Ancient Greek Government

The city-states of Ancient Greek provide examples of different types of government structures that, even

In Greece, monarchies were found when the Mycenaeans ruled Greece during the period 2000 to 1100 BC. Monarchy is defined as a system of government where a single ruler has supreme power. The word “monarchy” comes from the Greek words “monos” meaning “single” and “archo” meaning “rule”. This single ruler, known as a king, ruled for life and passed the rule on to his heir when he died. The most famous monarchy was that of King Alexandra of Macedonia who ruled all of Greece from 336 BC.

In the Athenian Democracy, they had a form of government where citizens ruled directly and not through representatives. They had a legislature branch that would pass the laws, the executive branch would carry out the laws, and the judicial branch would conduct the trials with paid jurors. The executive branch was composed of a council of 500 men and the leaders were chosen by a lot. To be a citizen in Athens, you had to be a male, 18 years old, born from citizen parents, and your parents can't be a slave.

It was usually a tyranny, a form of monarchy or a select group of people. The Greek states could either be ruled by a single individual, such as monarchs and tyrants, or a select group of people, an oligarchy, or every male citizen, which was a democracy. Also the idea of a democracy was regarded as the Greeks' greatest contribution to civilizations of today. But actually monarchies were rare and often not distinguished from a tyranny unless the hereditary ruler was really kind and ruled in the interest of his people rather than himself. But tyrants were not necessarily considered evil, rather they were considered rulers that were just looking out for themselves.“The most famous monarchies were the states of Macedonia and Epiros, where the ruler shared power with an assembly of people” (Cartwright). The Ancient Greek government went through a lot of changes, but, unlike the government, the military stayed

A form of government very similar to monarchy, Tyrannies usually grew out of oligarchies. The word tyranny comes from the Greek word tyrannos (usurper with supreme power). Many states, particularly in the 6th century BC, were ruled by a tyrant. It first appeared in Argos or Corinth, then Sicyon, Megara, Mytilene and Miletus. However, A tyrant usually doesn't pass power to his son, and despite common stereotypes, not all tyrants were bad leaders. Oligarchy An oligarchy is a form of government in which the ruling power is in the hands of a few leaders. The word oligarchy comes from the Greek terms oligos (few) and arkhein (rule). These "few" are rich, powerful or both, and are usually nobles, aristocrats, military groups or any distinguished group that rules tyrannically with their own interests at heart. Thus it did not benefit the mass population. It is highly championed by the Spartan government. In Sparta the Spartan who rose through the ranks and eventually serve as Ephor and Gerousia or is a direct descendant of the royal family Agiads and the Eurypontids get together to

First, the definition of a monarchy is “a state or nation in which the supreme power is actually or nominally lodged in a monarch (Dictionary.com, 2017).” Ancient Greek city-states that had a monarchy were Sparta (partially), as well as Macedonia and Epeiros. Monarchies were not found often in Ancient Greece (Cartwright and Cartwright, 2017). The form of governance most like a monarchy are tyrannies, since the center of power is on one person. The form of governance most unlike a monarchy are democracies, since the center of power rests with the largest group, the people themselves.

Oligarchy was the other form of government used in the polis. Oligarchy means “the rule of a few” (McKay et al, Western Society, 70). Only citizens who met a minimum property requirement were able to participate in the government. Most Greeks preferred oligarchy over democracy since it was more politically stable.

Monarchy is a type of government where a country has a royal family that symbolize

Demokratia is directly translated from ancient Greek as “people power.” (Cartledge, 2011) But it is complicated by the fact that very few governments, Sparta and Athens included, are actuallydemocracies. (Cartledge, 2011.) It wasn’t the popular people comprising the city making the decisions truly; some officials were only allowed to serve as the highest levels of officials who had the greatest power and truly made most decisions were the few wealthiest aristocrats.

In the ancient Greek city-states and over many centuries, the government (political power) took many forms: held by a single individual: (monarchies and tyrants), or by a select few (oligarchies and aristocracies), or by every male citizen (democracy). A monarchy is a type of governance of the people by a single individual, with the power retained by blood lines. In the pre-Classical period, ancient Greece was composed of small geographic units ruled by a local king. People in these small geographic units, paid taxes to the king, obeyed his laws, and depended on him for their defense.

In ancient Greece rose two of the greatest city-states of its time. These city states were the first of their time to display characteristics of a true society of people who collaborate with each other and the first to form an official government. The two major forms of government in Greece were democracy and oligarchy; which was best represented by the city states of Athens and Sparta. The government chosen of Athens is the key reason to the fall of Greece and the reason Sparta is the superior of the two city-states. The democratic form of government which is great and needed today was not the type of government needed at the time for Greece because its main priority should have been survival and war.

Democracy According to Blackwell, C. (2003), democracy it is the government where it is ruled by the people (Demos). It was started by Cleisthenes in Athens. Blackwell, C. (2003), its principle is based on the principle that all the male citizens with

Governments of ancient civilizations like Sparta and Athens were alike and different in many ways. Sparta’s government was based on their military. The government was ruled by two kings making an oligarchy, meaning a small group of people had control over sparta. Athens government was a democracy meaning everyone could vote. But it technically wasn’t a true democracy because they still had slaves and treated women unfairly.

Traditionally, this small group of people were the rich men. The majority of the Greek city-states kept either a Ancient Greece's Forms of Government oligarchic form of government, tyranny, or a monarchy. "The word democracy derives from the Greek dēmos which referred to the entire citizen body and although it is Athens which has become associated with the birth of democracy (demokratia) from around 460 BCE." (Cartwright, 2013)

In Greece is was like that it was a democracy in 590s A.C. Athens wrote new laws and those laws helped the people of Athens. Property classes were made so everyone can be rich and even, which creates equal law court system. The laws gave common people a chance by making powerful people accounntable. Without democracy then you have one ruler and they have all the power for the all the people in the city state. Athens were the only ones to have a democracy so they were already classified as different from all the city states. All the different city states had their own individual laws, regulations, and ways of life. Athens had the most unique ways of life by not having one major ruler.