1. The people made the decisions directly without self-serving politicians getting in the way.
2. The law courts were run by the juries of 500, with no judges or lawyers to play games with evidence or judgement.
Republic and democracy are two different things. A Republic can be a democracy, just as a constitutional monarchy today can be a democracy. Democracy existed in the Roman Republic, as it had three different assemblies of the citizens (Centuriate, Tribal, Plebeian). Athens went through phases - monarchy, oligarchy, limited democracy, radical democracy.
Cleisthenes, Ephialtes, Pericles.
The first appearance of democracy is often said to have been in Athens in Ancient Greece. However one should be aware that there are very great differences on what was considered democracy in Athens and what is considered as democracy today (just as there is a rather large differences between modern democracies). For example only men could vote and these men had to be landowners as well as sons of two athenian parents.
Democracy in Athens was an evolving experiment which lasted on and off for a bit over a century. The US is not a democracy - it is a republic which as a form of democratic government which has been going for over two hundred years and counting.
Athens and Sparta.
The most famous and powerful of all the city states of ancient Greece were Sparta and Athens.
Athens and Sparta are two prominent city-states in ancient Greece, each with distinct cultures and political systems. Athens, known for its advancements in democracy, philosophy, and arts, is located in the southeastern part of Greece. Sparta, famous for its military prowess and disciplined society, is situated to the southwest of Athens. Therefore, Sparta is further north compared to Athens.
democracy and philosophy
democracy and philosophy
Sparta and Athens were two of the most powerful Greek city states in ancient times.
The thesis statement of a comparison between Sparta and Athens could be: "Sparta and Athens were two prominent city-states in ancient Greece with distinct political, social, and military structures. While Sparta focused on militarism and discipline, Athens valued democracy and intellectual pursuits, leading to contrasting societies that played key roles in shaping Greek civilization."
Citizens directed the business of the state, and the council implemented it. They also ran the law courts - no judges and crooked lawyers to distort justice. The disadvantage was that persuasive orators could sway the assembly of citizens into unwise actions. Athens thus got into and lost the Peloponnesian War.