Athens Vs Rome Dbq Essay

When in Rome

Rome has a better system than Athens in my opinion. Athens citizens have more responsibility and rights then Rome. Rome has more of a family oriented style of citizenship. Athens and rome both honored citizenship in their own ways equally. So in a effective way to live I’d say Rome is superior. Athens can be good, they have more independence for their freedom, they are all equal to each other in superiority, and they were more physical because they were required to participate in government otherwise they were a “beast”. Rome on the other hand, was bigger in size compared to Athens, Roman’s were not considered a “beast” for not participating, there was more citizenship participants that were more genuine than Athen’s.

Rome also let people in with a easier process. According to document A to support this “at birth if parents were citizens” for citizenship. This means that anyone with their parents born there were a citizen. They were also still a stable bunch, they had some restrictions for bad people which showed overall that it was still somewhat put together. Their leading was also depended on how they took care of their family, which is important because a poor family makes poor citizens. Romans were also not beasts for not participating in government unlike the Athenians who punished them. In document D it also states that they were “ ranked into distinct classes” which shows that they were put together and had their priorities straight. In document F it states “ senate had full governing power in Rome” which is better than in Athens where everyone kinda ruled, Rome was more of a democracy. This evidence all helps to show that Rome was better when it came to citizenship because they were more thought out and not all

Athen’s leader Pericles once said “ Athenians Who did not fully participate in voting, political debate, and holding office were “useless”. This just shows how harsh they were if you were not a citizen who participated in everything and was some amazing angel or whatever you were no good. Rome had a more positive outlook then this they were still kinda strict but not harsh there is a difference. “ A Roman citizen who did not participate in local government would not have as most likely been called a beast”. Rome did not call their people useless for this in other words. Rome had the better outlook by far focusing mostly on family like it says in the paragraph “ A Roman citizen was judged more by how he behaved with his family, his neighbors, and his property”. This overall created a better environment with happier more helpful people which was better. Rome did have some of the Athenian rules just not the harsh ones the more diplomatic ones that were good for the system, because each system really does need some rules at least. Rome treated their citizens better too it seemed especially since it was a place where they showed citizenship through better treatment to each other. Roman morals earned people these vital roles as a senate overall so I’d say that treatment was better for all of these