Some one please translate this into non intelligent people please The wealthiest citizens were called aristocrats. Over a third of the population was made up of the families of male citizens, that is, their wives and children. Women were considered citizens in Athens, although they could not vote Freemen in Athens made up a little more than 10 percent of the population. Freemen were men who were not slaves, but who did not have the right to vote or participate in government. Freemen often were not native to Athens but chose to work there because they could make a good living. Craftsmen and merchants were often freemen. The traditional economy of Athens could no longer solely support the Athenian economy. This led to an increase in the merchant class and trading with other regions. As trade increased so did the merchant class. Slaves made up over a third of the population. The slaves in Athens were mostly prisoners of war. They had been captured and brought back to Athens from nearby regions. Athenian slaves were bought and sold by private citizens, not by the city-state.​