The ancient Greeks influenced how people today think aboutcitizenship and rights. In Athens, a form of governmentdeveloped in which the people participated. The democracy weenjoy in Canada had its roots in ancient Athens.

■ How did men who were citizensparticipate in the democraticgovernment in Athens?

■ Did Athens have representative government? Explain.

The Birthplace of Democracy

Democracy in Ancient Athens3

CHAPTER

Take a long step 2500 years back in time. Imagine you are a boyliving in the ancient city of Athens, Greece. Your slave,Cleandros [KLEE-an-thros], is walking you to school. Your fatherand a group of his friends hurry past talking loudly. They are ontheir way to the Assembly. The Assembly is an important part ofdemocratic government in Athens. All Athenian men who arecitizens can take part in the Assembly. They debate issues ofconcern and vote on laws. As the son of a citizen, you lookforward to being old enough to participate in the Assembly.

54

Ancient refers to somethingfrom a time more than 2500 years ago.

words matter !

54_ALB6SS_Ch3_F2 2/13/08 2:25 PM Page 54

“Watch Out for the Rope!”Cleandros takes you through the agora, a large, openarea in the middle of the city. It is filled with marketstalls and men shopping and talking. You notice aslave carrying a rope covered with red paint. Hewalks through the agora swinging the rope andmarking the men’s clothing with paint. They laughand move away to avoid him.

Cleandros explains, “They need more people forthe Assembly. If the men who are marked with redpaint don’t go, they will be fined.”

“Why don’t they want to go to the Assembly?”you ask.

Cleandros shakes his head. “They would ratherstay in the market gossiping. They should be happythey live in a place where there is democracy.”Cleandros explains that in Sparta, the city where he grew up, the Assembly has no real power to make laws.

55

Inquiring Minds

Ancient Athens was thebirthplace of democracy. Asyou read this chapter, thinkabout the following questions:

1. What are the beliefs andvalues that shapeddemocracy in Athens?

2. What role did citizens playin Athenian democracy?

?

54_ALB6SS_Ch3_F2 2/13/08 2:25 PM Page 55

Ruled by kingsand aristocrats

Ruled bydemocracy

Ruled bytyrants

546 510BCE BCE

● ● ● ●

56

A city-state is made up of acity and the surroundingcountryside that controls it. Itis independent of other cities.

words matter !

Locate the followingfeatures:

■ The title tells what the map is about.

■ The compass roseshows north, south,east, and west on themap.

■ The legend explainsthe meaning ofcolours, lines, andsymbols.

■ The scale showsdistance on the map.

In what direction wouldAthenians travel to reachthe island of Crete?Approximately, how far isit between Athens andCrete?

Skill Smart

Olympia

Sparta

Mycenae

Athens

Troy

THRACE

ITALYASIA

MINOR

Mt. Olympus

CRETE

S

N

W E

AegeanSeaIonian

Sea

Sea of Crete

Mediterranean Sea

0 100 200

kilometres

Legend

Ancient Greece

City-state

Who Were the AncientAthenians?In Greece today, cities like Athens have modern transportationsystems, schools, and hospitals. In some of these cities, youwould also see ruins that remind us that people have beenliving in Greece for thousands of years.

Greece is a mountainous country, and communities wereisolated from one another by the rugged landscape. Because ofthis isolation, each ancient Greek city developed its own styleof government, its own laws, and built up its own army.Independent communities like these are called city-states.

Map of Ancient Greece

This map shows what Greece looked like almost 3000 years ago. It shows someof the city-states, the boundaries at that time, and the names of the surroundingcountries and bodies of water.

This is Athens today. How do youthink living among ancient ruinsmight affect your attitude towardthe history of your city?

54_ALB6SS_Ch3_F2 2/13/08 2:25 PM Page 56

TT i m e l i n ei m e l i n e

Governmentin ancientAthens

0 CE 1265 1350 1792

First electedParliamentin England

Approximatedate of beginningof IroquoisConfederacy

Representativegovernmentestablished inUpper andLower Canada

500BCE

57

Tyrants are rulers who seizepower and govern in a harsh,cruel way.

words matter !

