The Legacy of Ancient Greece
and Rome
&
Judeo-Christian Tradition
California State Standard 10.1
Why do we need this?
• The Greeks developed democracy
• The Romans added representative
government
• Representation and citizen participation
are important features of democratic
governments around the world.
Terms you should know
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Government
Monarchy
Aristocracy
Oligarchy
Democracy
Direct Democracy
Republic
Senate
• First democracy
• Largest and most powerful city state
• Citizens participated in government
– Citizens were adult males
– Nobles elected to rule city state
Noted Reformers: Solon and Cleisthenes
• Solon: When Athens ran into
trouble, he saved the day
– Reforms
• Outlawed slavery
• Established classes of citizenship
• Council of 400 – prepared
business for existing council
• Cleisthenes
– Regarded as father of democracy
in Athens
– Tried to balance the rich and the
poor
– All citizens could submit laws for
debate and passage
– Created council of 500 to
propose laws and counsel
assembly
Plato
• Greatest student of
Socrates
• Wrote the Republic
– A vision of a perfectly
governed society
– Governed not by rich
but by philosopherkings
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“Until philosophers are kings, or
the kings and princes of this
world have the spirit and power
of philosophy, and political
greatness and wisdom meet in
one, and those commoner
natures who pursue either to the
exclusion of the other are
compelled to stand aside, cities
will never have rest from their
evils, no, nor the human race.”
Plato – The Republic
Aristotle
• Student of Plato
• Examined the nature of
the world and human
belief, thought and
knowledge
• Wrote “Politics”
– “Man is by nature a
political animal; it is his
nature to live in a state.”
The Roman Republic
• From kingdom to republic
• Patricians versus plebeians
• Twelve Tables
– First written law code
• All free citizens had the right to protection of the law and laws
would be fairly administered.
• Like Athens, a government with separate
branches
• Eventually, the republic collapsed due to war
and authoritarian rule.
Roman Law
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All citizens had the right to equal treatment
Innocent until proven guilty
Accuser must proved accused guilty
Unreasonable laws can be set aside
• The Code – 5,000 Roman laws
Judeo-Christian Tradition
• Monotheists
• Humans are created in G-d’s image
– Each human being has a divine spark that
gives him or her a dignity that can never be
taken away.
• G-d gave human beings more freedom –
the ability to choose between good and
evil.
Jewish Law and Morality
• Jews had a written code of laws
– Ten Commandments
• The Prophets
– Leaders and teachers who were messengers
of G-d.
– Attacked war, oppression and greed.
– “He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and
what does the Lord require of you but to do
justice, and to love kindness, and to walk
humbly with your G-d?” Micah 6:8
Christianity
• Jesus of Nazareth
– Born a Jew and a Roman
subject
– Public ministry
• Ideas came from
monotheism and Ten
Commandments
• “I say unto you, Love your
enemies, bless them that
curse you, do good to them
that hate you, and pray for
them which despitefully use
you, and persecute you.”
• Roman governor in Jerusalem
saw him as a threat because
some referred to him as the
“King of the Jews”
– Put to death by crucifixion
– His followers believed him to be
the Messiah – Savior (Christos)
• Paul, the apostle, spread the
word of Jesus.
– He stressed the equality of all
human beings – a central belief
of democracy.
Analyze the similarities and
differences in Greco-Roman and
Judeo-Christian philosophy