In ancient Greece, the polis, or the people, had a say in their society through democracy. Athenian democracy was supposed to benefit the people through justice. Unfortunately, this was not always the case. In Hecuba, the practice of democracy contradicted its fundamental principles. The degree of justice a person could receive depended largely on their stature in Greek society. Often the collective vote of the army benefited a few who held the most influence, as when Odysseus suggested sacrifice for the tomb of Achilles. However, the policies they adopted did not affirm the morals of what is right for slaves like Hecuba, when they chose her daughter. Additionally, those like Agamemnon who disagreed with the policies adopted by the soldiers lived in constant fear of openly opposing them. A person's status in Greek society had a huge impact on how people treated them. People of the nobility would be held in higher esteem than a simple free man. This hierarchy also continued on the battlefield. Those who had shown courage in battle would have more influence over a group. Achilles achieved this because others respected him as a member of the army. So when Achilles died, he insisted on receiving a sacrifice at his tomb, because the heroic code depends on giving individuals the honor they have deserved. This is illustrated when he says, “Where then, Danaans, do you think you are going, / leaving my priceless tomb” (Euripides 84). This task fell to Achilles, for he had triumphed on the battlefield of Troy by fighting nobly. Later, when the army was tasked with deciding who would be Achilles' sacrifice, Odysseus convinced the people with his words. The people not only considered Odysseus a nobleman in society, but he also proved...... middle of paper...... held the most prominence in the group that benefited the most from collective voting and morality. would often be ignored in policies. Additionally, individuals would live in fear of policies supported by the group, because they would not be able to openly challenge them. In Hecuba, democracy has not exploited its full potential to be fair to all members of society. Works Cited Esposito, Stephen. "The chorus and themes of Euripides' Hecuba." Essay on Euripides' Hecuba. Newburyport: Focus Publishing/R. Pullins Co., 2010. Euripides. Odysseus at Troy: Ajax, Hecuba and the Trojan Women. Ed. Stephen Esposito. Newburyport: Focus Publishing/R. Pullins Co., 2010. Rosenbloom, David. “Euripides' Hecuba: nothing to do with democracy? American Philosophical Association. http://apaclassics.org/sites/default/files/documents/abstracts/Rosenbloom_3.pdf. PDF file.