Among the five Ancient Greek cultures highlighted in the textbook, the culture of Athens is most appealing to me. The Athenian government, specifically democracy, use of sanitary systems, and the belief in the importance of art all play into its appeal. Though the other cultures had their merits, none fit me as well as Athens. Athens was not always ruled by a democracy, for example, the benevolent dictatorship of Pisistratus and the harsher dictatorship under his son Hippias. However, once it was put into motion Athenian democracy proved durable. As an American woman, Athens’ form of government is the most familiar of the Ancient Greek culture’s governments. Although women were not considered citizens in Ancient Athens, a democracy in which
