Decision Making
The Assembly
- Meetings took place 40 times a year (every 8-10 days).
- At least 6000 members of the Assembly needed to be present.
- Members would make decisions on many issues, such as war and peace, religion, taxes, ships, and treaties with other city-states.
- Citizens could also bring private concerns to the Assembly.
- They would meet at the top of a hill in an open area called the Pnyx [pronounced pu-NICKS].
- The members would make speeches, debate, listen, discuss, then vote.
- Each member had an equal right to speak.
- Voting was through show of hand or stones.
The Council of 500
- The Council of 500 was the full-time government of Athens.
- They met in the Bouleuterion [pronounced voo-loo-TE-ree-on] (picture on the left).
- The term for the Council was one year, then a new one was chosen.
- The citizens of Athens were divded into 10 tribes and 50 members from each tribe over 30 years old were part of the Council.
- The group of 50 Councillors from each tribe was in charge of the Council for one-tenth of the year.
- Everyone in the tribe over 30 years old had equal chances of being picked.
- They could only serve on the Council twice.
- The leader of the Council only had his position for 23 hours. Therefore, more people had a chance to be leader. The leader was also chosen randomly.
The Courts
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