Athens during the time of Athenian democracy

This timeline shows forms of government before the common era(BCE) in ancient Athens and later forms of democratic government.

Temples where Atheniansworshipped their gods

Pnyx, wherethe Assemblygathered

Bouleuterion,where the Councilof 500 met

Tholos, where 50members of theCouncil lived

Stoa around theagora, where mengathered to talk

Agora, shaped likea square, a marketand meeting place

Law courts

Athenianhomes

Some of the city-states were controlled by rich andpowerful rulers called tyrants who demanded obedience fromthe people. Athens was different. Over time, the Atheniansdeveloped a system of government that allowed citizens toparticipate in making important decisions. Eventually manyother Greek city-states also became democracies.

54_ALB6SS_Ch3_F2 2/13/08 2:25 PM Page 57

58

ThinkingIt Through

1. How did people’s placeof birth, age, positionin society, and genderaffect their citizenshipand participation ingovernment in ancientAthens?

2. Many societies inancient times limitedthe right of citizenshipto people who wereborn there. Why doyou think this is nottrue in Canada today?

CitizensCitizens were children of parents who were born in Athens. Only male citizens could participate in voting and governing the city. A young man became a citizen after he finished his military service at age 20. Women could not participate in Athenian democracy.

MeticsMetics were residents of Athens who had been born outside the city-state. They were not allowed to own land and could not become citizens.

SlavesSlaves were owned either by private Athenians or by the city-state. Many slaves were people who had been taken prisoner when their city-state was attacked by the Athenians. Slaves could not become citizens.

Did you know that Canadians wereonce considered British citizensunder the law? The CanadianCitizenship Act, which came intoeffect on January 1, 1947, changedall that. Now, people like IzzaAhmed shown here, originally fromPakistan, can become Canadiancitizens.

Who Were Citizens inAncient Athens?Slaves like Cleandros, whom you met in the opening story, didnot have the right to participate in Athenian democracy.Citizens were the only members of society who could vote andtake part in government. Athenian citizenship was limited toone class or group in society. Citizens were proud of theirposition at the top of the social structure. The Athenian socialstructure looked like this.

Identity and status were defined by the level of the socialstructure into which a person was born. As a rule, people werenot able to move from one class to another. Only on very rareoccasions could a metic or a slave be granted citizenship.

54_ALB6SS_Ch3_F2 2/13/08 2:25 PM Page 58

59

An epic is a long poem thattells a story usually about alegendary hero. The Iliad andOdyssey are epic poemsbelieved to be written by theGreek poet Homer. They tellthe story of the Trojan War.Why do you think Athenianboys had to study epics?

words matter !

Boys of wealthy families were taken to school by their paidagogus[pe-tha-go-GOS], or slave tutors, who helped them with theirstudies. Poor boys usually went to school for only a few years.

Roles in SocietyPoor people in thecitizen and meticclasses led somewhatdifferent lives. Boys leftschool at age 13 or 14and began to work orlearn a trade. Girlsmight work on thefamily farm or at themarket. Female slavesgenerally worked inhouseholds cooking,cleaning, and fetchingwater. Some maleslaves worked forfamilies, while othersdid heavy labour.

More About. . .What Were the Roles of Men andWomen?

What would you say if someone asked you to describe theroles of men and women in Canadian society? Men andwomen had very different roles in ancient Athens andgenerally lived very separate lives. These differences beganfrom the moment of their birth. When a boy was born, hisfamily attached an olive branch—a sign of victory—to thefront door of the house. For a girl, they attached a piece ofwool indicating her future as a homemaker. What do youthink these symbols suggest about how boys and girls werevalued in Greek society?

Both boys and girls spent their early years living in thewomen’s part of the house. There they played with toys suchas rattles, tops, dolls, yo-yos, hoops, swings, and knucklebones,which were similar to dice. At about age seven, the boys andgirls went their separate ways.

