How did pericles make sure even poor people could hold government?

Answer 1

The Greek city of Athens in Pericles' time has much later been called 'the birthplace of democracy'. But the democracy in Pericles' days was very limited, especially for poor people. There were a few mass meetings per year if a subject was important enough - a sort of referendum, really - and citizens would be entitled to do jury duty, in a jury that consisted most often of hundreds of people. Those mass meetings could decide on things like war and peace, or on appointing an army commander in times of war. And the juries - who were at the same time judges - could decide on life or death.

That was it. Even to participate in only those mass meetings, you had to be a free-born, male citizen. But all the executive Government jobs were always in the hands of a small group of rich and powerful families - and so never in the hands of any poor people. Also, there were no democratic Institutions like a Congress with power and constitutional rights.