in the Athenian culture showed that males were the superior being and that sports were very common and enjoyed by most. Men often competed in discus throwing competitions in the Olympics, but in

Kiran Kaur Professor Codella Humanities 300 3 November 2014 Classical Ideals The ancient Athens aimed for perfection with every detail in their lives; from the art, architecture, philosophy, they wanted nothing less than perfect. This high standard of perfection is known as the classical ideal. The ancient Athens’s society was based solely on high standards of living. The classical ideal was expressed in many ways in the Athens culture. Philosophy and religion helped paved the mind with perfect

The Prideful, Yet Humble Athens Fifth century Athens was known as the Classical Age, which had brought many ideas, values and virtues to the rest of the world. After the Persian War, Athens began a time where art, literature, philosophy, theatre, and music influenced the world in such a manner, that we are still uncovering facts of ancient Athens today. The classical period was a time where the Greeks had great pride in what they accomplished. After years of war, Athens was victorious and able to

Throughout history many powerful civilizations have been established. Classical Athens Greece and Classical Han China both held dominance over their corresponding regions. Although Athens and Han China both experienced a Golden Age because of the build up of the states power, ultimately both civilizations differed greatly in their government structure, social ideals, and expression of art and intelligence. Similarly, Athens and Han China each had a period of great wealth, prosperity, stability, and

The Bad Citizen in Classical Athens Matthew R. Christ - Cambridge University Press - 2008 Review by Kenan Mazic The book, The Bad Citizen in Classical Athens, by Matthew R. Christ, considers the manifestations of bad citizenship in Athens that had previously not been as closely considered by other scholars. Scholars often have a romantic view that the citizens of classical Athens aligned their interests with those of the state. Christ argues against the notion and he argues that some citizens diverged