Boys went off to school where they learned reading,writing, and math as well as music and literature. Theymemorized and discussed poems called epics. These poemstold stories about great heroes of the past.

54_ALB6SS_Ch3_F2 2/13/08 2:25 PM Page 59

Sports such as running, boxing, wrestling, and javelin anddiscus throwing were also an important part of boys’education. These skills prepared them for service in the army,which began at age 18. At age 20, they were ready to taketheir place as adults in Athenian society.

Men spent most of their day outside the home in thecompany of other men working, shopping at the agora,discussing politics, and voting. Sports were still an importantpart of their lives.

The lives of girls and women were completely focused onthe home. Girls were educated by their mothers. Some of themwere taught to read and write, but mostly they learnedhousehold skills—spinning, weaving, and child care—thatthey would need as adults. When a girl turned 15, her fatherchose a husband for her and she went to live in his house.

While wealthy families had slaves to do the housework,women wove cloth for their family’s clothes. Wealthy womenrarely went out in public except for family celebrations andcertain religious ceremonies.

Women and men had very different rights in Atheniansociety. Every woman had a male guardian, either her father,brother, or husband, who was in charge of her life. Althoughshe had the “right” to own clothing, jewellery, slaves, andeven land, she was not allowed to sell or give away thesethings. Women did not take part in the Assembly.

60

Men enjoyed entertaining friendsin their homes at elaborateparties.They would lounge oncouches and be served food andwine by slaves.

What skill is this Greek girllearning from her mother?

ThinkingIt Through

1. Compare the rights ofmen and women inancient Athens.

2. How did the educationof Athenian childrenprepare them for theiradult role in society? Inwhat ways doeseducation preparechildren today for theirfuture role in society?

▲

54_ALB6SS_Ch3_F2 2/13/08 2:25 PM Page 60

Was Fairness Part ofAthenian Democracy?In earlier chapters, you read that Canadians believe in the fairand equal treatment of all people. Our laws are based onthese values. You also read that democracies protect the rightsof citizens and that the Charter protects the rights andfreedoms of Canadians.

What ideas of fairness, equity, and rights were part ofAthenian democracy?

• The most important idea was that it is fair that citizens beallowed to rule themselves. This is the basis of democracy.

• Athenians believed that majority rule was fair. This meantthat decisions were made by voting and that a lawsupported by more than half the voters was passed.

• Athenians believed that people who belonged to the sameclass in society, should have equal rights. All male citizenshad the right to belong to the Assembly and vote. (The onlyexceptions were people who committed acts that wouldcause them to lose their citizenship and these were clearlylaid out in law.)

• Women, slaves, and metics were denied voting rights.• Slavery was an accepted part of Athenian society.

A person’s right to own another person was not questioned even by great Athenian thinkers like Socrates whom you will read about on page 69.

• Individual and minority rights were not part of the thinking of Athenian democracy. The common good was the highest value.

61

ThinkingIt Through

1. Which of the ancientAthenians’ ideas ofrepresentation arepart of Canadiandemocracy?

2. To what extent werefreedom and equitypart of Atheniandemocracy?

Slavery and DemocracySome people argue that slavery madedemocracy possible in ancient Athens.There were many slaves to do the work and,as a result, Athenian men had free time todevote to taking part in government. Evenpoor Athenians owned two or three slavesand the wealthy owned many more.

More About. . .

These slaves are Spartans,captured in war with the Athenians in about 425 BCE.They are bound and chained. Check the location of the city-state ofSparta on the mapon page 56.

54_ALB6SS_Ch3_F2 2/13/08 2:25 PM Page 61

62

Using Primary SourcesYou have been reading about ancient Athens—how peoplegoverned themselves and how they lived. How do we know allthis about a society that existed so long ago?

