Western Civilization: Greece and Persia Political Systems Report

This report compares the political systems of ancient Greece and Persia, focusing on their key differences and historical context. It highlights that Persia followed a monarchy, while Greece was a democracy, with variations in governance, societal structures, and the treatment of women and slaves. The report also examines the significance of Athens' downfall, emphasizing its impact on political systems, the importance of naval power, and the role of strategic planning in warfare. The analysis draws on various scholarly sources, including works by Tuplin, Pomeroy, Kitto, Mitchell, Harrop, and Everitt, to provide a comprehensive understanding of the political and cultural dynamics of these ancient civilizations and their lasting legacies.

Running head: WESTERN CIVILIZATION
WESTERN CIVILIZATION
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As stated by Tuplin (2018), the primary difference between the political systems
followed in Greece and Persia was that Persia followed the political ideology of monarchy
whereas Greece was a democracy. For instance, Greece was governed was two kings and 28
elders and the common people have the option to participate in the government of the concerned
kingdom whereas Persia was ruled by the Achaemenid Dynasty of kings (Pomeroy et al., 2020).
More importantly, women held an important place within the societal framework of Persia and
were considered to be equal to men however this was not the case with the society or the culture
of Greece (Tuplin, 2018). Furthermore, slavery was an important part of the nation of Greece
however no recorded evidence of slavery had been found in Persia (Kitto, 2017). These in short
are some of the most important differences between the political and the cultural systems of
Greece and Persia.
Mitchell (2019) is of the viewpoint that the most important argument for the significance
of the Athenian downfall is the fact that it led to the decline of the weak as well as the corrupted
government of Athens which in turn was replaced by a stronger one. Another important
argument for the same was that it helped Athens, Sparta and other kingdoms understand the
importance of a strong navy and the manner in which great wars could be won if they have a
strong navy (Harrop, 2018). Lastly, the downfall of Athens also brought to light the fact that
wars are being won through effective strategies rather than the strength of the armies (Everitt,
2017).

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References
Everitt, A. (2017). The Rise of Athens: The Story of the World’s Greatest Civilisation. Amberley
Publishing Limited.
Harrop, S. (2018). Athens: A Work-in-Progress. Kritika Kultura, 30, 129-137.
Kitto, H. D. F. (2017). The Greeks. Routledge.
Mitchell, L. (2019). Political thinking on kingship in democratic Athens. Polis: The Journal for
Ancient Greek and Roman Political Thought, 36(3), 442-465.
Pomeroy, S. B., Burstein, S. M., Donlan, W., Roberts, J. T., Tandy, D. W., & Tsouvala, G.
(2020). A brief history of ancient Greece: Politics, society, and culture. Oxford
University Press.
Tuplin, C. (2018). Xenophon, Isocrates and the Achaemenid empire: history, pedagogy and the
Persian solution to Greek problems. Trends in Classics, 10(1), 13-55.