The development of the Greek civilization was indeed an impressive feat and as such it begs the question of how the Greeks managed to accomplish such a feat. The development of the Greek civilization may be accredited to geographic factors, or it may be accredited to some sort of Greek “spirit”, depending on the source from which you gather your information. Who knows what Greek civilization would have been like had both of those things not been exactly as they were? Would Greek civilization had even come to be? I dare say that such an incredible accomplishment simply cannot be accredited to either one of those things separately, but rather to both of those things together. Geographical Factors To understand how geographic factors influenced …show more content…
86) which meant that the Greeks had to settle mainly in the valleys between the mountains. The terrain was a serious impediment to overland travel. This caused much separation of the Greeks and is the reason why there were so many different Greek nations or city-states. This mountainous terrain created another problem for the Greeks in that the terrain was not conducive to agriculture. A lack of widespread arable land was causing the Greeks to struggle just to supply food for themselves. The Greeks used the arable land that they did have to grow what they could such as olives and grapes. The Greeks had a glut of products like wine and olive oil, but even so the Greeks were unable to supply everything that they needed to sustain themselves. Moreover, the Greeks lacked access to natural resources, particularly metals, that they had to get from elsewhere. Due to the limits imposed on the Greeks by their land, they turned to the Aegean Sea that surrounded …show more content…
This type of government was unlike any other at the time in which a select few ruled the societies, and all lived for the gods. The Greeks had created a government in which all persons, or more accurately, a larger sample of the population, played a part in determining the laws and policies under which they were governed. This created an environment that was conducive to, and encouraged, the open exchange of ideas which was of grave importance to the development of the Greek civilization. “The greatness of Athens, according to Pericles, lies not merely in its military might and in the superiority of its political institutions, but in the quality of its citizens, their nobility of spirit, and their love of beauty and wisdom” (pg.
In comparing the Ancient Athenian system of government, and the Modern Day American political system, there are many similarities. In Ancient Athens, democracy was developed in response to a long history of oppressive rulers who used their position of power for their own benefit. Ancient Athenians sought a government where all citizens were considered equal under the eyes of the law, and all had a fair say in the running of their country. Following a series
It is surprising indeed that Even today, tyrannies and dictatorships exist in the world when more than two and a half thousand years ago the ancient Athenians had developed a functional and direct form of democracy. What contributed to this remarkable achievement and how it changed the socio-political. scene in Athens is what will be considered in this paper. The paper will have three sections, each detailing the various stages. of political development from the kings of Attica to the time of Pericles when, in its golden age, Athens was at the height of its. imperial power.
The Greeks valued agriculture very highly and the island’s soft and fertile land would wonderfully accommodate a Greek’s need for crop growing, farming, and harvesting. Furthermore, since goats were one of the most common types of livestock in ancient Greece, a Greek can also do well with the numerous amounts of wild goats that inhabit the island. The easy harbor is also another aspect that he can benefit from since the Greeks depend on the sea for
Athens government and military is considerably different from their neighbors. According to Pericles, Athens government is not a copy of our neighbors...
Ancient Greece has always been known as the civilization that created the mold of the Western society that we live in today. It had influenced the world in a way that no other civilization had. However, such a great civilization didn’t last long. The reason for this is its people failure to form unity.
During this time, Greece saw major advances in just about every aspect of a modern society. They grew by leaps and bounds socially, economically, and technologically; among many other areas as well. All of these attributes made Greece the main hub of activity in the Mediterranean throughout this time period. During their time of power Greece saw three main civilizations rise within their social society. The Myceneans or Minoans are considered the first.
In the fifth-century BC, Athens emerged as one of the most advanced state or polis in all of Greece. This formation of Athenian ‘democracy’ holds the main principle that citizens should enjoy political equality in order to be free to rule and be ruled in turn. The word ‘democracy’ originates from the Greek words demos (meaning people) and kratos (meaning power) therefore demokratia means “the power of the people.” The famous funeral speech of Pericles states that “Our constitution is called democracy because power is in the hands not of a minority but of the whole people.” However, only citizens (free adult men of Athenian descent) could participate in political matters. Women and slaves held no political rights, although they were essential in order to free up time for the citizens to participate in the matters of the state. The development of Athenian democracy has been fundamental for the basis of modern political thinking, although many in modern society UK would be sceptical to call it a democracy. Plato and Aristotle in The Republic and The Politics respectively were critical of the Athenian democracy, by examining the culture and ideology present the limitations and possible downfalls of a democratic way of life. Within this essay I will outline these limitations and evaluate their validity.
During the age of Pericles, the ideal form of government was believed to be a government formed by all of the citizens regardless of wealth or social standing. This was known as democracy, literally meaning “ government of the people” [Document 3.] This government favored the many instead of the few. Athens was a direct democracy, meaning every citizen participated in debates. Western civilization used this philosophy of government by many, and created an indirect democracy where citizens elect officials to make and enforce laws.
