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Perfect freedom is as necessary to the health and vigor of commerce as it is to the health

and vigor of citizenship. -Patrick Henry. Around 500 BCE a new idea was beginning to form

near the Greek and Italian peninsulas of the Mediterranean sea. A new great concept of

citizenship has formed in the Roman Republic/Empire. Despite the fact that both Athens and

Rome were thriving and prospering at this time. Because of this a question popped up, Who had

a better system? In this case Rome had a better system because they gave women rights,

allowed citizenship to a wider group of people, Rome was more organized politically and was its

own Republic/Empire, not a city state.

Women rights are still being fought for till this day and will more than likely go on for a

long time. Even thousands of years ago women did not have the same rights as men. In Athens

women were looked down and upon and only seen for to make children. The ironic thing is

Athenians worshiped a goddess that is a female and named Athena. Rome on the other hand,

gave women rights. Women had the right to own property that was enough to support a family.

Unlike in Athens women could not own anything and female children were only citizens if

parents were citizens. Even though women in Rome had these rights they were still not equal to

the Roman man.

The Romans conquered people and did not enslave them but gave those people

citizenship. Citizenship to an extent, the people who have been conquered at least felt somewhat

part of the Roman Republic/Empire. Once those people became citizens their children will

become citizens of Rome. This idea of making conquered people and making them citizens is a

great idea because it creates a cultural diffusion and increases the population of Rome. On the
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other hand slaves that were in that conquered area were not granted citizenship, but sons of free

slaves were granted citizenship. In Athens women, slaves, freed slaves, native-born male

children, female children, and adult females were not granted citizenship. The only exception

was for native-born male children and the only way for them to get citizenship was to complete

their education and two years of military training. All of this was required just to become a male

citizen in Athens.

The Roman Republic/Empire had one the best democracies and government in the world

at the time and was more organized politically. Until Rome became an Empire and when that

happen everything else went down hill. The Roman Republic on the other hand which lasted

from 509-44 BCE consisted members of the Roman senate (approximately 300 men) that served

for life. Most the time those men came from the oldest Roman families and inherited their seats.

The Senate had main responsibility for foreign relations, selecting ambassadors, creating treaties,

and making alliances. The Republic was also responsible for war policy, the control of public

lands, and the Senate also tried cases of treason and conspiracy. In Athens government was

completely different not even close to Roman government. The event Athenians made most of

their important decisions at was at the Athenian Assembly. The Athenian assembly met 40 times

a year on a hillside called a Pnyx, close to the Acropolis. All of Athens 40,000 citizens were

eligible to attend, however travel made that difficult. Six thousand Athenian citizens were

required for a quorum on important issues like a ostracism. A ostracism was a temporary

banishment from a city by popular vote. The Assembly passed laws, set budgets, and had the

power to declare war. There was also a Council of 500 which was a executive committee that

overlooked the assembly. Athenians chose their officials, including the Athenians who served in
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Council, by lot from the general citizenry. Lot mean Athenians were chosen randomly by

lottery. The Assembly was also loud, dirty, crowded, and smelled. So sometimes it could be

really hard Athenians to pay attention to what was going on in the Assembly. Just by seeing the

differences of both Athenian and Roman political structures that the Roman Republic is

obviously superior.

In conclusion, Rome had the better system. Allowing women rights, allowed

citizenship to a wider group of people, and Rome was more organized politically. Rome had this

great set up for a society that will lead them to become one of the greatest and most advance

societys ever seen. Athens also had some very great things in their society but when you

compare both of them Rome totally blows Athens out of the water. Without free,

self-respecting, and autonomous citizens there can be no free and independent nations. Without

internal peace, that is, peace among citizens and between the citizens and the state, there can be

no guarantee of eternal peace.

- Vaclav Havel
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Sources

http://www.betterworld.net/quotes/citizenship-quotes.htm

http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/citizenship.html