The Greatest Legacy of the Greeks

It is my belief that the greatest legacy of the ancient Greeks is their system of government: democracy. The Greeks of Athens introduced a system whereby all citizens could vote, officials were elected, and regular people had a voice in government, as well as the freedom to dispute the choices of officials. The Athenians developed democracy four hundred-fifty years before the birth of Christ, and the ideas are seen today in countries around the world.

In ancient Athens, all citizens could vote, and they voted on everything from trivial disputes to whether or not to go to war. While only a portion of the population, free men born in Athens, could vote, it was really not as lopsided as one would think. The Athenian democracy was in no way perfect, but no government is; people just have to do the best they can.

Men were the ones who would go to war, men were the ones who would build the next great temple. Women were not included in government because they did not participate (either by choice or law) in many of the things voted upon; they were mostly concerned with running the household. This is not to say that everything was equal, because it wasn’t, but women were not shut out because they were considered inferior; the patron deity of Athens was Athena, a goddess. Also, some women were able to rise to great fame: the Oracle at Delphi being one of the best examples.

Slaves were not what they were in colonial Europe and America. They were men captured in battle, or men who sold themselves into slavery in order to live in Athens: their sons would become citizens. Slaves were not considered animals, but neither were they considered men who deserved the right to vote, or hold office: there was a reason they were slaves.

In the ancient Athens, the people elected all officials of the city and country. A leader was not guaranteed a position after the following election, which encouraged them to do things for the better of the people: this would get them votes. Officials were constantly under scrutiny from other politicians as well as the general population.

All these interlinked groups served to provide what we now call “checks and balances.” No one group could, normally, dominate the others. The diplomats held generals in check, and everyone else watched the diplomats. The only group somewhat above this “mess” of politics was the priests. For the most part, they were able to carry out their sacrifices and religious duties in relative peace, and immunity.

A common occurrence in Athens was for ordinary people to engage in debates with their leaders, and other elected officials. What this did for the populous was show them a bit of the thinking, and strategy behind what the official was doing. If he had to explain his actions to hundreds of people, and convince them that it was the better choice over any alternative, you can bet that most officials were making good decisions, or at least believed that they were, even if it turned out to be folly. Without the support of the people, the politicians could do nothing, and if the people believed in what you were telling them, you stood a better chance of them following you. What this process did for the politicians was to force them to make decisions that were not rash, and that they could defend. A general couldn’t just send men to war without thinking about it; he had to weigh the pros and cons to it, and then be able to defend that point when assaulted by the people.

The Athenians developed a government so advanced that it is in use today, and is used as the template for every new government, or governments seeking to reform. The idea of the people having a voice in government is seen through our elections every four years. The people elect all the officials of the United States government, none excluded. The press takes the role of the debater of ancient Greece. The papers require that the politicians be able to back up all decisions, and ensures that our government thinks long and hard before taking any steps. Four hundred-fifty years before the birth of Jesus Christ, and more than two and a half millennia ago, the Greeks of Athens created a system of government that profoundly influenced today’s world: their greatest legacy.