Why are the Greeks considered to form the first democracy?

Question

Although the institution of slavery was still the norm and females were still kept at a lower status then men,

http://www.crystalinks.com/greekslavery.html

http://www.womenintheancientworld.com/women%20in%20ancient%20athens.htm

and they did not own a constitutional republic where the people have a voice through their elected representatives in modern terms,

http://www.ancient-greece.us/democracy.html

Greeks are considered to form the first democracy because of the 'undemocratic' election system they formed.

Over 2200 years before the First Olympiad (ca. 776 BC) and the beginning of Greek democracy, people of Ebla saw and practiced the natural law that freedom produces wealth through abundance. Moreover, Eblaites' political system which was the first known democracy is best propounded that Eblaites had formed an election system 2200 years before Greeks did.

Answer 1

You are absolutely correct--the Greeks did use slaves or servants to do their work for them; however, ALL males were expected to participate in the making of decisions and they had an EQUAL vote irregardless of their wealth. These two things, the ALL and the EQUAL, taken together is what constituted their Democracy. The Romans had a nobility class, Patricians, which comprised the Senate and made many of the decisions for the Plebeians; however, there was an interaction which was known as "The Roman Senate and People". With the Greek freeborn men, there was no nobility status, which is to say that some were "more freeborn than others"...they all were entitled to participate and make decisions on an equal basis. I do not know whether the Eblans had a nobility class, but if so--it wouldn't have been democratic--remember that there had to be a ROTATION with the Greeks, and no one was entitled to remain in power.

Answer 2

I love your inferiority complex towards the Greeks.  

Answer 3

It was a step in the right direction, we had to fight tooth and nail to gain the right to vote for everyone.

But they invented the whole concept of "voting" in politics.

Different countries had various levels of equality, by Brehon law in Ireland the women of a family had equal share in making family decisions, but in most places at that time (including most of Ireland and Greece) people were hitting each other to solve their disputes.

(as I said)

It was a step in the right direction.

Answer 4

Although the institution of slavery was still the norm and females were still kept at a lower status then men,

This is not required to be a democracy.  

Because a country allows slaves, does NOT make it not a democracy.

Because a country keeps women at a lower status does NOT make it not a democracy.

A democracy is a system whereby the CITIZENS (not the slaves, and, according to some societies, not the women) have a say in voting for the leaders and laws.

Greece was the first place where this happened.  Therefore, Greece is the first democracy.

At least that's what they taught us in school.

Being a democracy does NOT imply equality, only that there were elections.

*edit*  I have a moment, now, to comment on this..."freedom produces wealth through abundance. "  THIS is not democracy, but Capitalism.  

Democracy is a Political system.

Capitalism is an Economic System.

Where are the Eblans?  Or rather WERE?   I'm guessing their system is NOT truly the first KNOWN democracy, since no one seems to KNOW about it.

Is it possible that these people were only RECENTLY discovered?  In which case, Historians have to fight against thousands of years of our having been told that the Greeks WERE the first.  Hence, it might take a little while for this newly discovered group to find their place in history.

Oh, and doesn't this belong, not in the TRAVEL category, but maybe in something like HISTORY or GOVERNMENT???

Answer 5

Jealousy, jealousy and again jealousy!

Answer 6

What are you trying to say here... you already stated your point why go on. There is no way that you are going to listen to anyone that doesn't have the same opinion as you. Your probably just going to wait until someone agrees with you and then give them the best answer.

I think your seeking what you want to hear, instead of the truth.

The Ancient Greeks were an important civilisation and their Ideas whether they came from another civilisation were incorporated into modern European society. If there was no Greeks there would be no Romans if there was no Romans There would be no Renaissance.

And so on and so forth... Grow up. Stop trolling this section.

Answer 7

It is like complaining why the Right brothers did not build an Airbuss 3000 .....

Democracy was evolving for 2500 years and the seeds were planted in Ancient Athens.

Now, regarding the Ebla people, I do not say that you are wrong because I do not know them, and that's EXACTLY the point. Who were they? Did they leave any records? Who wrote their laws? What was their government like?

Who did they influence? Apparently noone since noone remenber them!

But Greeks did influence the entire European civilization, and that’s a fact.

17000 tablets huh? Wow!!!!

And I thought our secret services were c**p!

There you go, you finaly uncovered the truth: the Evil Greeks all over the world have conspired to keep the poor defensless people of Ebla for ever in obsurity!!!

Answer 8

It is derived from the Greek δημοκρατία ([dimokratia], "popular government'' which was coined from δήμος (dēmos), "people" and κράτος (kratos), "rule, strength" in the middle of the 5th century BC to denote the political systems then existing in some Greek city-states, notably Athens.

Got it?the word is totally Greek which means that democracy is totally derived from  Greece!

so simple!