If you're one of those people, it's remove that silly notion from your brain. But it was a long path to get there. In 508 B.C., Athens became one of the first societies in ancient times to establish democracy. Athens is also the capital city and a centre of politics and tourism. Government and Politics of Ancient Athens. Ancient Greek Government Facts Ancient Greece was the birthplace of democracy, therefore when we think about ancient Greek government what comes to mind is a democratic society. Athens is the capital and the largest city of Greece. Athens is known as the birthplace of democracy. And this democracy didn't exactly function like any nation you think of today. Even most high government officials were decided by lottery. Athens was fragmented by many different factors: rioting, unrest, and general public disapproval of the government. Ancient Greece had several city-states and each city-state had its own Ancient Greek Political System of government. From trading they received wood from Italy, and grain from Egypt. Political thinkers and philosophers flourished. Facts about Ancient Athens 1: Government 2. However, democracy was only one type of government found in ancient Greece. Priestesses were necessary to conduct and organize the over 100 annual religious events that occurred yearly in Athens. And as true today, most events would have fallen apart without their organization by women. Because, then, the contributions of Athens to our own life are so important, because they touch (as a Greek would say) upon almost every side of "the true, the beautiful, and the good," it is obvious that the outward conditions under which this Athenian genius developed deserve our respectful attention. Its democracy was "the rule of the mob," and historians consider the Athenians as the developers of democracy. Acropolis is a rocky hill and most of them lived below the rocky hill or Acropolis. Government - Government - Greece: The Phoenician example was followed by the Greeks, originally Indo-European nomads who gradually made their way south to the Aegean and there took to the sea. The most important cities in ancient Greek were Sparta and Athens… Here are ten interesting facts about Ancient Athens. Facts about Ancient Athens 1: the states. To ancient Athenians, "tyrant" did not have the same negative connotations that it does today. It is a center for economic, political, financial and culture life in Greece. Under this system, all male citizens had equal political rights, freedom of speech, and the opportunity to participate directly in the political arena. Athens was the first city-state to have a true and efficient form of democracy. The one exception to the classes of women were the priestesses. They traded with other city-states, and some foreign lands. Athens is the symbol of freedom, art, and democracy in the conscience of the civilized world. Most people today think of democracy as an inherently good thing. These women had high status, relative freedom, and remained unmarried. Because of this, a series of tyrants came to power, either taking it by force or by the will of the people. Every citizen was a part of the government, no matter what their social standing. Each state had their own money, government and laws in ancient Greek. The Greeks were politically a well-advanced society. Athens was near the sea which was good because it meant they had a good harbor, and that they could trade easily. Athens in the 5th to 4th century BCE had an extraordinary system of government: democracy. The concept of the ideal state by the Greek philosopher Plato is a relevant topic of study for the students of political science today. Even though the states in ancient Greek had different law and money, they had the similar religions and languages. Why the Social Life of Athens Is So Significant . 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