Difference Between Ancient Greece And Modern Society

The most distinctive feature of Greek political culture lay in the extent of popular participation in political life that occurred within the city-states. This participation was based on the unique ideas of “citizenship,” of free people running the affairs of state, and of equality for all citizens before the law. Political participation in Greek city-states was much wider than in Persia, but it varied considerably between city-states and over time. Early in Greek history, only the wealthy and wellborn had the rights of full citizenship, but middle- and lower-class men gradually obtained these rights in some city-states.

Only men could be citizens. To be a citizen, you had to not only be a man, but also be financially secure as well as you had to be born in Athens and so did both of your parents. Women were forbidden to be citizens, along with slaves, foreigners and children, or anyone else who did not meet the proper criteria. To be a citizen meant you had the right to vote, since Athens was a democratic society. However a woman not being able to vote does not make Athens a true democratic society. Sadly this was not the only right women did not have.

The freedom which we enjoy in our government extends also to our ordinary life” (Pericles’ Funeral Oration, Thucydides). In other words, it doesn’t matter what your social rank is, if you are a citizen of Athens, you have a right (and duty) to serve in the government. This is known as a direct democracy today, and it is where we, citizens of the United States, took inspiration for our current system of government. Pericles is right to praise the city-state in this regard, as its legacy still has effect on the world millenniums after its time.

The government the U.S has today is very similar to the government Greece and Rome had. Greece and Rome were very advanced in government because they had a variety of principles including democracy, checks and balances, and citizen duties. The U.S copied these principles of government from Greece and Rome and they are still used today. Democracy was used in Greece in Rome and was modeled by the U.S later on.

For example in Rome They allowed everyone to become a citizen as long as you were not a slave but you could obtain a citizenship if you were the son of a freed slave, free slaves could not become citizens .The only requirements were that your parents had to be married in certain areas amongst the Roman Empire, You had limited rights but could own land but could not participate in voting and government office jobs. In Athens if you wanted to become a citizen you could not be a Free, native-born male child, Free, native-born adult female. Female children, slaves, freed slaves, and sons of freed slaves could not become

Athenians cared more about who was considered a citizen. To become a citizen, you had to be a free, native-born adult male to be a citizen, as shown in document A.

III- Citizenship and the Rights granted with it (Document C, speech by Claudius, Emperor of Rome 48 CE and other various sources)

Citizenship is the legal status of an individual living within a particular country. Having citizenship gives people rights and responsibilities as well as a sense of belonging to a community. Citizenship can influence the lives of people as it gives people a sense of identity and how to live their life.

Athens and Sparta were two powerful city-states, different from each other where Athenian democracy focused on economic advancement, while Sparta oligarchy focused on military force. Democracy is a system of government where citizens have the right to vote, whereas oligarchy is a system of government where only a group of people is in control and only their opinion or decision that were taken into consideration. Leading to the thesis statement that people are better served by Athenian democracy than the Spartan oligarchy, supported in three evidence points. Firstly, Athenian democracy allowed citizens participation in government that gave them freedom to vote and take part in legislation. Secondly, the Athenian government provided Athenian men better education, by being taught how to read and write to reach their academic advancement. Lastly, the Athenian democracy’s contribution to Athens military advancement that protected its citizens.

Dear friends, and to all that are gathered here today at the Pnyx, what I come to talk to you about today is voting rights. I have come to appeal to your logical sides, as opposed to your emotional ones. Any Athenian of sound mind cannot make an argument against voting rights for slaves and Metics. Metics, as we all know, are the foreign residents of Athens, however, many of our Metics are Athenian born. Our current definition of citizenship is outdated and should be adjusted. As it now stands, the only true Athenian citizens are those born in Athens to both Athenian-born parents. If you are born in Athens to parents who are not citizens, you are not a citizen. It is as simple as that, but should it be? Those metics who were born and raised in Athens, or whom helped us contribute to the war in some significant way, should be granted citizenship.

from Plato’s Crito, written over two thousand years ago, Socrates, a citizen of Athens, explains his view that citizens are forever indebted to their nation. Speaking on behalf of the Athenian

There were still groups that the Athenians did not recognize as citizens. The unfree, those born abroad, teens, and women. This was their way to keep the people participating in the the political life of the city. First documented in Athens,

Ancient Athens was a highly polarized society in which citizenship meant everything. Citizenship permitted individuals to not only participate in the democratic

Roman government is the origin for all of our current government system. The Romans has three branches of government: the legislative, the executive, and the judicial. The executive had two councils that decided on pretty much every affair within the empire. In the legislative branch was a senate, which advised the executive branch. Lastly in the judicial they had a Supreme Court. Also there was a written law consisting of twelve tablets that gave allowed the citizens to know their rights. As one can tell, the Roman system of government is much like the one currently residing in the United States of America.

Athenian citizen makes more contribution to government rather than Spartans. The Athenian government allows citizen to be a member of the government except for the military position, as its stated on an article that ” each citizen can be voted for each legislation”(Echos in the past, page, print). Which signify that being in the government position means having the capability and not the wealth. In the athenian