Kleroterion

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/kleroterion

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the device classification?Mechanical randomization apparatus for civic selection
2. What is the geographic origin?Athens, Attica, Ancient Greece
3. What is a Kleroterion and why was it used in ancient Athens?A Kleroterion is a stone machine that used chance to choose citizens for public offices, making sure everyone had a fair chance.
4. How did the Kleroterion pick citizens for jobs?Citizens had tokens called pinakia that fit into rows on the stone slab; the machine used dice to decide which rows were chosen.

Sortition: The practice of selecting individuals for public office by lot or chance, rather than by election or merit.
Oligarchy: A form of government in which power is held by a small group of people, often distinguished by wealth, family ties, or military control.
Nomothetai: A body of citizens in ancient Athens responsible for reviewing and enacting laws.