In ancient Greece, there were many places that were powerful in their own right. Athens and Sparta were two such city-states, but their ways of life were highly different. Athens was one of the world’s first well-known democratic cities, while Sparta was a place of militant oligarchy.
Athens’s political system consisted of three levels of government. At the bottom of the bureaucratic hierarchy was the Ekklesia, the assembly of the people. The Ekklesia was made up of only males of Athenian citizenship. Men had to prove this by their family lineage, which had to have been of Athenian birth for a minimum of three generations. To be eligible to vote, such citizens had to have completed their educations and the required two years of military …show more content…
As stated in its name, the Boule was made up of 500 representatives from the 10 tribes of Athens. Each tribe was granted 50 such delegates that were chosen at random. The members served for only one year. The Council was highly important to the political system because it decided which matters would be sent to the Ekklesia for voting. It was the backbone of the Athenian legal system.
At the top was the Dikasteria – the court. It was made up of men 30 years of age or older. These men were Athenian, and were paid small wages. The court system had an ‘anything goes’ policy, where any person could be tried from petty to heinous crimes. People would often abuse this system to humiliate enemies. The Dikasteria had the sole duty of administering justice to those persecuted in the court.
Sparta’s political system was made up of only two branches – the kings and the Gerousia. Two kings ruled in Sparta. Each king was from the Agiad and the Eurypontid royal lines. It was based on a hereditary system. The Gerousia was known as the Council of Elders. It was made up of thirty members. 28 Spartan men aged 60 or older and the kings. The members served for the remainder of their lives after being appointed. As a member died, not including the kings, an assembly was held in which Spartan citizens would group together and yell. The loudest group was chosen, and the man they represented became the new …show more content…
There were four classes within the structure. The lowest class was the slaves. This division held criminals and war refugees, as well as people who were, by many different circumstances, sold into slavery. These people held no rights. Slaves in Athens could earn their freedom by saving money to pay for liberation or earning favor to be given pardons by their masters.
Alongside the slaves were the Freedmen. These people were once slaves. They were extremely poor. Although they were considered to be in the same social standing as the slaves, they had more rights, though these were very few. Metics were considered to be the middle class citizens. They were not native to Athens and had few rights, but held more than the Freedmen. Often these people worked in trade or manufacturing businesses. Athenians were anyone born of Athenian decent. Aristocrats were the elite. They were born citizens of the city-state. These men were free of economic obligations and lived lives of
Athens’s political system consisted of three levels of government. At the bottom of the bureaucratic hierarchy was the Ekklesia, the assembly of the people. The Ekklesia was made up of only males of Athenian citizenship. Men had to prove this by their family lineage, which had to have been of Athenian birth for a minimum of three generations. To be eligible to vote, such citizens had to have completed their educations and the required two years of military …show more content…
As stated in its name, the Boule was made up of 500 representatives from the 10 tribes of Athens. Each tribe was granted 50 such delegates that were chosen at random. The members served for only one year. The Council was highly important to the political system because it decided which matters would be sent to the Ekklesia for voting. It was the backbone of the Athenian legal system.
At the top was the Dikasteria – the court. It was made up of men 30 years of age or older. These men were Athenian, and were paid small wages. The court system had an ‘anything goes’ policy, where any person could be tried from petty to heinous crimes. People would often abuse this system to humiliate enemies. The Dikasteria had the sole duty of administering justice to those persecuted in the court.
Sparta’s political system was made up of only two branches – the kings and the Gerousia. Two kings ruled in Sparta. Each king was from the Agiad and the Eurypontid royal lines. It was based on a hereditary system. The Gerousia was known as the Council of Elders. It was made up of thirty members. 28 Spartan men aged 60 or older and the kings. The members served for the remainder of their lives after being appointed. As a member died, not including the kings, an assembly was held in which Spartan citizens would group together and yell. The loudest group was chosen, and the man they represented became the new …show more content…
There were four classes within the structure. The lowest class was the slaves. This division held criminals and war refugees, as well as people who were, by many different circumstances, sold into slavery. These people held no rights. Slaves in Athens could earn their freedom by saving money to pay for liberation or earning favor to be given pardons by their masters.
Alongside the slaves were the Freedmen. These people were once slaves. They were extremely poor. Although they were considered to be in the same social standing as the slaves, they had more rights, though these were very few. Metics were considered to be the middle class citizens. They were not native to Athens and had few rights, but held more than the Freedmen. Often these people worked in trade or manufacturing businesses. Athenians were anyone born of Athenian decent. Aristocrats were the elite. They were born citizens of the city-state. These men were free of economic obligations and lived lives of