3. THE POLIS
• It’s formed by quite a small territory which
includes a central city and the rural space
in the city’s surroundings.
• It’s the principal institution of sociopolitical
organisation in Ancient Greece.
• The most prominent examples: Sparta and
Athens.
5. Social organization in Sparta
• A privileged and militarized class: the
homoioi.
• The apella, the gerousia, the ephors and
the two kings.
• Farmers, craftsmen and merchants: the
perioeci.
• The slaves: the helots.
7. EKKLESIA
BOULE
POPULAR
COURTS
MAGISTRATES
GOVERNMENT ORGANS IN ATHENS
• ALL THE ATHENS’ CITIZENS
• TO VOTE TAXES AND LAWS
• TO DECLARE THE WAR
• 500 CITIZENS, ELEC-
TED FOR ONE YEAR
• TO REDACT THE LAWS
• 6000 CITIZENS
•ELECTED AT RANDOM
• TO RULE ATHENS’ POLI-
TICS AND ATHENS’ ARMY
• ELECTED FOR ONE YEAR
8. PRINCIPAL CHARACTERISTICS
OF ATHENS’ DEMOCRACY
• All the citizens have the same rights (isonomia)
• All the citizens are allowed and encouraged to
speak in the Ekklesia (isogoria)
• All the citizens have the same chances to hold a
political post (isocracia)
• Take for granted that women, foreign people
and slaves are excluded of Athens’ citizenship.
9. The man: Pericles (490-429)
• He was the leader of Athens’
democratic group for more than
thirty years.
• All over those years, he took a
lot political posts. For fifteen
years he was reelected for that
of estratega, something like the
leader of Athens’ army.
• During the time of his leadership
it was decided to build the
Parthenon.