One way to learn about the past is to study what arecalled primary sources. Primary sources are writings andobjects that were created by people living at a certain time.They can be • writings such as books, diaries, letters, and newspapers• visual items such as paintings, sculptures, and photographs• objects such as clothing, tools, furniture, cooking

implements, and weapons• structures such as temples, homes, and government

buildings.

Primary sources are in their original state; they are notedited or altered in any way. When we use primary sources tolearn about the past we ask questions such as: What is it? Where did it come from? Who made it? Whenwas it made? What was it used for? Why was it made? Whatcan I learn from it?

Below is a primary source from ancient Athens. It is a vasedecoration of men at the Assembly. It shows us that they votedby dropping objects into a container. We can also see theclothing and hair styles worn by Greek men at that time.

SKILLPOWER

The helmeted man in fancierclothing seems to be an officialwho is supervising the vote. Whydo you think the Athenianswould choose this type of imageto decorate a vase?

54_ALB6SS_Ch3_F2 2/13/08 2:25 PM Page 62

63

Practise the SkillThis primary source was discovered at an archaeological site of ancientAthens. The sculpture is titled Democracy Crowning Demos.

The woman holding the crown represents democracy. The manrepresents “demos,” the ancient Greek word for “people.” Theinscription below is called “The Law Against Tyranny.” Inscriptions areimportant sources of information because they can last for hundreds, eventhousands, of years.

Here is the meaning of part of the inscription:

…If anyone rise up against (attack) theDemos (people) of Athens or thedemocracy in Athens, whoever killshim…is blameless…If anyone tries torule when the democracy in Athens hasbeen overthrown (defeated), both heand his progeny (children) will …[havetheir] civil rights and… property [takenaway]…

1. Why do you think this work wascreated?

2. What does the sculpture tell us aboutthe Athenian attitude towarddemocracy?

3. What crimes and punishments aredescribed in the inscription?

4. What does the inscription tell us aboutthe beliefs and attitudes of theAthenians?

5. Choose another primary source in this chapter and use the questions onpage 62 to discuss it.

Democracy Crowning Demos is now in the Museumof the Ancient Agora in Athens.

54_ALB6SS_Ch3_F2 2/13/08 2:25 PM Page 63

The Assembly

Assembly meetings took place about 40 times a year, that is,every 8 to 10 days. They could get quite noisy. At times, manythousands of citizens would attend. For example, if there wasto be a vote on whether to grant citizenship to a non-Athenian, at least 6000 members of the Assembly needed tobe present. Imagine how long it would take to count the votes.

Its members would make decisions on many issues, bigand small. They would confer on matters of war and peace,treaties with other city-states, religion, taxes, and the properconstruction of ships.

Citizens could also bring private concerns to the Assembly.For example, if a person cheated you or harmed you, acomplaint could be brought against him at the Assembly.

The Assembly would meet at a large open area at the topof a hill called the Pnyx [pu-NINKS]. There the members wouldmake speeches, debate, listen, discuss, and finally vote.

64

Historians often refer to these three institutions as the “pillars” of Athenian democracy.

A pillar supports or holds upsomething.

words matter !

Once a year, members of theAssembly could vote to exile oneperson, that is, force him to moveaway forever. This might besomeone who was believed to bean enemy of democracy.Members would scratch the nameof this person on a broken pieceof pottery called an ostrakon. Thisis where the English word“ostracize” comes from.

How Were Athenian CitizensInvolved in DecisionMaking?There were many different ways for male Athenian citizens tobecome involved in running their city-state. It was aresponsibility that most of them took very seriously. Anycitizen who did not take part in the operation of governmentwas looked down on.

54_ALB6SS_Ch3_F2 2/13/08 2:25 PM Page 64

This kind of democracy is called direct democracy becausecitizens vote directly on government decisions. In Chapter 2,you looked at representative democracy, which we have inCanada today.

