Classical Athens Vs Han China Dbq Essay

Classical Athens and Han China are different from each other by its size and scope, the types of government, and how philosophers influence their societies. Athens was located in modern-day Greece next to the Mediterranean Sea. China was located in East Asia next to the Pacific Ocean.
One factor that distinguishes Athens and Han China are their size and population. Document 1 shows a map of the two societies. As seen from Document 1, Athens and China were completely different from each other, not just by location. It shows that Athens was only a few hundred square miles while China was thousands of square miles. The difference in size can be attributed to many factors, such as population, which is seen in Documents 2 and 3. Document 2 shows

Another factor that shows the difference between Athens and Han China are their types of government. Document 4 is a quote from Pericles, an Athenian leader. Pericles stated, “Our form of government is called a democracy because its administration is in the hands, not of a few, but of the whole peoples” (Doc 4). This quote here shows the main difference between Han China and Classical Athens. IN Athens, which upholds direct democracy, all free male citizens are entitled to vote, while in China, only the emperor and his advisors can. Pericles, who was Greek, can be biased in his statement because as a leader, he needs to win the people’s support. Therefore, he can only say the glories of Athens. Document 5 supports Document 4’s statement. Document 5 talks about the details of the Athenian government. It tells the reader “No one remained in power long enough to entrench himself” (Doc 5). This quote here shows that many leaders in Athens were not leaders for a long time. In fact, the chairmanship rotated every day. In China, however, the emperor remained in power until he died or was killed. Document 8 further reflects on Documents 4 and 5. Document 8 is another statement from Pericles, a leader in Athens.