Demokrati i antikkens Athen
Democracy in Ancient Athens
I det gamle Athen utviklet grekerne en spesiell form for styre som vi kaller demokrati.
In ancient Athens, the Greeks developed a special form of government that we call democracy.
Ordet kommer fra gresk og betyr "folkets makt".
The word comes from Greek and means "power of the people."
Det var fri menn som fikk delta i politikken, og de møttes på store plasser for å diskutere og bestemme.
It was free men who could participate in politics, and they gathered in large public spaces to discuss and decide.
Kvinner, slaver og fremmede hadde ikke rett til å være med.
Women, slaves, and foreigners were not allowed to take part.
I Athen var det viktig at mange mennesker kunne si sin mening.
In Athens, it was important that many people could voice their opinions.
De brukte avstemninger for å ta beslutninger, og de roterte ledere for at makten ikke skulle ligge hos én person for lenge.
They used voting to make decisions, and they rotated leaders so that power would not lie with one person for too long.
Selv om dette systemet ikke var rettferdig for alle, la det grunnlaget for de ideene vi i dag forbinder med demokrati.
Even though this system was not fair to everyone, it laid the foundation for the ideas we associate with democracy today.
Mange historikere mener at demokratiet i Athen var et stort eksperiment som inspirerte senere samfunn i Europa.
Many historians believe that democracy in Athens was a major experiment that inspired later societies in Europe.
Det viser oss at tanken om frihet og deltakelse har lange røtter i historien.
It shows us that the idea of freedom and participation has deep roots in history.
Comprehension Check
Question 1 of 4
Hva betyr ordet «demokrati», ifølge teksten?