Democracy in Athens facts for kids

Democracy in Ancient Athens was a special way of running a city that started a long, long time ago, around 2,500 years ago! It was one of the first times people got to vote directly on how their city was run. This system is often called Athenian democracy. It meant that citizens could actively help make important decisions about their city.

What Made it Special?

Athenian democracy was unique because male citizens directly took part in running the city. To be a citizen in Athens back then, you had to be a man, have both Athenian parents, be over 18 years old, and finish your military training.

Not everyone could be a citizen. Women, slaves, people from other lands (called metics), and children were not allowed to vote or take part in the government.

Citizens who met the requirements could be chosen for important jobs. They could also attend the Assembly (called the ekklēsia). Here, they talked about and voted on big issues like new laws, whether to go to war, and how to spend public money.

What Does "Democracy" Mean?

The word "democracy" comes from two old Greek words: dēmos (meaning "people") and kratos (meaning "rule"). So, democracy means "rule by the people." In Athens, the dēmos was the group of male citizens who had the right to help govern the city.

How Athenian Democracy Worked

Athenian democracy had a few main parts:

• The Assembly (ekklēsia): This was the most important meeting place. Citizens gathered here to talk about and vote on many different things. They usually met on a hill called Pnyx about 30 to 40 times a year. A few thousand people would usually come to these meetings.
  • Speaking at the Assembly: All citizens could attend. People would stand on a raised platform called the bema to speak. Speakers wore a special garland. Any citizen could share their ideas.
  • Decisions: All major decisions about running Athens were made here. This included things like taxes, war, and other important plans. Decisions were made by a show of hands.
  • Good Luck Ritual: At the start of each meeting, a black pig was sacrificed to the gods. This was done to help make sure the meeting went well.

• The Council of 500 (Boule): A leader named Cleisthenes helped create this council around 510 BC. The Boule had 500 male Athenian citizens. They were chosen randomly from ten different groups (called tribes) that Cleisthenes had created. Each of the ten tribes provided 50 men. All members had to be over 30 years old.

• The People’s Court: Citizens also took part in the legal system. They could serve as jurors in popular courts, helping to decide if someone was guilty or innocent.

Ostracism: A Special Vote

A very interesting part of Athenian democracy was something called ostracism. This was a way for citizens to vote to send someone away from the city for ten years. They did this if they thought that person was becoming too powerful or a danger to the city. Citizens would write the name of the person they wanted to exile on pieces of pottery called ostraka. This was a secret vote.

Why Was it Important?

Even though only a part of the population could vote (male citizens), Athenian democracy was a huge step forward. It showed that ordinary people could have a say in their government.

Taking part in democracy was seen as a very important duty for citizens. People were expected to be active in political life. If they didn't, they could face fines or other punishments.

Famous thinkers like Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle studied Athenian democracy. They talked about what worked well and what didn't. Their ideas help us understand how democracy functioned and the thinking behind it.

Lasting Ideas

Athenian democracy was strongest during Athens' Golden Age, from about 460 to 430 BCE. Leaders like Pericles helped make the system even better and encouraged citizens to get involved. However, the system faced problems during wars, especially the Peloponnesian War (431-404 BCE). This led to times when a small group of powerful people ruled, and eventually, the democratic system declined.

Even so, Athenian democracy created many ideas that are still used today. It helped shape how we think about government and citizenship. Modern democracies, where people elect representatives to make decisions for them, have roots in the ideas from ancient Athens. It's still a very important topic to study to understand how political systems have grown over time.

Athens had a direct democracy. This meant that each citizen had an equal say and chance to help govern Athens. Most democratic countries today have an indirect democracy. This means people elect members of parliament to make decisions for them. There are too many people in countries today to meet on a hillside, and many people are too busy to go to meetings many times a year.

Images for kids

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  Nineteenth-century painting by Philipp Foltz showing the Athenian politician Pericles giving his famous funeral speech in front of the Assembly.

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  This old carving shows the Demos (the people) being crowned by Democracy. It's from about 276 BC and is in the Ancient Agora Museum.

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  Cleisthenes

See also

In Spanish: Democracia ateniense para niños