Greek Politics and Leaders

    Today in class we talked more on Greece's politics. We learned about Draco, who ruled in 621 BCE. Under Draco, it was said that all Athenians are equal under the law, death is a punishment for many crimes, and that debt slavery is okay. In 594 BCE, Solon cam around and reformed the policies. He outlawed debt slavery, established the fact that all Athenian citizens could speak at the assembly, and that any citizen could press charges against wrongdoing. These rules led to Cleisthenes. He reformed even more around 500 BCE. He allowed citizens to submit laws for debate at the assembly, he created the Council of Five Hundred Members who were chosen at random to counsel the assembly, he established the idea of an Athenian citizen being an adult male from Athens who owns property, and that women, slaves and foreigners could not be citizens. Hippias was a tyrant who ruled from 527-510 BC. He was a very harsh leader, and was expelled from Athens. He later went to work with the Persian King, Darius I. Isagoras and Cleithenes battled to take Hippias place in a power struggle. The Spartans supported Isagoras, and the majority of the Athenians supported Cleisthenes. Isagoras won but became and tyrant and was overthrown by the Athenian citizens for the first time ver in history in 508 BCE.