Every member of the Assembly had an equal right tospeak. The Greek leader, Aeschines [Es-HIN-ees], wrote that theofficial in charge of speakers “...does not exclude from the[Pnyx] platform the man whose ancestors have not held ageneral’s office, nor even the man who earns his daily breadby working at a trade; nay, these men he most heartilywelcomes, and for this reason he repeats again and again theinvitation, ‘Who wishes to address the Assembly?’”

Voting was most often a show of hands. Every citizen’svote in the Assembly counted equally in decision making.Occasionally Assembly members used stones to represent theirdecision. A white stone might indicate that a citizen supporteda certain decision, while a brown stone indicated the oppositeposition. As you saw on page 62, citizens voted by droppingtheir stones into large jugs. The stones were then separatedand counted. The decree or decision was then announcedwith the words “It seems best to the Demos...”

65

words matter !

▲ The Pnyx as it looks today. Acitizen who wanted to address theAssembly would stand on the rockplatform on the right so that hecould be seen and heard.

Members of the Alberta legislatureare elected to represent the interestsof citizens. They sit on two sides ofthe House. What would a photo ofdirect democracy look like?

ThinkingIt Through

In Canada, a person’s voteis by secret ballot. Whatare the advantages ofvoting in secret?

In direct democracy, peoplevote directly to makedecisions rather than havingrepresentatives.

A decree is a decision madeby people who are inauthority.

▲

54_ALB6SS_Ch3_F2 2/13/08 2:25 PM Page 65

Pericles, AthenianStatesman

MAKING A

DIFFERENCE

What political leaders are you familiarwith? Do you think the ability to speakwell in public is essential for a politicalleader?

All citizens had the right to speak inthe Assembly. However, those whowere persuasive speakers had morepower and influence. Pericles was aninfluential and prominent orator. Anancient Greek historian called him “thefirst citizen of Athens,” because hedominated Athenian life for over 20 years. This period (450–430 BCE)became known as “The Age ofPericles.”

Pericles often spoke about democracy. In one speech, he said:

Our form of government is better than all others. Our governmentdoes not copy our neighbours’ but is an example to them. We arecalled a democracy because power is in the hands of the many andnot of the few. We have equal justice for everyone and all citizensrich or poor can serve in the government. Because they share power,our citizens respect the authorities and the law and therefore livepeacefully together and maintain order without force.

Pericles introduced a law requiring that people be paid for thetime they spent in government. That way, poor citizens couldparticipate in public decisions and still have enough money to liveon. Pericles was also a great supporter of learning and the arts.

Speaking Out

We do not say that a manwho takes no interest inpolitics is a man whominds his own business;we say that he has nobusiness here [in Athens]at all.

Pericles

1. How did Pericles think democracy benefited people in acommunity?

2. Why do you think democracy is an attractive form ofgovernment today?

Over to You

Pericles was a successfulgeneral in the army of Athensas well as an importantcitizen.

An orator is someone whospeaks in public.

words matter !

66

54_ALB6SS_Ch3_F2 2/13/08 2:25 PM Page 66

The citizens of Athens were officially divided into 10tribes and 50 members from each tribe over the age of 30served on the Council. The group of 50 Councillors from eachtribe was in charge of the Council for one-tenth of the year.

Membership in the Council of 500 was made democraticin the following ways:• Council positions were chosen through a lottery to give

everyone in the tribe an equal chance of being picked. • A citizen could serve on the Council only twice. This gave

more citizens a chance to be Council members. • The chairman or leader of the Council had his position for

only 24 hours, a day and a night. This gave more than halfthe Council members a chance to be leader during the yearof their service. The chairman was chosen by lottery.

The Council planned the agenda for Assembly meetingsand supervised the running of the government. They wouldalso discuss and vote on decrees that they would then presentfor approval to the Assembly. No laws or decrees could bemade without the approval of the majority of the Assembly.There were always 50 members of the Council on duty at alltimes to help the chairman deal with emergencies that mightcome up. They lived in the Tholos near the agora.

67

These are the floor plans forold and new AthenianBouleuterion. Do you thinkone design is better thanthe other for practisingdemocracy? Explain.

