Unit One: Sources of Democratic TraditionsAncient GreeceRoman Republic and EmpirePrinciples of JudaismThe Rise of Christianity

Roots of Democracy

Ancient Athens (500-300 B.C.)

Ancient Rome (509 B.C.-A.D. 476)

Christianity (A.D. 34-present)

EnglandJudaism (1000 B.C.- present)

Direct democracy

Duties of the citizen

Legislature

Jury

Rule of law and reason

Republic

Veto

Checks on power

Written code of laws

Basic moral laws (values)

Duties of the individual

Morally just community

Equality and dignity of all

Service to others

Moral and ethical behavior

Justice

England will be discussed under

unit two; The Glorious Revolution

Ancient Greece• The Greeks designed each large city-state, or polis, with an acropolis

for temples and a lower walled city for homes, a market, and public

buildings. Different forms of government evolved over time, from

monarchy, to aristocracy, and in some places oligarchy.

• Oligarchy - Sparta

• Tyranny - Corinth

• Democracy - Athens

The Road to Athenian Democracy

Oligarchy

Limited Democracy

Aristocracy?/Oligarchy?

Tyranny

Democracy in the Golden Age of Athens

Solon’s Reforms1. Liberated slaves and outlawed debt slavery2. Created four social classes based on wealth3. Created a system where government positions were based on class status4. Permitted social mobility5. Created a judicial system where wrongdoers can be taken to court and

permitted appeals

Athens: The Cultural Center of Greece; the Birthplace of Philosophy

• Athens experienced a “golden age” under the leadership of the statesman, Pericles.

• Athens’ government during this time was a direct democracy in which every citizen

voted directly on issues.

• Jury duty was also expected of citizens.

• Athens became the cultural center of Greece.

• The Peloponnesian War between Athens and Sparta ended Athens’ domination of

Greece.

• Greek philosophers tried to discover universal truths.

• These truths would hopefully lead to better government and proper ethics.

• Among the most influential philosophers were Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle.

Key Ideas of Plato

Key Ideas of Aristotle

Analysis of “The Politics”In The Politics, Aristotle: • Discusses ownership of productive assets (Book I).• Examines the potential for social upheaval resulting

from inequitable distribution of goods (Book I).• Identifies rational self-interest as natural (Book I).• Believes that people band together to improve their

well being (Book III).• Examines the interests served by different types of

governments (Book III).– Tyranny (monarchy)-tyrant (monarch)– Oligarchy-wealthy– Democracy-needy

• Finds that rule of law and not any tyranny, oligarchy, or (direct) democracy is the best way to govern (Book III). [Laws should govern. People must have input in making the law.]

• Defines the role of the ideal state as the entity responsible for providing the best life possible for its citizens (Book VII).

• Identifies the services that the state should provide to attain the above (Book VII).

– Welfare– Arts and leisure– Right to bare arms (militia or military)– Tax collection– A home for religion– Justice system

• Notes that the foundations of governments must be equality and justice (Book VII).

• Points out the importance of education in society.

Important People and Their ideas

The Spread of Greek Ideas; the Hellenistic Age

• Macedonian ruler Philip II came to control all of Greece.

• His son, Alexander the Great, created an enormous empire that stretched

into Persia and Egypt.

• Alexander’s conquests spread Greek culture.

• He married a Persian woman and urged others to do the same.

• This mixing of cultures created a new Hellenistic civilization that blended

Greek, Persian, Egyptian, and Indian cultures.

• Alexandria in Egypt was the heart of this new empire.

• The Romans eventually conquered what was once Alexander’s empire and

merge the cultures into what we call Greco-Roman traditions.

• The Roman poet Horace noted, “Greece has conquered her rude conqueror”

Roman Republic and Empire

• In 509 B.C., the Romans broke free of Etruscan rule and formed a republic in which the

people choose some officials.

• Various governing bodies regulated Roman life, such as the senate. Plebeians had to

fight to gain political power.

• With the help of citizen-soldiers, Rome came to control most of the Italian peninsula by

about 270 B.C

• Political leaders and the senate fought civil wars in Rome, and the empire came to rely

on paid soldiers who were loyal to their commanders over the state.

• Julius Caesar became dictator and was killed in 44 B.C., which brought on more civil

wars.

• Octavian became emperor in 31 B.C. and took the title of Augustus. He created a civil

service to enforce laws and imposed a fairer tax system. He ushered in the pax Romana,

which was a 200-year period of peace.

Roman Law

• Roman laws united the empire. Civil law and the law of nations were

merged to apply to everyone in the empire.

• Many Roman principles of law are still practiced today.

• Romans respected the authority of the law much like the Greeks.

• Romans wrote down all their laws beginning with the Twelve Tables.

By the 6th century A.D. Roman law was cumbersome and confusing.

• The Emperor Justinian codified all the laws in a process that removed

redundancies and errors; an enormous undertaking.

Principles of Judaism• According to the Torah, Abraham migrated with his family westward

from Mesopotamia to Canaan.

• There, near the eastern Mediterranean coast, Abraham founded the

Israelite nation.

• The Israelites were monotheistic, meaning they believed in one God.

• They believed God would protect and provide for them as long as they

followed God’s laws. They believed that Gods rules applied also to their

rulers.

• The Torah established moral principles and set out laws, including The

Ten Commandments that became part of the cultural foundation of

Western civilization.

The Rise of Christianity

• According to the Gospels, Jesus began preaching and performing miracles of

healing in the provinces of Galilee and Judea on the eastern Mediterranean.

• Jesus’ message echoed the Jewish ideas of mercy and sympathy for the poor.

• Some followers believed he was the Son of God, Out of fear of rebellion, the

Romans crucified him.

• Jesus’ followers spread Christianity, first among the Jews of Judea and then

through the Roman world.

• Paul was the most influential among them.

• The emperor Theodosius made Christianity Rome’s official religion.

The Christian Church & Judeo-Christian Tradition• Gradually scattered Christian communities organized a structured church

hierarchy.

• The bishops of the important cities became powerful in the Church, with the

bishop of Rome serving as the pope.

• During the Middle Ages, the Roman Catholic Church became a powerful

spiritual and secular force in Western Europe.

• Both the Jewish and Christian faiths are major world religions today.

• The ethical and moral principles set forth by both religions played an

important role in the development of the democratic tradition