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Student 2
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The Birthplace of Democracy
Athens: The Birthplace of Democracy
Cast
Narrator 1 Narrator 2 Narrator 3 Student 1 Student 2 Student 3 Athenian 1 Athenian 2 Athenian 3
1
Cast
(continued) Aristocrat 1 Aristocrat 2 Solon Athenian Woman 1 Athenian Woman 2 Aristocrat Woman 1 Aristocrat Woman 2 Slave 1 Slave 2
2
Student 1:
Gee, learning about Athens makes me want to go there.
Student 2:
Me, too. Especially if it means we can miss Math.
Student 3:
Wait! What is happening?
Student 1:
I feel dizzy.
Student 2:
Are we traveling through time?
Student 3:
OMG! We really ARE traveling through time!
Student 1:
We finally stopped.
Student 2:
Where are we?
Student 3:
Does this mean we miss Math?
Narrator 1:
Welcome to Athens!
Narrator 2:
It is the 6th Century BC.
Athenian 1:
Hello! I am an Athenian!
Athenian 2:
Me, too!
Athenian 3:
Me, three. Welcome, friends!
Student 1:
I can’t believe we’re in Athens!
Student 2:
Wait. Where is Athens? 3
Narrator 3:
It is in Europe, silly. Near Italy.
Student 3:
We knew that.
Narrator 1:
It is the 6th Century BC…
Narrator 2:
and Athens is a city-state.
Student 1:
Do you like it here?
Athenian 1:
Well, we are proud of Athens. Our city-state is rich!
Athenian 2:
But we are not.
Athenian 3:
Still, the land here is filled with good things. Like silver!
Athenian 1:
And clay for making pots!
Athenian 2:
And marble for making sculptures!
Athenian 3:
But we are just ordinary Athenians. They call us plebs.
Student 2:
What does that mean?
Athenian 1:
It means we’re not rich or fancy.
Student 3:
What’s wrong with that?
Athenian 2:
Here in Athens, you have to be born rich…
4
Athenian 3:
to have a say in how things are run.
Student 1:
But that’s not fair!
Athenian 1:
Tell me about it!
Athenian 2:
We don’t get any respect.
Student 2: Student 3: Aristocrat 1: Aristocrat 2: Student 1:
What do you mean? Yeah, who bullies you? Step aside, plebs! Yeah, step aside, plebs! Who are you?
Aristocrat 1:
Greetings! I am an aristocrat.
Aristocrat 2:
Me, too.
Aristocrat 1:
Sorry you had to talk with those plebs.
Aristocrat 2:
They’re so annoying. Now you can talk to aristocrats.
Student 2:
What’s an aristocrat?
Aristocrat 1:
An aristocrat is a person of high birth.
Athenian 1:
That means they’re rich.
5
Aristocrat 2:
Not just rich…
Aristocrat 1:
Being an aristocrat means…
Aristocrat 2:
We’re educated.
Aristocrat 1:
And our parents are educated.
Aristocrat 2:
Yeah, and our grandparents are educated.
Aristocrat 1:
Yeah, and our great-grandparents were educated.
Aristocrat 2:
Yeah, and our great-great-grandparents were-
Student 3:
Okay, okay, we've got the idea!
Student 1:
But what’s so special about being an aristocrat?
Narrator 1:
Here in Athens,
Narrator 2:
in the 6th century BC,
Narrator 3:
the aristocrats rule the city-state.
Athenian 2:
Yeah, and regular people like us have no say at all.
Student 2:
You mean you don’t get to vote on laws?
Student 3:
Or choose your leaders? 6
Athenian 3:
Nope and nope.
Narrator 1:
But that’s about to change.
Athenian 1, Athenian 2, and Athenian 3
(happy) It is?
Aristocrat 1 and Aristocrat 2:
(scared) It is?
Narrator 2:
Yep. You didn’t think you could rule Athens forever, did you?
Aristocrat 1:
Yes, we did!
Aristocrat 2:
Of course, we can rule forever. We are aristocrats!
Narrator 3:
Sorry to break it to you. Meet a lawmaker named Solon.
Solon:
Greetings. I am Solon.
Aristocrat 1:
Who is this guy?
Solon:
I just told you. I am Solon.
Aristocrat 2:
Yeah, but why are you here?
Aristocrat 1:
Yeah, why did you just turn up out of nowhere? 7
Aristocrat 2:
It’s kind of creepy. No offense.
Solon:
No offense taken.
Athenian 1:
Solon, I am a simple Athenian. How are you going to change things?
Solon:
I am a lawmaker. And I am going to give you the vote.
Athenian 2:
The vote! Wait, what does that mean?
Solon:
From now on, even poor men like you can vote for your leaders and for new laws.
Athenian 3:
I can’t believe my ears!
Athenian 1:
Pinch me! Am I dreaming?
Athenian 2:
Say it one more time, Solon!
Solon:
From now on, even the poorest man in Athens, can vote.
Athenian 1:
Hurray!
Athenian 2:
Hurray!
