Athens:

Chapter 3: A first experience of democracy

Fill in the holes on the timeline

Who may NEVER be a citizen of Athens? What are the conditions to be

one of the 40 000 citizens of

Athens?

1. Be a man

2. Be 20 years old (before that,

Athenian youths are in training)

3. Be born in Athens of Athenian

parents

Who may NEVER be a citizen

of Athens?

1. Women and children (80 000)

2. Slaves (200 000)

3. Metics = foreigners living in

Athens (80 000)

Why is Greece divided in City-States?

1. The Greek landscape made difficult

communicating from city to city.

2. Cities thus become city-states

3. EACH CITY-STATE HAS ITS OWN GOVERNMENT.

How were these cities ruled?

Greece's geography

1) GREECE is a PENINSULA- that is, IT IS SURROUNDED BY THE SEA ON ALL SIDES BUT ONE.

2) GREECE IS SURROUNDED BY ISLANDS, CROSSED BY A MOUNTAIN RANGE, AND IT IS DUG BY DEEP VALLEYS.

3) THERE ARE FEW RIVERS AND LITTLE FRESHWATER IN GREECE - IT IS THUS DIFFICULT TO GROW FOOD AND TO TRAVEL.

Locate the city-state of Athens on the map

Athens

Who has the

right to do what? Aucun droit

• Esclave

Droit de faire du commerce et de

s’enrichir

• Métèque

Droit de posséder des terres et diriger

la cité

• Citoyen

How does the Athenian democracy work?

1. The city, like all Greek cities, depended on slaves, so citizens were free to talk

about politics EVERY DAY.

2. Direct democracy : each citizen is «king» (direct participation in political

decisions.)

3. Each citizen is allowed to vote and to speak in the assembly (Ecclesia), to

suggest laws and to participate in political responsibilities.

4. Some political assignments are given by election, others, through a lottery.

Name three elements of youth education in Athens.

1. Reasoning

2. Discourse

3. Argumentation

How was this useful to their citizen training?

It prepared them for debates in the Agora and thus, for productive

participation in Athenian democracy.

Give the definition

• Mythology: a collection of myths, especially one belonging to a particular religious or cultural tradition.

• Philosophy: the study of the fundamental nature of knowledge, reality, and existence, especially when considered as an academic discipline.

Philo or Mytho?

Mythology Philosophy

• Tout ce que vivent les Grecs est le fait des dieux.

• The 12 gods and goddesses live on Mount Olympus.

• The Acropolis is the place where one finds monuments and temples, and where celebrations take place.

• One should put his intelligence in the

service of political life.

• Logic and reason are the basis of

knowledge.

• Astronomy, geography, science and

mathematics become more developed.

Sort the important locations • Place publique ou on parle et fait du

commerce Agora

• Endroit ou se réunit la Boulé Bouleterion

• Endroit ou les membres de l’Ecclesia débattent de la vie politique Pnyx

• Lieu ou sont construits les temples et lieux de célébration Acropole