How Did Democracy Work in Ancient Athens?

“Favoring the Many As an alternative of the Few”

No exploration of Athenian democracy could be full with out reflecting on Pericles, certainly one of its most influential leaders. In 430 BC, throughout a state funeral for troopers who had fallen early within the Peloponnesian Battle, Pericles delivered a robust oration, captured by Thucydides.* On this well-known speech, often known as the Funeral Oration, Pericles articulated a imaginative and prescient of democracy that emphasised particular person freedom balanced with collective accountability.

He declared, “Our structure doesn’t copy the legal guidelines of neighboring states; we’re quite a sample to others than imitators ourselves. Its administration favors the various as a substitute of the few; this is the reason it’s known as a democracy.” In contrast to oligarchies or monarchies of the time, Athenian democracy was pushed by the individuals, not elites. For Pericles, true democracy meant equal alternative and merit-based development, the place one’s position in society trusted capability quite than wealth or beginning. Although restricted to male residents, this superb was groundbreaking within the historical world.

Pericles praised Athenians for balancing private freedom with civic responsibility, a mixture that he noticed as key to their success. Athenians, he stated, “reside precisely as we please,” whereas respecting public regulation and order. Pericles noticed, “We don’t really feel known as upon to be indignant with our neighbor for doing what he likes,” however that “all this ease in our non-public relations doesn’t make us lawless as residents.” This mix of freedom and accountability was a core Athenian worth and is foundational to trendy democratic beliefs. For Pericles, lively civic participation was important to a functioning democracy. As he put it, “We regard him who takes no half in these duties not as unambitious however as ineffective.”

This imaginative and prescient of democracy, which demanded lively contribution quite than passive commentary, stays certainly one of Pericles’ most enduring legacies. His phrases problem trendy readers to mirror on the extent of dedication and accountability that democracy requires. Pericles understood that for democracy to thrive, its residents have to be knowledgeable, engaged, and keen to prioritize the general public good over private pursuits.

* Thucydides, “The Historical past of the Peloponnesian Battle,” London, J.M. Dent; New York, E.P. Dutton. 1910.