Final answer:
In ancient Athens, non-citizens, including immigrants and non-Athenians, were excluded from political life, while Athenian citizens enjoyed certain rights and privileges.
Step-by-step explanation:
In ancient Athens, citizenship was granted to property owning men of certain classes and freed slaves, while women, slaves, and some foreigners did not enjoy full citizenship rights. Non-citizens were protected under the law, but they were excluded from political life. Only male citizens who were born to Athenian parents and met certain criteria, such as being born free and legitimate, were allowed to vote and participate in the democratic process.
Athens had a policy of granting citizenship to foreigners' children born to Athenian parents. This policy elevated the importance of Athenian women but also reinforced the Athenians' exclusivity and distinction from other Greek cities. It should be noted that Athens enjoyed growth and prosperity, along with a relatively fair and impartial government for its time from the perspective of the native-born Athenians. However, this prosperity often came at the expense of their Greek allies.