Athens

The governing body in ancient Athens was primarily the Assembly, known as the "Ekklesia," which was composed of male citizens over the age of 18. This body had the power to make decisions on legislation, war, and policy. Additionally, there was the Council of Five Hundred, or "Boule," which prepared the agenda for the Assembly and handled day-to-day governance. Together, these institutions facilitated Athenian democracy, allowing citizens to participate directly in political decision-making.

He helped establish an empire over 180 other Greek city-states which enriched Athens, and brought in radical democracy, and led it into a destructive 27-year war which cost it its empire and a massive loss of its people.

After the death of Pericles, he was replaced by Cleon. Under his direction Athens renewed the conflict with Sparta.

Infanticide was practicised, as was abandoning them in a public place. Those abandoned could die of exposure, or be taken in by wealthier families as either family members or slaves.

The agora was surrounded by buildings and temples. it was a market place, with such attractions as scholarly debate and male perfume shops where men congregated and discussed interests and issues.

That the cities would leave the league, or not pay their annual contributions, which Athens was using for its own benefit. A bit like the bureaucrats of today's European Union, who live in fear of their rich pickings and influence disappearing.

They were busy warring amongst themselves.

There were no lawyers or judges, so a citizen had to make his case to the jury (usually 500 citizen jurors) and if found guilty, propose a sentence in competition with the one proposed by his accuser. The jury could pick only one or the other.

They worked on the family farm, or learning a trade. At 18 they began military training. They obeyed their parents.

Men met, socialised, traded, and socialised in the perfume shops.

It was designed to settle a disintegrating city-state where the aristocracy was heading for civil war with the lower classes. He arranged for the redemption of citizens who had been sold abroad for debt, arranged for the settlement of debts, and established a compromise political settlement which divided power according to wealth rather than traditional descent.

This replaced one class distinction with another, and the experiment failed. By popular support, a Tyrant (dictator) was appointed to control the upper classes, and this lasted until it was replaced by a democracy.

You can do it by exaggerating the facts and ignoring the weaknesses. The democracy lasted for about 50 years, and it led them into regular troubles, as the people were led into risky adventurism by unscrupulous leaders. During the 50 years, they created an empire by turning the Delian League of other city-states, which they led against the Persian Empire, into an empire of their own. Their up-market prosperity which came from mulcting these cities gave them a better lifestyle, but maintaining this led them into following demagogues who persuaded them into risky wars, leading finally to the devastating 27-year Peloponnesian War against a league of other cities led by Sparta. Athens lost the war and was stripped of its empire and the stolen prosperity.

It adopted a directed democracy similar to Sparta's. Even during the 50 years, they had to reintroduce periods of oligarchy (rule by a limited group) to re-stabilise emergency situations which the democracy could not cope with.

The experiment finally failed with their ignominious defeat, and a restricted form of democracy with strong control by a council produced stable government.

In the Athenian experiment with democracy, office bearers were selected by lot (randomly). This gave uncertain results so functions were run usually by groups of ten, in the hope that the law of averages would allow a few competents within any group of 10.

The exception was the 10 generals - no one wanted to be led into war by whoever was drawn out of the hat, so each of the ten tribes nominated a general. Their distrust of the office bearers was borne out when the assembly of the people would add a rider to an important decision 'the generals will see to it', showing the general distrust of the normal office bearers.

The assembly meetings held every couple of weeks consisted of the adult male citizens who met and had matters put before them by the council.

They discussed and argued the merits and demerits, and made decision by vote. leading orators tried to influence the assembly, and often succeeded for better of worse.

After a few bad experiences, to try to discourage them from biased or self-interested reasons, the Assembly passed a law that established the death sentence for 'misleading the people'.

The council carried out the Assembly's decisions.

Democratic government.

What you are referring to is a timocracy, which is a system where only property owners may participate in government. Solon introduced a timocratic constitution in Athens in the early 6th century BC. His was the first known planned form of timocracy. Political rights and responsibilities were allocated according to the income of the citizens, who were divided into four income groups: the Pentacosiomedimni were men who produced 500 bushels of produce per year and could serve as generals in the army; the Hippeis were knights, men who could equip themselves with a war horse, valued at 300 bushels per year; the Zeugitae (tillers) were men who owned of at least one pair of beasts of burden, valued at 200 bushels and could serve as hoplites (infantrymen); the Thetes were the manual labourers and did not take part in the army. In term of rights, the votes of the richer people counted more than those of the poorer people because of their greater contribution to the army and to taxation. The citizens' wealth was evaluated through the census, which for the Greeks was more than an income assessment than a head count. People were put in the different income classes following this assessment.

Pericles did make the Athens city-state to perfect. This is a generous city.

I have not received an answer and I don't have a Facebook account. I just wanted my vote for Jessica on American idol to get counted but the phones were messed up so we should have been able to vote again when they were fixed since someone probably hacked them to get the results they wanted. I wanted Alex to go home. But if I at least got my vote in and she still went home I could accept that but its something fishy about this!

False. He allowed upper to lower class citizens to run for public office.

They participated in religious festivals, acted in the plays which were part of them, and participated in other religious rituals and sacrifices and offerings, at temples and religious sporting festivals helding in honour of the gods.

The Delian League was formed under Athenian leadership to oppose Persia and keep the Greek city-states liberated from the Persian Empire from falling back under its control. When Persia agreed to peace and to keep away from these cities, Athens took the League treasury used to fud the resistance to Persia to Athens, but also kept up the annual levy for the fighting fund, collected by force if necessary.

The cities did not see why they should continue these payments. Athens

did, because it used the money to build the Parthenon etc and keep half its population on the public payroll, including it's navy which made an annual cruise extorting the contributions (or 'tribute') for the now-defunct anti-Persian defence.

They were kept paying, as Athens replaced the Persians as a master, so the cities, in escaping the Persian Empire, found themselves trapped in an Athenian Empire.

Thucydides