Important Part Of Greek Politics example essay topic

Democracy: From Early Athenian To Present Day Politics. When following current events we can't help but witness politicians use terms such as "defending freedom", "liberty", or "democracy", but one is simply left wondering if the general public, or even the politicians themselves, know what those terms really mean or where they come from. The reality is that most don't. The ideals of living in a democracy have been drastically changed from their original meanings and diluted into persuasive political language to become mere rhetoric as opposed to meaningful concepts of ethical and moral value. The word democracy is thrown around to make convincing, patriotic speeches that many times are utilized to usurp the rights and property of peoples in the name of this most sacred of political concepts in the history of western civilization. In order to better understand the true meaning of this idea we must go back to its roots and search for the original intentions behind it.

We must find the similarities and differences between Greek democracy and modern day democracy. By separating the two we can see how distant they are from each other. Without a clear understanding of the history involved we are easily blinded by the eloquence and charisma that politicians utilize to control the populace. Democracy dates back to the Golden Age of Greece or the Classic Period. Not yet an organized, centralized nation Greece was made up of warring city-states none of which possessed full control over its neighbors. During this period and under these circumstances there was a tremendous advancement in Greek thought encompassing philosophy, politics, medicine, mathematics, and the sciences to name just a few areas of influence that still maintain a strong Greek legacy today.

Of all the Greek city-states it was Athens that gave birth to many of the political philosophies that still survive today. At around 600 B.C. E Athens was in severe economic, social, and political crisis. It was then that a rich aristocrat named Solon emerged to produce for Athens its first comprehensive set of political rules and regulations, overhauling the constitution, reining in the plutocrats, and giving decent measure of power and responsibility to the moderately well-off non-aristocrats. He also provided some legal protection from exploitation to the humblest of Athenian citizens. It was these changes that prompted the future democratic reform that would take place only a century later (Cartledge, p. 67). Around 508 B.C.E. an exile of Athens, by the name of Cleisthenes, that possessed great influence, was able to secure the removal of Hippias, the ruling tyrant in Athens.

Once Hippias was removed Cleisthenes appealed to the demos of Athens; that is, to the non-aristocratic mass of ordinary Athenian citizens, and offered a new package of reforms, the effect of which was to give them the or decisive say in the government of Athens. Demos plus = demokratika, although that word was not actually used for several decades after Cleisthenes' reforms. Cleisthenes created the earliest form of democracy we know by giving the ordinary citizens the power to make important political decisions (Cartledge, p. 72). Though the introduction of a specific set of rules and the idea of government by the people were crucial to the development of democracy, it would have never existed if it wasn't for the concept of citizenship. The idea of citizenship came from an earlier period in Greek history. Within the Archaic Period Greeks defined an early idea of what is was to be a citizen of their city-state or Polis.

There were three very separate economic groups during the Archaic Period. The rich aristocrats attained power through their hereditary control of land. This control was disproportionate in comparison to that given to the other groups, and helped them make significant profits through their ability to exploit the poorest farmers. These poor represented the bottom of the three groups often slipping in to dependence and debt slavery.

In between these two was what Aristotle called "the middle" class. This group had the largest gradation of social and economic differences, a combination of those who were rising to prosperity as well as those barely able to stay above the lowest class. Though upward mobility was not impossible, it was not easy. One could become wealthy enough to marry into nobility.

Downward mobility was much more common as those in the middle class could easily slip into debt and therefore into the lowest class. Even though these groups were clearly visible in Greek society all enjoyed citizenship. Unfortunately that did not mean equality in this earlier period. "Citizenship, which the later Greeks defined as 'having a share in the public life of the polis,' was perceived as a graded status, fixed at a person's social and economic condition as well as to gender. While female citizens had important roles in the religious worship of the community, they were completely barred from participation in political, judicial, and military affairs. These were exclusively the domain of adult (over age 18) male citizens.

Among the men, the share of civic responsibilities and rights - to vote and speak in the assembly, hold office, serve as judges, fight in the army - was divided unequally along mainly economic lines. In the early city-states, as we have seen, only the rich and wellborn possessed the full range of citizen privileges. Non-noble citizens of moderate means were barred from holding office, and the poorest citizens had no vote in the assembly" (Pomeroy, p. 97). It was only in the later democratic city-states that this would change though not drastically. Wars also had a great effect on the democratic influence shifting power to a broader base as in the idea of the moderate hoplite democracy, which extended government privileges to those who could provide their own weapons and armor. Though it spread political power away from the aristocracy it still limited privileges to the male citizen body, giving no votes for women, and no citizenship for immigrants.

