Greek and Roman Governments

Greek and Roman Governments

  • Submitted By: matias
  • Date Submitted: 05/23/2010 4:58 PM
  • Category: History Other
  • Words: 1755
  • Page: 8
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Greek and Roman Governments

Beginning around 750 B.C.E. Greek city-states had developed three distinct forms of social and political government: oligarchy, tyranny, and democracy. Sparta was a famous example of an oligarchy while Corinth was best known for its tyranny. It was Athens that developed Greece’s first known democracy by allowing all male citizens to participate in governing and voting. Athens practiced a more direct democracy where the male voters would vote directly on whether to pass legislation as opposed to electing officials to represent them. Democracy within Athens had a long stand, with an exception to an oligarchic revolution during the Peloponnesian War, it was not till 322 B.C.E. with the rise of the Macedonians who put democracy aside and governed through their kings. The rise of Rome began in 753 B.C.E. Originally ruled by kings it was not until members of the social elite overthrew the monarchy and “created a new political system – the republic – which lasted from the fifth century through the first century B.C.E.”[1] Being a representative government, all Roman officials were elected by the people in order to serve the interests of the people. It was not till 14 C.E. when the republic deteriorated with the death of Augustus and permanent monarchy was implemented. Both the Roman republic and Athens democracy were new, different, and radical for their time, however even with their great prosperity they ultimately fell. Plagued by war, corruption, and power Athens and Rome tried to stay true to their original government plan but the instability in a chaotic time was too much for either to overcome.
The desire for a democracy and the growth of a democracy in Athens became more evident as there was an increase in economic stability and growth in the middle class from 800 to 700 B.C.E. Many of these men in the middle class felt they were entitled to have say in the government and “By the seventh century all adult...

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