How
to
Build
a
Democracy Like the
Ancient Greeks
By Matthew Warden
Picking your location:
What mighty democracy is complete without a good home-base? The site you choose
really needs to accomplish two goals. The first is that it needs to be ideal for
civilization and survival. Let’s be honest, trying to build a great democracy in an
artic tundra of Russia probably isn’t the most ideal situation. The second goal is
that it needs to look powerful. Height is key. Think about the Athenians. With the
acropolis towering over the surrounding land, no one is going to want to mess with
you…well, unless you’re Alexander the Great.
Picking your people:
The whole point of a democracy is that it’s run by the people. With that being said,
you might want to choose a solid bunch of people. You’re going to want some
diversity, but you must be careful about creating too much of a divide. You want
to keep it interesting, but you want to avoid the outbreak of a civil war.
Picking a good founder:
Every smart ancient civilization wanted a founder that would give them some clout.
What do you want? A war hero? A famous politician? A descendant of a god? It
doesn’t matter too much as long as this founder is someone that your people with
use as a model for themselves for the centuries to come. Make sure that he or she
is brave, strong, and is someone that you would want your civilization’s children
to grow up and be like.