Final answer:
The social class make-up of the Roman Senate and the Athenian Assembly differed significantly. In Rome, the Senate was composed of patricians who held exclusive power, while the Athenian Assembly was theoretically open to all citizens. The comparison tells us that the political power of the average citizen in both societies was limited.
Step-by-step explanation:
The social class make-up of the Roman Senate and the Athenian Assembly differed significantly. In Rome, the Senate was composed of patricians, who were the aristocratic elite and held exclusive power in the government. On the other hand, the Athenian Assembly was theoretically open to all citizens, although in practice, many citizens were excluded due to factors like poverty or ignorance.
This comparison tells us that the political power of the average citizen in Rome was limited. Only the privileged patricians had the ability to hold public office and sit in the Senate. This concentration of power in the hands of the elite class indicates that the average citizen had little direct political influence.
In Athens, while the Assembly was more inclusive than the Roman Senate, the power of the average citizen was still limited. Many citizens were unable to exercise their political rights due to social and economic factors. However, the Athenian democracy did provide resources to encourage inclusivity, such as laws banning debt slavery and allowing marriages between patricians and plebeians.