Democratic Developments in Athens in the Classical Era

The Athenian concept of democracy is derived from the word Demos-Kratos, which means ‘power to the people’ i.e. giving people the power to vote on the implementation and execution of legislations. This system is renowned for its stability and strength which have allowed it to set the benchmark for modern western politics. Pericles (reigned from 461-429 BC) and Cleisthenes (reigned from 508 BC), who were powerful Athenian statesmen during 500-440 BC, significantly shaped Athenian democracy through various reforms. They revised the citizenship law, the process of ostracism and the system of government. This led to an equal right to participate in politics for all eligible adult citizens of different financial backgrounds. However, the equal rights were restricted to full blooded Athenian citizens. These developments led to a nation which allowed the participation of individuals with no reference to economic and social class amongst the Athenian citizens.

In 462 BC, democracy was formed in Athens when the ‘Areopagus’, a council of former archons (chief magistrates), who acted as a supreme court by implementing laws and government, lost its power .Pericles was the then leader of Athens and during this time, Athens experienced a golden age with peace and prosperity(461-429 BC). Pericles strongly believed in the execution of direct democracy, that is giving power to the people and altered the existing citizenship laws in 451 BC. Pericles believed all Athenian male citizens above the age of eighteen should have a right to participate in government. He also stated that only the offspring of two Athenian citizens would be considered Athenian citizens, this can be justified by Plutarch “he [Pericles] proposed a law that only those who could claim Athenian parentage on both sides could be counted as Athenian citizens”. People under Pericles agreed with him as he offered payments to magistrates, which led the public to believe that restrictions on people eligible to hold office was necessary. Pericles’s intentions for the introduction of these laws, according to Aristotle was a consequence of the “increasing number of citizens…”. However the new laws did not impact on those born before the decree, therefore it would have decreased future birth rates, but proven ineffective in reducing the population dramatically, therefore as states by Paul waring “…Athenians appear to have been aware of its strength of democracy when it comes to war…and when people are given a degree of influence in the running of polis they will usually fight much harder to protect it…”. Thus, we can conclude that it was in evitable for the ATheinans, who were experiencing a golden age, to restrict the ruling of the empire to Athenians as a means of concealing their priveliges from outsiders as well as constructing a closely webbed system.. The Periclean citizenship law also allowed women along with children and slaves, who were formerly not