In Athenian society, a tribewas a political group.

In a lottery, names aredrawn by chance from alarge number of choices.

An agenda is the list oftopics that will be discussedat a meeting.

words matter !

ThinkingIt Through

1. Why do you thinkmembership in theCouncil was limited tocitizens over 30 yearsold?

2. How would limitingthe amount of time acitizen could serve onCouncil or as chairmanhelp safeguarddemocracy? Whatproblems might itcreate?

6th century BCE 5th century BCE

How Was the Council of 500Democratic?The Council of 500 was the full-time government of Athens. It was known as the boule and met in the Bouleuterion [voo-loo-TE-ree-on] at the agora. The term for the Council was one year.Then a new Council was selected.

54_ALB6SS_Ch3_F2 2/13/08 2:25 PM Page 67

How Were Athenian CourtsRun?If Athenians felt that they had been wronged by someone, orif they thought that someone was not acting in the bestinterest of society, they would bring their complaint to amagistrate. Magistrates were citizens and officers of thecourt, who were chosen by lottery for a one-year term.Sometimes magistrates would set a fine as punishment. Othertimes, they would send the case to trial.

Any male citizen over the age of 30 could be chosen to beon a jury for a trial. Depending on how important the casewas, a jury usually had between 501 and 1500 people. Jurorswere chosen by lottery on the day of the trial. Today, inCanada, people are chosen for jury duty the same way. Fromthis pool only 12 jurors are chosen for a criminal trial.

Women could take part in cases before a magistrate, but awoman who was a defendant in a jury trial needed to havea male citizen speak for her. Metics could be involved in legalcases, but they could not serve on juries.

Today people have professional lawyers speak for them incourt, but in Athenian courts, people argued their own cases.The plaintiff and the defendant had to be able to speak wellto convince the jury of their position. Wealthy Athenianssometimes hired professional speech writers to help themmake more effective arguments.

When both sides had been heard, the jury would vote onwhether the defendant was innocent or guilty. If the defendantwas found guilty, the jury would vote on the punishment.

68

A magistrate is agovernment official whoworks for the court.

The defendant is the personwho is accused of a crime ina court case.

The plaintiff is the personwho brings a complaintabout another person tocourt.

words matter !

Thinking It Through

1. Why do you think Athenian jurors were chosen on the dayof the trial?

2. Do you think it would be better to go to trial in ancientAthens or in Canada today? Explain your thinking.

A klepsydra [KLEP-suh-druh] orwater-clock was used to timethe speeches of the plaintiff anddefendant. Each got the sameamount of water in the jar.When the water ran out, histime for speaking was over.How might this system havecome about?

54_ALB6SS_Ch3_F2 2/13/08 2:25 PM Page 68

69

The Trial ofSocrates

MAKING A

DIFFERENCE

Socrates was one of the great thinkers inancient Athens. He spent his dayschallenging young people to questiontheir ideas. He criticized democracybecause he thought that the lotterysystem did not allow the best people togovern. His ideas about religion werealso different from those of mostAthenians. Many citizens thought he wasa dangerous influence on young peopleand disrespectful of the gods. Finally, thepoet Meletus brought Socrates before the court.

Meletus and Socrates presented their arguments before a jury.The majority voted against Socrates. When Meletus asked thatSocrates be given the death penalty, the jury agreed.

People in Athens who were given a death sentence commonlysaved themselves by escaping from the city. But when Socrates’friends told him to leave the city, he refused. He said:

Do you think that a state can exist and not be overthrown, in whichthe decisions of law are of no force (have no power), and are

disregarded and set at nought(ignored) by private individuals?... [a good citizen] must do whateveryour city and your country bid (tell)you to do, or you must convincethem that their commands areunjust.

1. What do you think about Socrates’ criticism of the Athenian system of democracy?

2. What ideas about the responsibilities of citizens did Socrates express when his friendsurged him to escape his punishment?

3. What similarities do you see between Socrates’ speech and Pericles’ speech on page 66?Use computer technology to organize your ideas.

