What benefits did democracy in ancient Greece bring to people?

The democratic thought of ancient Greece was a society that rejected rulers and ruled. It believes that the ideal city-state should be that all citizens actively participate in social and political life. Its principle is that no one can claim to be a ruler, and no one can hold inalienable power in his own name. Direct and active autonomy is the highest creed of Athenian citizens. Ancient democratic politics refers to a system in which all full members or at least most full members legally make decisions directly or indirectly on the interests of most people in an institution.

Citizens are harmonious and their interests are generally the same. The citizens who make up the city-state, no matter how different their origins, status and responsibilities are, are all the same kind of people in a sense. Citizens are quite homogeneous, with roughly equal property and similar language, education, culture and ethnic background. Except slaves, foreigners, exiles and women, all citizens directly govern the country. The number of citizens is small, which avoids the appearance of heterogeneous components among citizens and facilitates citizens to understand the public affairs of the polis and understand each other. The most important activities in social life are endowed with complete openness. It can even be said that polis can exist only when the public sphere appears.

Pericles said in a speech, "Our political system is called democracy because the political power is in the hands of citizens all over the country, not a few people." Aristotle also said that the essential feature of Athens civilian politics is that "civilians must have the highest power; Political affairs are determined by the will of the majority; The will of most people is justice. " (Of course, this has also buried the hidden danger of "tyranny of the majority". Socrates, a philosopher, was sentenced to death by referendum in 399 BC for propagating untimely ideas. )

Athenian citizens have actual control over officials and laws, and they realize this power through the courts. Courts belong to all citizens. Any member of the court is open to citizens over 30 years old. There are 6,000 jurors, who are elected once a year, and then allocated to various courts by lot to exercise their functions and powers. Successive consuls should flatter civilians like tyrants.

Sovereignty in the people is also manifested as "taking turns to govern." Athens politics is open to all citizens, and official positions are no longer limited by wealth and family status. The Athenians believed that since every citizen was free, no one should be ruled by others. This is actually impossible, so we have to "take turns to be rulers and ruled." "This is justice."