Is ancient Greece democracy or republic?

Answer 1

YES, Greece was certainly under a Democracy in 405BC. At this time the Pelopannesian War [431 - 404BC] was coming to an end, and Athens [Greece] suffered a defeat in the battle of Aegospotami against Lysander [Sparta]. Also by this time the Spartan King Pausanias had laid seige to Athens and Lysander's fleet had set up a blockade at Piraeus. This effectively closed the grain route to Athens, and it's population began to starve. 404BC Athens capitulates and is forced to negotiate the terms of its surrender to Sparta. Then began the year of Anarchy or The Rule of the 30 Tyrants.

Answer 2

Ancient Greece was comprised of about 2,000 independent city-states, each with their own government.These governments were varied, some monarchies, some oligarchies, some tyrannies, some direct democracies.

The cities which adopted democracy for a period did it as direct democracies. This was because the city territories were small in area and it was feasible for the citizens to walk in to regular assembly meetings to make laws and give other directions.

Direct democracy was an experiment and it failed regulary as the citizen assemblies were easily swayed by orators, who led them to often unwise and destructive decisions.

Representative democracy is a modern invention - necessary because in larger countries is is impossible for voters to attend regular meetings, and also electing representatives to do the voting is a barrier to emotive appeals for decisions made at short notice without proper thought goind into the effects of laws and other acts and courses of action.

A classic case of direct democracy problems was after the sea battle at Aginousai, a lot of sailors in sunken ships drowned because the general detailed to pick them up didn't. He rushed back first to Athens and told the assembly that the other generals had left the sailors to their fate, and the angered people and relatives therupon condemned them to death. Six innocent generals were executed and three others fled to avoid the same fate. The guilty one got away with it.

Answer 3

Ancient Greece was a loose confederation of democratic City States, with frequent periods of rule by various Kings. It was not a republic.