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ource: Diodorus Siculus, History,Book XI. Written between 60 and 30 BCE. And the law is as follows: Each citizen wrote the name of the man who in his opin- ion had the greatest power to destroy the democracy; and the man who got the largest number of ostraka was obliged to go into exile from his native land for a period of ten years. The Athenians, it appears passed such a law not for the purpose of punishing wrongdoing, but in order to lower through exile the [position] of men who had risen too high. Now Themistocles having been ostracized in the manner we have described, fled as an exile from his native city to Argos __ Note: Only one ostracism was permitted in Athens per year. Source: Peter Walsh, "In the Realm of the Censors:From the Coliseum to Capitol Hill," Boston Review, February 1991. In conducting the census of the Roman population the censors (they were elected in pairs) not only counted Rome's citizens but __ ranked them into distinct classes __ The censors' ranking, based on wealth, heritage [family standingl, administrative com- petence, marital status, and physical and moral fitness,determined the citizen's political privileges, his level of taxation, and his military service. Anyone who didn't meet the privileges of the censors could be demoted in rank If the offender was a senator, this meant expulsion from the Senate. Note: The Roman census was conducted every five years. Document Analysis 1. What did it mean when Athenians ostracized a fellow citizen? What was the purpose? 2. Do you think ostracism was a good idea? Explain. 3. How did Rome control the privileges and benefits of citizenship? you think giving the censors the power to rank and re-rank citizens into different classe good idea? Explain. 5. Tudging From the tro passages in this document.who had the better system of citizenship
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Xena
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1. When Athenians ostracized a fellow citizen, it meant that they collectively voted to exile that individual from the city-state for a period of ten years. The purpose of ostracism was to prevent any one person from accumulating too much power or influence within the democracy, thus safeguarding against potential tyranny or dictatorship.2. The effectiveness of ostracism as an idea depends on one's perspective. Some may argue that it was a necessary tool to prevent the concentration of power and maintain the balance of democracy. Others may criticize it as a potentially arbitrary and unjust means of dealing with political rivals, as it could be susceptible to manipulation or abuse.3. Rome controlled the privileges and benefits of citizenship through the census conducted by the censors every five years. The censors ranked citizens into distinct classes based on criteria such as wealth, family standing, administrative competence, marital status, and physical and moral fitness. These rankings determined a citizen's political privileges, taxation level, and military service obligations. Offenders who didn't meet the standards set by the censors could be demoted in rank or even expelled from the Senate if they were senators.4. Giving the censors the power to rank and re-rank citizens into different classes was a double-edged sword. On one hand, it allowed for a structured system of governance where privileges and responsibilities were allocated based on merit and societal contributions. On the other hand, it could potentially lead to abuse of power or favoritism, as the criteria for ranking citizens were subjective and could be influenced by personal biases or political agendas.5. Comparing the Athenian and Roman systems of citizenship, both had their strengths and weaknesses. The Athenian system employed ostracism to prevent the rise of individuals with excessive power, thus promoting a more egalitarian form of democracy. However, ostracism could also be seen as a blunt instrument prone to abuse. The Roman system, with its census and ranking by censors, aimed to maintain social order and allocate privileges based on merit and societal contributions. While this system provided a more structured approach, it was also susceptible to manipulation and could result in the disenfranchisement of certain individuals. Ultimately, the superiority of one system over the other depends on individual perspectives and values regarding democracy, governance, and citizenship.