Officially titled the Hellenic Republic, Greece is a country whose historical and cultural heritage continues to influence the modern world through art, philosophy and politics. Greece is located in southern europe. Critically placed at the byroads of Europe, Western Asia and North Africa. Greece shares land borders with four countries: Albania, Bulgaria, Turkey, and the Republic of Macedonia. The country is greatly consumed by water to the south with over 1,400 islands, the largest of them being Crete. Over eighty percent of Greece is of mountains, the largest and most culturally significant being mount Olympus, which in Greek mythology is the resting place of the twelve olympians. Greece is a country which is filled with aesthetically pleasing landmarks which have existed for thousands of years and are deemed historically significant. These include, but are not limited to the Parthenon, Acropolis of Athens, Panathenaic stadium, Mount Athos, Sounion (where the temple of Poseidon lays), Temple of Hephaestus and Theatre of Dionysus. These are just a few of the influential landmarks this authentic country possesses.
Between the years of 508 BCE and 322 CE, Greece flourished under democracy. However, some question if the flourishing of Athens is due to the democracy that was in place as opposed to other factors relevant in building a successful community. This investigation will examine the effectiveness of Athenian democracy in Greek society. Relevance of Athenian democracy can be seen in foundation of many democracies found worldwide. In this investigation the right to vote, protection of minorities, use of social class, the structure of democracy and how Greek democracy has influenced the world will be addressed. The place investigated will be Greece, specifically the capitol Athens. The effectiveness of Athenian democracy can be seen in social structure, protection of minorities, and right to vote, as well as its structure and influence of other countries around the world.
The population size of the polis were small, and each male citizen was cognizant of their role and value within the community, and developed a strong spirit of independence. This sense of independence is what led the citizens within the polis to choose their own leaders, and overthrowing leaders that had done wrong by the greater populist or that the populist felt had abused their power. Athens, furthered this sense of independence by creating a democratic Athens, where full citizens were expected to run the governme...
In Ancient Greece they use many of their geography to help them be the civilization that they wanted to be. The mountains help them be isolated and separate from other city-state making them more independent. They use the Mediterranean Sea to provide farming to provide additional crops, but they became master sailors and developed a large trading network to be able to trade with others. The climate was always hot and dry, which sometimes affected the growth of the crops for that season.
In Ancient Greece, people known as philosophers began contemplating the world in a different light. They had a different way of thinking than what was normal in the day. While others practiced paganism and worshipped the Gods of Olympus, philosophers thought about the body, the soul, and ways to create a better world. Greek philosophers are still known today and their works are still being read and taught. They have left a mark on this world. One topic that philosophers frequently discuss is politics and government. How could they make it less corrupt? Is the one they have now satisfactory or could it be better? What are the different forms of government and how do they connect to the individual person? Which one is the best? These are some questions that Greek philosophers answered in their teachings. Plato and Aristotle are two great philosophers who formulated separate ideas of government that concurred in aspects such as the importance of justice while differed in areas relating to the ideal ruler. Both philosophers lived in ancient Athens with a democratic government that contrasted with their ideal governments though Aristotle’s had more similarities than Plato’s with Athens. Whose government is the best is subject to opinion though it can be argued that Aristotle’s is the best.
The march towards developing a democratic society is often obstructed with societal unrest due to the influence of the status quo on the instruments of power. Before the rule of Solon, Athens underwent this same rule, as there was much discontent among the social classes in Athens. The society suffered financial disparity that often was the trigger for the war among the rich and poor in the society. This was a major factor that forced Solon into power to institute policies that would see a reformed Athens. By so doing, the society was looking for an avenue that would guarantee democracy and a society that is fair for everyone. The city-state of Athens was the epicenter of the revolution for the Athenian democracy during the fifth century BC. In the Athenian democracy, the electorate voted for the legislation of bills instead of a direct democracy where the electorates are tasked with electing representatives who later developed the bill. Among the first people who made significant contributions to the development of the Athenian democracy were Solon (594 BC), Cleisthenes (508/7 BC), Pericles (495 – 429 BC) and Ephialtes (462 BC). Pericles was the longest serving democratic leader who contributed much development in democracy in the city. This paper will give an account of the age of the Pericles.
Ancient Greek agriculture was the very necessity of the empire. People needed food to work and soldiers needed food to fight, defend, and conquer neighboring empires. Nearly 80% of the Greek population was somehow involved in agricultural practices. In Greece, meat was expensive and available only to the elite. This caused the Greek diet to be based on cereals. The main cereal crops that the Greeks grew were barley, millet, durum wheat, and common wheat. The Greeks did not have access to many vast fertile lands since only 20% of the Greek land was in fit conditions to grow crops (Ancient History Encyclopedia, “Agriculture In Ancient Greece”). People looked to agriculture to keep their civilization running day to day.