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The Three Most Important Parts Of The Athenian Political System

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Athenian democracy only lasted around two centuries, and the system was introduced in 507 B.C by an Athenian named Cleisthenes. The democratic political system of Athens was often referred to as the "demos", which translates to "the people". This meant that it was governed by the rule of the people of Athens. The three most important parts of the system included the ekklesia (the Assembly), the council of 500 men that represented the ten Athenian tribes (The Boule) and lastly, the popular courts (The Dikasteria) that were filled by citizens and jurors. Although Athens was democratic, this did not mean that there was equality. Only a small fraction of the population had citizenship, and around 40,000 males participated in the politics. This …show more content…

A war against Sparta began during this time, which was caused by the poor decisions made by the current general. At some point Sicily invaded Athens, followed by a change in democracy to a more oligarchy system of government. Athens was fighting for their government and changes were being made over and over, power was being put on different people and becoming overrun. But finally, in 338 B.C., Athens was taken by Mecedonia. This drastic end in democracy came after Athens lost the battle of Chaeronea. Controled by Alexander the Great, the Greeks tried to regain their government but failed. Some parts of the original democratic system remained functioning throughout the the years. But it was no longer the "Demos" or the Assembly that made the political decisions.

In my opinion, the end of democracy for Athens was coming. Things must always change and there will always be someone wanting to take leadership and power from the people. This is inevitable and due to the many battles over territories, people, and land, there was always conflicts during this time period and the next to come. I can't imagine what it must have been like living during a time of so much violence. I am very lucky to be able to live in country where we don't have large problems like violence and wrongful

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