Athens in the 5th century BC had a direct democracy where all male citizens could participate directly in the government. The Ekklesia, made up of all citizens, voted on laws and declared war. The Boule, made up of 500 randomly selected citizens, drafted laws and managed politics and the army. Principal characteristics included isonomia where all citizens had equal rights, isogoria allowing all citizens to speak in the assembly, and isocracia giving all citizens equal chances to hold office, though women, foreigners, and slaves were excluded from citizenship. Pericles led Athens' democratic faction for over 30 years, during which time the Parthenon was built.

1. DEMOCRACY IN ANCIENT ATHENS.
Vth CENTURY B. C.

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.

4. Sparta

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.

6. Athens

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.

10. LEGISLATIVE
POWER
EXECUTIVE
POWER
JUDICIAL
POWER
GREEK
DEMOCRACY
MODERN
DEMOCRACY
COMPARISON WITH
MODERN DEMOCRACY
ECLESIA PARLIAMENT
GOVERNMENTMAGISTRATES
JUDGESPOPULAR
COURTS