Essay plan One

My first essay plan... comments?

How Democratic was Periclean society by 431BC?

Intro-

Define what democracy is, and what makes a democratic society, in both today and classical terms. Define what ‘Periclean society’ is, discuss Pericles and his influence.

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By 431 BC Athens had in place a political democratic structure, however the journey to accomplish this was long and it started with the economic reforms of Solon. 

Solons’ reforms (major economic reforms)

-No enslavement for debt

-Encouraged trade

-Property classes

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Cleisthenes’ reforms further developed the democratic system of Athens by creating scaffolding on which the modern system of democracy derived from, this then developed into the Periclean society of 431 BC.

Cleisthenes reforms (democratic reforms)

-Council of 500, Boule

-Assembly

-Law courts

-Generals and strategoi

-Magistrates

-Arkhons

-Ostracism

-Colonies

-Citizens  

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After the major reforms of Cleisthenes, Ephialtes further refined and developed these ideas in an attempt to enhance the system and thus ensure that the system in practice by 431 BC was democratic.

Ephialtes reforms

-Arkhons

-The graphe paranomnon

-Introduction of deme-judges (Peisistratos?) 

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Pericles was not only an incredibly influential member of the Assembly, he also created new reforms that further developed the democratic system, and this system which was created by a series of people throughout history, had both democratic principles and ideas.

Pericles reforms

-Payment for magistrates and Boule members (not the assembly)

-Citizenship restrictions

How it was/wasn’t a democratic system in the Periclean society.

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The democratic system in the time of Pericles of 431 BC, is considered to be democratic because of the ideals and principals that it was based on, however it also had some major aspects that are considered to be extremely un-democratic.

-How Athenians used the democratic system

-Unified purpose (the Assembly)

-Efficiency

-The Athenian empire, and the Delian League (through the development of the navy)

-The ‘Old Oligarch’

Conclusion-

Athens ran an effective democracy for the male citizens of Athens. However, on the wider scale, because of the exclusion of almost 70percent of the Athenian population, it cannot be seen as a true democracy with the modern meaning; but it maintained the correct principals of a democratic society e.g. Freedom of speech and elections.