One of the most important ideas that has been handed down by the ancient Greeks is that of democracy. Among the many forms of government that emerged in Greece’s many city-states was the world’s first democracies, where all its citizens had equal rights. Citizens had the freedom to think and to speak as they wished and the right to choose their public officials. Citizens had democratic liberty and political rights, and could own land. However, only one out of every six residents was a citizen.
Society in most of the Greek city-states, even the democracies, was actually based on an economic and military aristocracy. There were
Inequalities among the citizens and the other two types of residents: foreigners and slaves. Foreigners had no political rights. If a foreigner stayed in a city for longer than a specified period of time, he had to register as a resident alien and pay a tax. Resident aliens might be artisans, merchants, or bankers. They could become wealthy and, with good luck, they could become citizens; but with bad luck, they could also end up as slaves.
Even among citizens in Greece’s most prominent democracy, Athens, there was social and economic inequality. Athens was a patriarchal society, meaning that the father controlled the family. Women did not have the same political rights as men. Girl babies were not even fed as well as boys. Married women were practically prisoners in their homes. They could not leave the house except to visit relatives, attend marriages and funerals, and participate in certain religious festivals. A wife sometimes shopped at the market for small purchases. When women went out, they were required to have a male servant or slave chaperone them. Women did not have the right to attend political assemblies or to vote. With few exceptions, they were not allowed to participate in public events at all-not even dinner parties.
Women could not own, in-
Greek Politics
Many of the political ideals we cherish today came from the Greeks. The word politics comes from the Greek word polis, usually translated as "city-state" to emphasize its difference from what we today normally think of as a city. The word democracy comes from the Greek word demokratia, which means "the authority of people."
When Greek civilization began, authority was based on brute force—as it was in most of the ancient world. But the Greeks were the first to ask what the role of a government should be. Some Greek philosophers determined that the state should exist for the benefit of its citizens. Therefore, they reasoned, those citizens had the right to help make decisions. They believed that it was not just a right, but also a duty of every citizen to participate in the government.
Herit, or manage property, or take part in any business deal in which something worth more than a bushel of grain was exchanged. Poor women worked, however, as dressmakers, weavers, and midwives. A woman had to have an official male guardian to protect her physically and legally. Citizen women had recourse to the courts in disputes over legal issues. But they had to have men speak for them. Women had authority only over children and slaves. A woman was responsible for cooking, housework, and spinning and weaving cloth for the family’s clothing.
Persia was also a patriarchal society in which women lived very suppressed lives. They took care of the home and were encouraged to
Have as many children as possible, so that the king’s army would always be supplied with soldiers. They were not allowed to see any men other than their husbands. Unlike Greek women, however, they were permitted to own property and could conduct business from their homes.
World History
