Scale of Democracy in Classical Athens
from Thinking about the scalability of democracy
Scale of Democracy in Classical Athens
o3-mini-high.iconIn Classical Athenian democracy, political participation was limited to free adult male Athenian citizens. The following are the main features
Eligibility: adult males with citizenship by birth. Women, slaves, and aliens (metics) were excluded.
Size: Approximately 10-20% of the total population is covered, and it is estimated that there were roughly 30,000-60,000 citizens in Athens in the 5th century BC.
Thus, while direct democracy was adopted, participation was restricted to a very limited segment of the population.
nishio.icon
No voting rights for foreign residents or [women's suffrage
When there was a distinction between free citizens and slaves in the first place.
o3-mini-high.iconDemocracy in Classical Athens generally developed in the 5th century BC. In particular, the period under Pericles (ca. 461-429 B.C.) is considered the most representative. The overall period of activity is also considered to be between 480 and 404 B.C.
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