Perciles

During a time when monarchies and other forms of class-ranking governments dominated the western cultures, Athens was among the first, and certainly the most famous, to introduce a new form of government in which the citizens held the power: democracy. Pericles described the government as one that did “not copy the institutions of [their] neighbors,” (Thucydides, p. 100), and in which “power is in the hands not of a minority but of the whole people,” (Thucydides, p. 100), where “everyone [was] equal before the law,” (Thucydides, p. 100). This direct democracy was not only a fair system in theory, but i

Admittedly, the Athenian military power could not be attributed wholly to democracy, as the Spartans ran a drastically different political system and also produced amazing armies. Also, Greece was, on the whole, a very successful area, despite an array of varying political systems, and while Athens was one of the most successful, it could not have been completely due to the democratic system. One critic of the Athenian democracy, named only the “Old Oligarch,” argued primarily that the lower class was incapable and not worthy of becoming politically involved. He stated,

Despite these great attributes due to democracy, Athens did, as most great cities did, eventually fall. The army was unable to defend the city during the Peloponnesian War, Athens was overtaken by her rival polis, Sparta. One underlying downfall for the city-state may have been that it was grounded in a basic trust among people. Regardless of the potential of human goodness, there was an inherent acknowledgement of the inherent failure that could lie within the heart. Through the Greek tragedies, the citizens made it clear that they were acutely aware of this delicately dangerous human ability to choose.

Dramas in Athens were not simply a form of entertainment, but also a means of competition, an artistic outlet, and a highly successful cultural development for the Greeks. Athenian dramas and tragedies were monum

Some topics in this essay:
Funeral Oration, Admittedly Athenian, War Athens, Greeks Athenian, Dramas Athens, Sparta Athens, Athens Sparta, War Greeks, thucydides 100, democratic system, athens city, athenian soldiers, rival city sparta, “old oligarch”, funeral oration, rival city, form government, city sparta, pride city,