In the 5th century BC, when Perikles was the chief general, Athenian democracy reached its peak, which was called the "golden age" of Athenian democracy.
At that time, all adult male citizens could hold almost any official position (except the generals of the Ten Generals Committee). They can also attend the citizens' assembly and reach an agreement on the important affairs of the city-state. The functions of the 500-member Council have also been further expanded. The jury court has become the highest judicial and supervisory body. Judges are produced from male citizens over the age of 30 from all tribes.
Perikles also attached importance to culture and education, and teenagers began to recite poems at home very early, which was very different from Sparta at the same time.
In order to encourage citizens to take an active part in politics, Perikles pays salaries to citizens who hold public office and participate in political activities. In order to attract the public to watch the drama, a "drama allowance" was specially given to the public.
Democracy in Athens is based on slavery, which is essentially a tool for the slave owners' class led by the industrial and commercial slave owners in Athens to exercise dictatorship over slaves and non-citizens. In the final analysis, it serves the overall economic interests of the slave owner class and is the democracy of the slave owner free class. This limited class democracy determines that this democracy has great limitations and narrowness.
In the heyday of Athens, the total number of free citizens, including women and children, was about 90 thousand, while the number of male and female slaves was 365 thousand. Slaves, who made up the majority of Athens residents, lost their freedom and did not enjoy civil rights, so they could not participate in political activities. Like other Greek countries, slave owners can abuse and punish slaves at will. In factories, mines and farms, slaves and beggars are forced to do heavy work with simple tools. The facts. It is only under the premise of oppression and dictatorship of slaves except political life that there is democracy for slave owners and free citizens. Therefore, democracy in Athens is the privileged democracy of slave owners and free citizens.
This privileged democracy has even been further strengthened. In the heyday of Perikles, the scope of Athenian citizens did not expand, but further narrowed. Because the special decree passed in BC 15 1 stipulated that only people whose parents were citizens of Athens could become citizens of Athens, 5,000 residents of Athens suddenly lost their citizenship. Since then, Athens has lost the possibility of supplementing free citizens from other city-States.