Athenian 3:
Hurray!
Aristocrat 1:
How can you do this to us, Solon?
8
Aristocrat 2:
You’re an aristocrat, Solon! How could you give the vote to plebs?
Aristocrat 1:
This is an outrage. An outrage!
Aristocrat 2:
I cannot believe this is happening!
Solon:
Calm down. This will be good for Athens. With everyone having a say, there will be more peace in Athens. With peace comes prosperity. Athens will get richer and richer. And stronger and stronger.
Aristocrat 1:
I don’t like it. I don’t like it at all!
Aristocrat 2:
Everyone knows that only aristocrats can vote in Athens.
Solon:
Not anymore.
Athenian Woman 1:
I just heard the news! Is it true?
Athenian Woman 2:
Are we going to get the vote?
Student 1:
Who are you?
Athenian Woman 1:
We are Athenian women. We are the wives of these men. (she hugs ATHENIAN 1)
Athenian Woman 2:
This is my husband right here. Hi there, sweetie! (she hugs ATHENIAN 2)
Athenian Woman 1:
So ... is it true, Solon? 9
Athenian Woman 2:
Is everyone going to get the vote in Athens?
Solon:
Er…no. Every man in Athens will get the vote. But no women can vote.
Aristocrat Woman 1:
Not even me?
Aristocrat Woman 2:
Or me?
Student 2:
Who are you?
Aristocrat Woman 1:
We are aristocratic women. We're rich.
Aristocrat Woman 2:
And well-educated.
Aristocrat Woman 1:
So... surely, we get the right to vote!
Aristocrat Woman 2:
Right, Solon?
Solon:
Um…no.
Aristocrat Woman 1:
But, Solon! We’re aristocrats!
Solon:
But you’re women.
Aristocrat Woman 2:
Do you mean to tell me that the poorest man in Athens can vote…
Aristocrat Woman 1:
But the richest woman in Athens cannot?
Solon:
That’s right.
10
Aristocrat Woman 2:
How rude!
Aristocrat Woman 1:
Insolence! This is just insolence!
Slave 1:
Hi everyone!
Slave 2:
Who are you?
Slave 1:
I am a slave. And this is my friend.
Slave 1:
We were just cleaning the floor when we
Slave 2:
Solon say that...
Slave 1:
even the poorest man in Athens will get to vote.
Slave 2:
And we’re the poorest men in Athens!
Slave 1:
So we get the vote!
Slave 2:
Hurray!
Solon:
Um…no.
Slave 1:
What do you mean "Um…no”?
Solon:
Well, the poorest, free man can vote. But
Slave 1:
We don’t get to vote?
heard....
you’re not free, so….
11
Slave 2:
I’m going to cry.
Athenian Woman 1:
Join the club, honey.
Athenian Woman 2:
Uh-huh.
Slave 2:
But we’re men! And all men get to vote.
Solon:
The law doesn’t really see you as men.
Aristocrat 1:
Cause you’re slaves.
Slave 1:
That is so cold.
Slave 2:
I cannot believe this is happening.
Student 1:
I don’t even know why we came here. Athens is supposed to be so important.
Student 2:
It’s supposed to be the birthplace of democracy.
Solon:
It is the birthplace of democracy.
Student 3:
But you left so many people out, Solon!
Student 1:
How could you?
Solon:
You kids need some historical perspective.
Athenian 1:
Solon is right. Before Athens, NO PLACE EVER allowed every free man to vote. 12
Athens: The Birthplace of Democracy
Athenian 2:
Only men with property were able to vote before. You had to be really, really rich to vote.
Aristocrat 1:
Those were the good old days.
Aristocrat 2:
I miss them! (cries)
Athenian 3:
Ordinary people like us didn’t get a say at all.
Solon:
So what if I didn’t include EVERYONE? Over time, democracy included more and more people….
Student 2:
And today…everyone gets a vote in America.
Student 3:
Well, not kids….but I see what you mean.
Solon:
It’s the principle that is important. The principle that every person gets a say.
Aristocrat 1:
Solon made us include the voices of even the poor in politics.
Aristocrat 2:
He made it so that everyone ---or almost everyone---had a voice.
Solon:
It had never been done before. And it worked!
Aristocrat 1:
It worked REALLY well. 13
Aristocrat 2:
The people were happier.
Slaves:
Not all the people!
Athenian 3:
And Athens grew richer and richer.
Student 1:
Well, I guess we've learned a lot from our trip to Athens.
Student 2:
We learned that Solon created the first democracy.
Student 3:
And that he gave every man the vote.
Slave 1:
But slaves didn’t get a vote.
Aristocrat Woman 1:
And neither did women.
Student 1:
It’s important to remember that.
Student 2:
Yeah! Women didn’t even get the vote in America until the 1920s!
Student 3:
That’s not even a hundred years ago!
Aristocrat Woman 2:
That’s so wrong!
Student 3:
Well, it’s time to get back to school.
Student 2:
I bet we get there just in time for Math!
All:
The End
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