Western Civilization I / Unit 3 WC1 0214 short lesson, about 20 seconds
Cleisthenes, 508 BCE: Democracy and Its Ten Percent
Captions available
The idea
In five oh eight Cleisthenes gave the vote and office to all male citizens, chose lawmakers by lot, and mixed the population into new tribes so Athenians would think as Athenians. The anchor calls it the first real democracy.
In practice
Women, foreigners and slaves excluded; about ten percent held rights.
Where people slip
Ten percent was enormous by ancient standards. Judge it against Persia.
Your place on the trail
Every lesson rests on earlier ones and opens later ones. Tap any to jump.
Unlocks
- 0219Persian Leniency Against Greek Participation
- 0230Sequencing Greece and Persia, 776 to 371 BCE
- 0231Classifying a Greek Government: Aristocracy, Tyranny, Oligarchy, Democracy
- 0232Sparta and Athens Compared on Six Features
- 0234From Hoplite to Empire: How War Remade Greek Politics, 650 to 338 BCE
- 0302Pericles and the Democracy at Its Height
- 0424Polis and Hellenistic Kingdom Compared: Citizen, King, City, Language
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