The Government in Athens By Teresa

There have been many different types of government in Athens. There has been an oligarchy, a tyranny and a democracy. There is a democracy in all of Greece today, but the other forms of government will be engraved in Greece and Athens’ history forever.
The first real government in Athens was an oligarchy. The word ‘oligarchy’ means ‘rule by a few’. The people of Athens were first ruled by a small group of aristocrats, or rich landowners. In this time, common people had little to no say in the government. Some people wanted a say in government, so in 600 B.C. a group of rebels tried to overthrow the aristocrats. The failed, but soon afterwards, a man named Draco set new laws for Athens. The new rules were very harsh. Many small things were punishable by death. This maddened the people of Athens, who thought the laws were too strict. In the 590s B.C., a man named Solon set even newer laws for Athens. Under his rule, all people of Athens became citizens, or people who had the right to participate in government. Still, the Athenians were not satisfied. They were ready to end the aristocrat’s rule.
What do you think of when you hear the word tyranny? You probably think of a harsh or cruel leader. That is the meaning today, but most Athenian tyrants were good leaders. ‘Tyranny’ means ‘rule by a tyrant’. A tyrant is a leader who holds power through force. The first tyrant was named Peisistratus. He was a noble who overthrew the oligarchy in 546 B.C. With Peisistratus came peace and prosperity. His policies were meant to unify the city of Athens. He also built many temples and monuments. When he died, his son took over as tyrant. Unfortunately, not everyone was happy. The aristocrats were not happy that they were not in power. Some unhappy aristocrats convinced a rival city-state to attack Athens. Because of this invasion, the tyrants lost power and again, for a short time, aristocrats ruled Athens.
We all know about democracy, but few people know about it’s past. Sometime around 500 B.C., a new leader named Cleisthenes came to power in Athens. He didn’t want aristocrats to rule Athens, even though he came from one of Athens’ richest families. He thought that, already, the aristocrats had too much influence. He called on the people, and together they overthrew the aristocrats once and for all. With the aristocrats out of the way, Cleisthenes brought a brand-new form of government to Athens. This was the first Democracy. All citizens had the right to participate in the assembly under Cleisthenes. The assembly met outside, on a hillside, so there was room for everybody. During the assembly meeting, men gave speeches and the citizens voted. They voted by a show of hands or they wrote their votes on pieces of broken pottery. This was how they made the laws. Over time, citizens got more rights in government. They were allowed to serve on juries to decide cases. Democracy stayed in Athens for about 170 years. Its prime was under the brilliant leader Pericles. Pericles led the government from around 460 B.C. to 429 B.C., the year he died. For the first time, citizens were encouraged to take pride in their city-state, because Pericles thought that a good government was as important as having a strong army. Pericles began paying people for government positions, also a first. The Athenians began spreading democracy to other parts of Greece, encouraged by Pericles. Unfortunately, the amazing Athenian Democracy came to an end around 330 B.C.
Many types of government have been created around the world, and many great things have been done. However, none are more memorable then the great government in Ancient Athens.