Over to You

Socrates’ ideas are stillstudied by people today.

This painting done in 1787 by Jacques-Louis David shows Socrates about todrink a cup of poison to end his life. Howdoes the artist show Socrates’ attitudetoward his death?

54_ALB6SS_Ch3_F2 2/13/08 2:25 PM Page 69

ViewpointsViewpointsIs Ancient Athens a Good Example ofDemocracy?

Ancient Athens was the first democracy. The role of citizens inancient Athens has served as a model of democracy for over2500 years. However, as you read on page 58, the definition of a citizen was very limited. The majority of the population couldnot vote, be a member of the Assembly or Council of 500, orserve on a jury. So, is Athens a good example of democracy?

70

Every adult citizen ofCanada has the right tovote and to run for office infederal and provincialelections.

Viewpoint 1

I don’t understand why ancient Athens iscalled a democracy when only certain mencould be citizens. If I lived back then, noneof the women in my family would havebeen allowed to vote.

54_ALB6SS_Ch3_F2 2/13/08 2:25 PM Page 70

71

1. Which of the statements is closest to your own thinking about democracy inancient Athens?

2. If you could change one thing about Athenian democracy, what would it be?Explain your thinking.

3. In some places, people are fined if they don’t vote. Do you think that this is agood idea? Explain.

Over to You

71

Viewpoint 3

Viewpoint 2

Viewpoint 4

Democracy in ancient Athens was different fromwhat we have in Canada today. We include manymore people in our definition of a citizen. Still,Athenian citizens had many rights for that time inhistory. They voted directly on laws and everycitizen had an opportunity to be on a jury or in theAssembly. They were also free to give their opinionon issues. In many other countries people werepunished for speaking out.

Canada is ademocracy.However, formany yearsonly men who

owned property were allowed tovote. Women, First Nationspeople, and many immigrantscould not vote. Laws on votingchanged because our attitudeschanged. This shows thatdemocracy can change overtime. I think ancient Athens gaveus a good start for democracy.

In some ways,

the system in

Athens was more

democratic than

it is in Canada

today. Almost

once a week they gathered to

vote on laws. Sometimes there

were thousands of people voting

on a single issue. Many citizens in

Canada don’t even bother to vote

in elections. It’s their civic

responsibility. I don’t get it!

54_ALB6SS_Ch3_F2 2/13/08 2:25 PM Page 71

72

Contributing to

CommunityAll the Grade 6 classes in the school have been asked tochoose two students to be their representatives on a Grade 6student council. These representatives will attend studentcouncil meetings and help make decisions about Grade 6events, such as a charitable fundraising project and thegraduation event. A group of students in Mr. Kahn’s class weretalking about the council.

MARIE: How will we choose our representatives? I’d like to nominatesomebody. Is that how it works?

KENDRA: “Nominate” means suggest, right? But people might only

suggest their friends. The most popular people will probably win. They

aren’t necessarily the ones who will do the best job.

IAN: And what if the people you nominate don’t want to do it? I think

the students who represent us should be excited about the job. I think all

the students who want to do it should put their names on the board,

and then we will decide by lottery, like the ancient Athenians. That’s the

fairest way.

MARIE: I don’t like that idea. What if we are represented by someone

who won’t listen to the girls? A lottery might be the fairest way, but it

might not be the best way.

IAN: But how do we know who will do the best job? We all have

different ideas about what is important in a class representative. You

want someone who listens to girls. I might want something else from the

representative. Maybe we shouldn’t even have a Grade 6 council. Maybe

all the Grade 6 students should vote on every issue, like in a direct

democracy. Let’s go talk to Mr. Kahn.

Mr. Kahn suggested that the students take their ideas to thelibrarian, Mrs. Savitska, who helps run the council.

How can you make sure thateveryone at a meeting gets achance to speak?

