The French Revolution

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The French Revolution

This essay intends to draw on the much similarity between the French

Revolution and the age of antiquity, more specific Ancient Greece. We

shall compare dominant figures of both the French Revolution and

Ancient Greece by using examples from writings from both ancient

literature and contemporary and giving direct examples to support the

ideas in this essay. Furthermore, this essay will discuss how similar

the emergence of democracy in Ancient Greece is to the emergence of it

in the French Revolution.

The French Revolution was the first modern revolution in history. It

is one of the most studied times in history. Many questions are asked

about how, when, and why this great revolution started. This essay

will explain the reasons for it starting by comparing this time of

history to Ancient Greece. First, the essay will outline the

government structure in Ancient Greece before democracy and after

democracy and thereafter the essay will outline some key points in

French Revolution and why it is similar to Ancient Greece.

In Ancient Greece before the Persian Wars, there were three forms of

governments: Oligarchy, tyranny, and monarchy. Oligarchy is a form of

government where a few wealthy people govern over all the others.

Monarchy is a form of government where a king or queen rules by

inheriting that particular title. Finally tyranny is where a tyrant

like modern dictators rule over people illegitimately. Two of these

three types of governments are well explained in Sophocles’ The

Oedipus Cycle. This book contains three plays in which they depict the

shift from monarchy to tyranny and finally democracy after m...

... middle of paper ...

...y touches upon a few points that are

believed to be vital in comparing this point. The French Revolution

killed the old regime and brought many other concepts to Europe and

even people that had nothing became something like Napoleon. However,

it is always important to look to the past in order to achieve

something in the future.

Bibliography:

Aristophanes, and Plato. Four Texts on Socrates. Trans. Thomas G.

West., and Grace Starry West. Ithaca, New York, 1988.

Lualdi, Katherine J. Sources of The Making of The West, Peoples and

Cultures. Vol 2. Boston, Ma.2001

Schama, Simon. Citzens. New York, Ny, 1989.

Sophocles, The Oedipus Cycle. Trans. Dudley Fitts., and Robert

Fitzgerald. Orlando, Florida.1949.

Thucydides, On Justice, Power and Human Nature. Trans. Paul Woodruff.

Indianapolis, Indiana, 1993.

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