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Article: Ancient Greece: the birth of democracy: ancient Athenians wrote the book on government by the people.(World History)
- Article from:
- Junior Scholastic
- Article date:
- October 18, 2004
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2004 Scholastic, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Today, when we do something as simple as vote, we are taking part in one of history's great experiments in government--democracy. But our freedoms might not have been possible without the world's first democratic experiment, in ancient Athens.
Greek civilization began to develop about 2000 B.C. on the Balkan Peninsula and the western edge of Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey). By the 6th century B.C., the governments of most Greek city-states were oligarchies. Power was held by a small group of aristocrats, or members of important families.
But something else was stirring in Athens. Made wealthy through trade and powerful by its navy, Athens had become one ...