Kleisthenes

Paper Summary:

This paper covers the history of Athenian democracy, dealing with the foundation of democracy in ancient Athens, from Solon to Pericles. It argues that Kleisthenes should be considered the father of democracy because he did more than any other Greek leader to create a truly democratic state. Using Robert A. Dahl's five criteria for democracy: effective participation, effective participation of all, control of the agenda, enlightened understanding, and voting equality, along with available archeological evidence, it shows that although there were many Greek leaders who furthered the cause of the Athenian citizen, it was Kleisthenes' reforms that paved the way for a true democracy and an end to the aristocratic rule of Athens.

From the Paper:

"Upon assuming power, Kleisthenes instituted a number of reforms. He began by breaking up the old aristocratic power structure which was dominated by the four Ionian tribes of Attica. He replaced these with ten new tribes in an attempt to displace the factional differences that had previously divided Athens politically. The ten tribes would become the cornerstone of Athenian democracy, as they formed the basis for the selection and organization of all political and social structures. Kleisthenes also organized the people into local demes, which became the new basis for Athenian citizenship, and was structured around individual towns or neighborhoods within a city."

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