Table of Contents
Who decided the laws in Athenian?
The two traditions agree that the laws are made by the Assembly and approved by the Senate. These laws, then, are made by people, not gods. The most famous of these city-states is Athens. Only citizens–those people who were born in Athens or children of people born in Athens–could be part of the government.
How were laws passed in ancient Greece?
Laws were passed through a process called nomothesia (νομοθεσία) or “legislation.” Each year the Assembly met to discuss the current body of laws. Any citizen could propose a change in the laws, but could only propose the repeal of a law if he suggested another law to replace the repealed law.
Who can vote about laws in Athens?
Only adult male Athenian citizens who had completed their military training as ephebes had the right to vote in Athens. The percentage of the population that actually participated in the government was 10% to 20% of the total number of inhabitants, but this varied from the fifth to the fourth century BC.
Did the ancient Greeks have laws?
Ancient Greek law consists of the laws and legal institutions of Ancient Greece. The general unity of Greek law shows mainly in the laws of inheritance and adoption, in laws of commerce and contract, and in the publicity uniformly given to legal agreements.
Who could vote in ancient Rome?
Voting for most offices was open to all full Roman citizens, a group that excluded women, slaves and originally those living outside of Rome. In the early Republic, the electorate would have been small, but as Rome grew it expanded.
How did the government work in ancient Greece?
Representative democracy is a government in which citizens vote for representatives who create and change laws that govern the people rather than getting to vote directly on the laws themselves. Ostraka are shards of pottery that were used as a voting ballot in ancient Greece.
How did the ancient Greeks count their votes?
Even allowing for artistic license, it seems the Greeks really did it this way. Voters deposited a pebble into one of two urns to mark their choice; after voting, the urns were emptied onto counting boards for tabulation.
Who was not a citizen of ancient Athens?
Women, children, and slaves were not considered citizens and therefore could not vote. Each year 500 names were chosen from all the citizens of ancient Athens. Those 500 citizens had to actively serve in the government for one year.
Who was the father of democracy in ancient Greece?
Although this Athenian democracy would survive for only two centuries, its invention by Cleisthenes, “The Father of Democracy,” was one of ancient Greece’s most enduring contributions to the modern world. The Greek system of direct democracy would pave the way for representative democracies across the globe. Who Could Vote in Ancient Greece?