Athens before democracy
From the beginning of Athens it was ruled by a king. The Athenians think of the mythological hero Theseus as their first king and therefore attributed him to the birth of the Athenian state. Then, during the 8th and 7th centuries Athens was ruled by wealthy, land-owning aristocrats. Aristotle’s Constitution of the Athenians, a description of Athenian government, says that the status of “King” became a political office, one of three “Rulers” or “Archons” under the new system. Appointment to the supreme offices of state went by birth and wealth; and they were held at first for life, and afterwards for a term of ten years. Later, six other Archons were added to the role. These Nine Archons ruled the Athenians, along with the Council of the Areopagus, which consisted of all former Archons, serving on this board for life. In 621 or 620 BCE, the Athenians enlisted a certain Draco to make new laws for them. According to Aristotle’s description of these laws, the new Constitution gave political rights to those Athenians “who bore arms.” Draco’s laws were most notable for their harshness: there was only one penalty prescribed, death, for every crime from murder down to loitering. In 594, however, the Athenians selected Solon to revise their laws. Solon’s laws, even though they did not establish a democracy as radical as what would follow, nevertheless became the template for all future Athenian government. He gave every Athenian the right to appeal to a jury, thus taking ultimate authority for interpreting the law out of the hands of the Nine Archons and putting it in the hands of a more democratic body, since any citizen could serve on a jury.
Pericles
Pericles was one of the most influential people in the city of Athens. He was a great general and statesman, active in public office from 461 to 429 BC. This was considered a golden age in Athens and is commonly referred to as "The Age of Pericles." He brought great change to Athens, and much of Greece, and is responsible for many public monuments still known today, such as the Parthenon and the Acropolis. Athens reached its peak of wealth, power, and size during his time. Pericles affected many aspects of Athens, including its democratic system. Under Pericles Athens became one of the most democratic nations in history. All people except the lowest class could hold office, officeholders were paid and chosen by lot so to be fair. Pericles brought prosperity and stability to the area and used the Delian League to extend the empire of Athens. His plan to unite Greece failed, however, causing the Peloponnesian War with Sparta, a rival city-state. Pericles died in a plague during the siege of Athens.
Democracy in Athens
“In a democracy,” the Greek historian Herodotus wrote, “there is, first, that most splendid of virtues, equality before the law.” It was true that Cleisthenes’ demokratia abolished the political distinctions between the Athenian aristocrats who had long monopolized the political decision-making process and the middle- and working-class people who made up the army and the navy and this was the reason Cleisthenes introduced his reforms in the first place.
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