Governmental Structure In Athens And Sparta

Governmental Structure in Athens & Sparta

Written Assignment Unit 1 - HIST 1421

University of the People Democracy may have been born in Athens and led the western civilization into a more equal constitution, but there were many dark sides at the beginning of the democratic idea. According to Brand (2010), due to the numerous wars with non-Greeks and among Greeks themselves the main concern in ancient Greece and especially Sparta, was defense and military readiness. The Athenians though, due to wealth and therefore, better education introduced a new way of decision making to the world. Free male citizens in both Athens and Sparta were the ones who participated in public life, on the other hand, women, slaves, foreigners and Perioikoi had not the right to do so.

Ten tribes were created and each tribe voted and elected 50 representatives for the council. The 500 councilors, who only served for a year, were the ones who voted for or against the laws presented in an assembly of all free male Athenians. The Athenians should be 20 years old in order to participate in the assembly and 30 years old to run for office. There was not one man at the top of the hierarchy but 10 Generals were elected instead. There were more restrictions other than age and citizenship to be part of the government and one of them was wealth. The citizens were divided in four classes according to their income; “500 bushel men”, “300 bushel men”, “200 bushel men” and Thetes, the poorest of all.