Assembly Basics
Where did eligible Athenian citizens meet to debate and vote on laws?
Pnyx hill
Define "monarchy" in one sentence.
Rule by a single hereditary king
Who had full political rights in Athens?
Free adult male citizens
How were members of the Council of 500 chosen?
by lottery/sortition from citizen tribes
Was Athenian democracy direct or representative?
Direct
How many times per year did the Assembly meet approximately, according to Source A?
40 times
Define "oligarchy" in one sentence.
Rule by a small group of wealthy elites
Name one group that was excluded from voting and public office.
Women OR enslaved people OR metics
What primary duty did the Council of 500 perform?
set the agenda and prepare daily business for the Assembly
Is the United States democracy direct or representative?
Representative
What minimum number of citizens (quorum) was needed for major decisions in the Assembly?
6,000
Define "tyranny" in the ancient Greek sense.
Power seized by one person by force, often with popular support
Who were the metics and what was their legal status?
Free foreign residents who paid taxes and served in the military but had no voting or political rights
What is an ostrakon (ostraka)?
a pottery shard used to write the name of someone to be ostracized
Give one major structural difference between lawmaking in ancient Athens and the modern United States.
In Athens citizens voted directly on laws; in the U.S. elected representatives make laws
Name two visible ways citizens voted on the Pnyx for proposed laws.
show of hands and colored stones/ostraka
Match: Which government form used random lottery for many officials — monarchy, oligarchy, tyranny, or democracy?
Democracy
Using Source C, state approximately what share of the population were free adult male citizens.
about 15%–20%
Describe the result for the person who received the most ostraka in an ostracism vote.
Exile from Athens for 10 years
Give a second structural difference related to who could vote/hold office in Athens vs. the U.S.
Athens limited rights to free adult males with citizen parents; the U.S. extends voting rights to all adult citizens regardless of gender
What was the main role of the Assembly (Ekklesia) in Athenian government?
debate and vote directly on laws and major policies
Explain one key difference between a monarchy and a tyranny.
Monarchy is hereditary rule passed to heirs; tyranny is taken by force without legal succession
Explain briefly why historians call Athenian democracy "strictly exclusive" using Source C data.
Because 80%–85% of residents — women, enslaved people, and many foreigners — were barred from political power, leaving only a small male citizen minority
Give two democratic innovations Athens used to reduce elite control over offices.
selection by lottery and rotation/short terms for officeholders
Explain in two sentences why active civic participation mattered in Athens and why it still matters today.
In Athens direct rule required citizens to attend, debate, and vote for the system to work; today participation (voting, civic engagement) helps hold leaders accountable and protect democratic rights