54_ALB6SS_Ch3_F2 2/13/08 2:25 PM Page 72

KENDRA: Mrs. Savitska, we were thinking that the best way to make

decisions is to use direct democracy instead of a council. That way

everyone has a say.

MRS. SAVITSKA: That is a fair idea, Kendra, but do you think it’s

really possible? It would take a long time to explain each problem to all

the students, listen to all the arguments for each side, vote, and then

count all the votes. Having a council means only a few people make

decisions, so it’s more efficient. But your representatives should listen to

what members of your class think and bring these ideas to the council.

Then members of the council will make the best choices they can, based

on the information they have.

MARIE: How do we know what our representatives think and how

they might vote?

MRS. SAVITSKA: You’re learning about ancient Athens in class,

aren’t you? Well, Athenians were known for choosing by lottery, but

they were also known for their speeches.

KENDRA: That’s right! We’ll have a better idea of who might be the

best people for the job if we hear what is important to them. Also then

we’ll know that they will be good speakers and will represent our ideas

at council meetings.

Marie, Kendra, and Ian told the rest of their class what Mrs. Savitska had said. The students who wanted to be classrepresentative put their names on the board and the classheard their speeches the next day. Then the class voted tochoose two representatives.

1. How were the students of Mr. Kahn’s class practising democracy?

2. How else might the class have selected representatives?

Over to You

If your class had to choose arepresentative for student council,what ideas would you like to hearthe candidates express?

73

54_ALB6SS_Ch3_F2 2/13/08 2:25 PM Page 73

74

Explore More!

1. a. People in ancient Athenian society had different roles. With theseroles, came both rights and responsibilities. In your notebook, make achart like the one below and fill it in.

b. What beliefs and values of Athenian society do you think are reflectedin your chart?

2. Just as in ancient Athens, many modern court cases are decided byjuries. Prepare a pamphlet using primary sources to explain how jurieswork in Canada today. Include information such as who is eligible toserve on juries; how members are selected; how many jurors arerequired for each trial; and how juries make their decisions.

a. Modern primary sources that you might consult for gatheringinformation include a person who has served as a juror, a lawyer, or ajudge. You could also visit a courtroom and watch a trial in progress.

b. You might consider using computer technology to create yourpamphlet.

c. Reflect on your methods of gathering information and yourcompleted booklet. What might you do differently the next time youdo a project like this one?

3. Make a list of ways that ancient Athenian democracy influencedCanadian democracy today. Organize your list from the most importantto the least important. Share and discuss your list in a group.

Group of people Rights Responsibilities

male citizens

boys who were sons of citizens

women and girls

metics

slaves

Inquiring Minds?

54_ALB6SS_Ch3_F2 2/13/08 2:25 PM Page 74

Another great ancient Greek thinker, Plato, did not believethat democracy was the best kind of government. Heproposed that a small group of wise men should run thegovernment. He thought that they could make betterdecisions than the average Athenian citizen. Have ahorseshoe class debate on the question: Is Plato’s idea agood criticism of democracy? At the beginning of thedebate, you will choose a spot on the horsehoe indicatingwhether you agree, disagree, or are undecided about thequestion. Your position in the horseshow may change inthe course of the debate.

a. Before the debate, make notes to support yourposition on the question.

b. After the debate, consider how your classmates’ opinions affected your thinking about the question. Explain.

Democracy in Action JournalIn ancient Athens, women and metics could not act as citizens. In Canadatoday, our idea of citizenship is far more inclusive. However, is this reflectedin our representatives in government? Here are some facts: In 2006, 16 ofthe 83 seats in the Alberta legislature were held by women. Althoughwomen represent half the Canadian population, they occupy only 20 percentof the seats in the Canadian Parliament. Aboriginal peoples, who make up3.5 percent of the total population, are similarly underrepresented. Is it aproblem that these groups aren’t better represented in government? Howmight this situation be changed in the future? Record your thoughts aboutthis issue in your journal.

75

Your Turn

54_ALB6SS_Ch3_F2 2/13/08 2:25 PM Page 75