Essay about Ancient Athens - 1399 Words

Ancient Athens The last Olympic swimmer just touched the wall and the race has ended. Cameras are replaying every single movement from the race and a winner has been clearly decided. Just as these Olympic swimmers will gain a medal for placing, ancient Athens had numerous accomplishments of its own. Athens â€Å"prosperity †¦ was due in large part to its stable and effective government† (SOURCE 1). When analyzing the history of ancient Athens, is easy to see how the accomplishments of a democracy, Greek philosophy, and Greek literature all shape Athens. Athens is the home of democracy. It is the first known example of where people began to govern themselves. The democracy of Athens slowly developed around 500 BC, during the Classical†¦show more content†¦Solon is the second person to reform the laws of Athens. He began revising laws in the 590s BC and â€Å"allowed all men in Athens to take part in the assembly that governed the city and to serve on the j uries that heard trials† (SOURCE 1). Along with participation in the assembly, Solon â€Å"forbade the practice of debt slavery and set up a fund to buy back Athenian slaves who had been sold abroad† (SOURCE 2). Solon â€Å"based eligibility for political office on property qualifications, not birth,† permitting those not born of high social status to have the opportunity to hold an office (SOURCE 2). Through all of these events, society still did not accept the laws and because of this, more problems arose. During the troubles and chaos, a man by the name of Peisistratus â€Å"took advantage of the renewed conflict to seize power† (SOURCE 1). Peisistratus is a tyrant among the Athenians, however, is a popular person. This is because he â€Å"proceeded to institute Solon’s reforms† (SOURCE 2). The men of Athens who participated in the democracy were to â€Å"vote in all elections, serve in office if elected, serve on juries, and serve in the military during the war† (SOURCE 1). Cleisthenes, another law reformer, â€Å"divided Athens into 10 tribes based on where people lived† and â€Å"made these new tribes†¦the basis for elections† (SOURCE 1). The tribes had to sendShow MoreRelatedClassical Ideals : Ancient Athens1589 Words   |  7 PagesKaur Professor Codella Humanities 300 3 November 2014 Classical Ideals The ancient Athens aimed for perfection with every detail in their lives; from the art, architecture, philosophy, they wanted nothing less than perfect. This high standard of perfection is known as the classical ideal. The ancient Athens’s society was based solely on high standards of living. The classical ideal was expressed in many ways in the Athens culture. 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