It is quite interesting that if similar rules were in effect today, Arnold Schwarzenegger, governor of California would have never been allowed to become a citizen much less run for office. In order to better understand Greek democracy we should also mention the other forms of government that were available to the Greeks at that time. Monarchy, Tyranny, and Oligarchy, all formed an important part of Greek politics. "Monarchy had died out in Greece with the end of Mycenaean civilization, except for the dual kinship that existed in Sparta as part of its complex oligarchic system rather than as a monarchy in the ordinary sense. In Sparta and some other Greek city-state, only a rather restricted number of men exercised meaningful political power (thus creating a political system called an oligarch ia, meaning "rule by the few"). Other city-states experienced periods of domination by the kind of sole ruler who seized power in unconstitutional fashion and whom the Greeks called tyran nos.

Tyranny, passed down from father to son, existed at various times across the breath of the Greek world, from city-states on the island of Sicily in the west to Samos off the coast of Ionia in the east" (Martin, p. 70). Unfortunately for the Athenians democracy did not last for long. The Spartans had been opposed to democracy from its conception and therefore once Athens was defeated in the Peloponnesian War they made sure a new form of government favoring them would rise to power. They created an oligarchy of thirty men known to be enemies of democracy who made short work of any democratic influence. Though not long after democracy was restored it never returned to its former power and the subsequent rise of Alexander as emperor became the final blow to its political influence (Freeman, p. 303). What has survived to this day is the concepts and ideas that the democratic Athenians were able to preserve in writings and by keeping their cultural traditions even through the Roman Empire.

"Among the Greeks we find most of the conditions of freedom: a life lived among equals, subject only to law, and ruling and being ruled in turn. The Greeks were the first historical people to create societies having this form; certainly they were the first to create a literature exploring it as an experience. Politics was the activity specific to this new thing called 'citizen'. It might take many forms, even the debased forms of tyranny and usurpation, but on one thing the later classical Greeks were adamant: oriental despotism was not politics" (Minogue, p. 11). This was the formal position that left a deep imprint in our civilization. Though reality might have been more complex "Democratic and oligarchic factions fought bitter battles within cities.

Farmers lived on the edge of destitution, and bad harvests might impel them towards debt slavery. Equality within cities was not matched by equal relations between cities, and war was endemic. The Greeks were a talkative, passionate people, and their politics was often violent and sometimes corrupt" (Minogue, p 11). The Greeks were also able to victoriously repel their Persian neighbors during the highest point of democracy in Greece.

Nevertheless we tend to think that we have much in common with them though it must also be considered that we are immensely different in religion, customs, and conception of human life. Greek democracy and thought depart from this point on in its similarities with our modern perspectives. Specifically speaking about rationality their ideas were much different then ours. "Their basic position was that man is a rational animal, and that the meaning of human life is found in the exercise of rationality. When men succumbed to the passions, they were shamefully descending to a lower form of being.

When pride, or hubris, led them to think they were gods, they lost sight of their human limitations and suffered nemesis, the destructive resentment of the gods. The secret of life was human self-knowledge, and a balanced expression of one's human capacities. In deliberation about law and public policy, man found his highest and purest form of self-expression. It could only be enjoyed in the political life of a city (Minogue, p. 11). Unfortunately we have not kept the best of these ideas. In modern day politics rationality is no longer paramount.

It is the reason we see the influence of politicians full of arrogance, believing in the superiority of their own authority trying to amass power through the use of the ancient Greek political concepts. Modern day politicians, mostly American, attempt to use emotion, not reason when addressing the American people. It is with great sadness that as we have witnessed with the last election this notion succeeded and now under the banner of "values" and fear will exploit the ignorance of the general public. Cartledge, Paul. The Greeks: Crucible of Civilizations. New York: TV Books, 2000 Freeman, Charles.

The Greek Achievement: The Foundation of The Western World. New York: Viking Penguin, 1999 Martin, Thomas, R. Ancient Greece: From Prehistoric To Hellenistic Times. London: Yale University Press, 1996 Minogue, Kenneth. Politics: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1995 Pomeroy, Sarah, et al. Ancient Greece: A Political, Social, and Cultural History.

New York: Oxford University Press, 1999.