Athens Excluded: Metics

Democracy is a form of goernment in which the rules of society ar decided by the people who will be indentured by them (Janine, Rein, 2004: p4). The word commonwealth, referring to the rule of people, was derived from the Greek argufy demos (people) and kratos (rule). Athens, the most innovative polis or city-state of Ancient Greece was known to be the birthplace of body politic, which lasted during the Athenian golden age, for about cardinal grosbeak years in the fifth century BCE. The city-state was known for its coif of direct representation in which the citizens directly decided on the laws and policies that would be adopted, ensuring that each and every citizen was represented. The Athenian city-state also introduced semipolitical campaign by jury, attempting to prevent arbitrary prosecution and punishment. In Pericles Funeral Oration, still by Thucydides, he stated that, Our constitution is called a democracy because position is in the hands not of a minorit y, merely of the whole people (Held, 2006: p13). However, it was evident that the majority of the Athenian universe was not involved in Athenian democracy as many groups were restricted access to political power and influence. At its height, Athens was estimated to dwell 300 000 people, only 40 000 of which were citizens (Janine, Rein, 2004: p4). the great unwashed applied exclusively to Athenian free-born priapic descendants over the age of twenty.

The remainder of the population was not eligible for citizenship and then had no participation in the Athenian democracy. A factor of the excluded population, involving approximately 30 000 people, was the metics: a crystalise of free non-citizens who contend an important role ! in Athenian society (www.stoa.org, 2003). Yet, they were unavailing to enjoy the same social, economic, and political rights of an Athenian citizen. Therefore it dissolve be concluded that Athens could not... If you destiny to get a full essay, order it on our website: OrderEssay.net

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