Published in Hungary - Political debates and analysis - 22 Apr 2024 04:28 - 0
To many, it may initially sound like Athenian democracy and today’s modern democracy share the same foundations. However, it is essential to emphasize that they are entirely different in meaning, operational principles, and underlying concepts, and they should not be directly compared.
Nevertheless, it is worth exploring the parallels between them and understanding how early democratic ideas have influenced today's democracy.
The term “democracy” itself originates from Greek words: “demos” (meaning “people”) and “kratos” (meaning “rule” or “power”). In ancient Greece, the term “democracy” referred to the rule of the people. The first significant steps toward this concept can be attributed to figures like Draco and Solon. While the strictness of Draco’s laws is well-known, it was Solon who introduced political rights not based on birthright. The well-being of the people was at the forefront of these changes.
An interesting fact is that theft was punishable by death at various levels (from stealing fruit to horse theft), while homicide could also result in capital punishment. Perhaps due in part to the connection between political rights and property, theft—specifically the taking of someone’s property—was considered a more severe offense than murder.
After the reigns of Draco and Solon, Athens experienced approximately forty years of tyranny, which was eventually followed by the golden age of Athenian democracy.
Cleisthenes played a crucial role in shaping Athenian democracy. He established the popular assembly (People's Assembly) as the highest governing body and introduced a territorial-based electoral system. Specifically, he divided the city-state (polis) into three main regions: the urban area, the coastal area, and the interior. Each of these regions was further subdivided into ten smaller voting districts. This resulted in a total of thirty voting districts. However, this arrangement alone did not guarantee local peace. To address this, Cleisthenes devised a system where each of the three major zones (one coastal, one urban, and one interior) formed a separate jury pool. These juries could then send fifty representatives each to the assembly. This system bears some resemblance to today’s Hungarian National Assembly (though its functioning and purpose are different). Another significant development by Cleisthenes was the use of pottery shards (ostraka) for voting.
"Pericles followed him, perhaps the most famous Athenian leader and one of the favorite innovators of today’s politicians. He introduced daily wages for those members of the people who participated in politics. The reason behind this was that poor peasants who worked all day in the fields, ground wheat, or baked bread couldn’t afford to engage in politics. If they did, their daily sustenance would be at risk. Therefore, they received a certain wage for participating in the assembly. This revitalized democracy by encouraging active participation in political life. This marked the golden age…
Now that we’ve outlined Athenian democracy in broad strokes, let’s address the question relevant to us:
What impact does it have on today’s society?
In ancient times, “democracy” referred to the rule of the people, where roughly one-fifth (about 20%) of the population had a say in politics (neither women nor children nor slaves had this right). Today, efforts are made to extend this to 100%, meaning that anyone who reaches the age of 18 automatically becomes an eligible voter (in some areas 21). In the modern world, there are, of course, better and worse democracies, just as Athen had its better and worse periods. we can draw parallels:
What do you think? What other parallels exist between the ancient and modern social structures?
Nevertheless, it is worth exploring the parallels between them and understanding how early democratic ideas have influenced today's democracy.
The term “democracy” itself originates from Greek words: “demos” (meaning “people”) and “kratos” (meaning “rule” or “power”). In ancient Greece, the term “democracy” referred to the rule of the people. The first significant steps toward this concept can be attributed to figures like Draco and Solon. While the strictness of Draco’s laws is well-known, it was Solon who introduced political rights not based on birthright. The well-being of the people was at the forefront of these changes.
An interesting fact is that theft was punishable by death at various levels (from stealing fruit to horse theft), while homicide could also result in capital punishment. Perhaps due in part to the connection between political rights and property, theft—specifically the taking of someone’s property—was considered a more severe offense than murder.
After the reigns of Draco and Solon, Athens experienced approximately forty years of tyranny, which was eventually followed by the golden age of Athenian democracy.
Cleisthenes played a crucial role in shaping Athenian democracy. He established the popular assembly (People's Assembly) as the highest governing body and introduced a territorial-based electoral system. Specifically, he divided the city-state (polis) into three main regions: the urban area, the coastal area, and the interior. Each of these regions was further subdivided into ten smaller voting districts. This resulted in a total of thirty voting districts. However, this arrangement alone did not guarantee local peace. To address this, Cleisthenes devised a system where each of the three major zones (one coastal, one urban, and one interior) formed a separate jury pool. These juries could then send fifty representatives each to the assembly. This system bears some resemblance to today’s Hungarian National Assembly (though its functioning and purpose are different). Another significant development by Cleisthenes was the use of pottery shards (ostraka) for voting.
"Pericles followed him, perhaps the most famous Athenian leader and one of the favorite innovators of today’s politicians. He introduced daily wages for those members of the people who participated in politics. The reason behind this was that poor peasants who worked all day in the fields, ground wheat, or baked bread couldn’t afford to engage in politics. If they did, their daily sustenance would be at risk. Therefore, they received a certain wage for participating in the assembly. This revitalized democracy by encouraging active participation in political life. This marked the golden age…
Now that we’ve outlined Athenian democracy in broad strokes, let’s address the question relevant to us:
What impact does it have on today’s society?
In ancient times, “democracy” referred to the rule of the people, where roughly one-fifth (about 20%) of the population had a say in politics (neither women nor children nor slaves had this right). Today, efforts are made to extend this to 100%, meaning that anyone who reaches the age of 18 automatically becomes an eligible voter (in some areas 21). In the modern world, there are, of course, better and worse democracies, just as Athen had its better and worse periods. we can draw parallels:
- Inclusion: Both systems involve citizens in decision-making, not limited to a single ruler or leader.
- Legislation and Justice: Laws and justice are determined through assemblies, councils, and committees.
- Anonymous Voting: Ensuring secret ballots.
- Territorial-Based Elections: Introducing elections based on geographical areas.
- Payment for Public Service: Politicians receive compensation for serving the people.
What do you think? What other parallels exist between the ancient and modern social structures?
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