The Athenian democracy

What do you think of when you hear the word democracy? Maybe something to do with politics? That’s right. The word comes from the Greek word for people - demos. Democracy means people rule.

But why do we use a Greek word? Was it the Greeks who invented democracy? In a way. It’s customary to say that democracy was born in Athens in ancient Greece. The year is 594 BCE.

This is Thalos, whose father is a farmer who needs to take a loan. To get the loan, the father has to leave something as security - a pawn. But he doesn’t have anything. Except his family. So, Thalos’ father – who is hoping that the harvest will bring in enough money to repay the loan - promises Thalos as a pawn.

What shouldn’t happen, happens. The harvest is bad. The father isn’t able to repay the loan - Thalos becomes a slave. But this loan system is horrible, it shouldn’t be like this, thinks this man: Solon. Solon is a politician in Athens.

He is also a poet who recites his own poems to convince others to agree with him on subjects. He is very famous and popular. Now he is given the job of changing all of the economic and social system in Athens. He gets rid of the loan system and decides that no Athenian citizens are allowed to be enslaved from now on. Not only that, all those who have become slaves due to the loan system are to be released.

Good for Thalos. Now, Athens is a somewhat fairer place to live. Solon accomplishes other things as well. A lot of people have moved into Athens. It’s crowded and there’s not enough food.

Solon decides that wheat and other cereals needed in the city cannot be sold to any other city - can’t be exported. Solon also decides that all citizens that wish to vote in Athens are allowed to, as long as they take part in the army. Hurray! Everyone can vote! Democracy!

Well, no… When Solon says ‘citizens’, he only means free men who own land - not men who don’t own land, foreigners living in the city, women, or slaves. The rich families in Athens are used to holding the power. Solon tries to change this by dividing the city into four groups according to income. The richest group must pay the most for the army. But still, only the richest people can be appointed to the most powerful positions in the city - the archons.

So in reality, Athens is ruled by a few - that’s an oligarchy - not a democracy. It’s time to change that thinks this man; The politician Cleisthenes, who lives about 80 years after Solon. Now, it’s his turn to change Athenian society. Cleisthenes allows more men to become citizens: men with no land, and foreigners living in Athens. Now they too may vote.

And voting takes place forty times a year. Cleisthenes’ changes also include the city being ruled by a council of 500 men from all groups in the society. A bit like a government in modern times. Cleisthenes has introduced people rule. Now democracy is born.

Though still, neither women nor slaves are allowed to vote. So, democracy in Athens differed in many ways from what today we call democracy. But here was where it started.