The Three Forms Of Government In Ancient Greece

Improved Essays
Madeline Mann, John Cammon, Amanda Smith
Forms of Government in Ancient Greece There were many different forms of government in Ancient Greece. This is because Ancient Greece was not just one country. Greece has city-states which are big cities that act as a country with their own political system. This is why even though greece was a country on its own the cities had individual ways of government. Three of the ways of government are Oligarchy, Tyranny, and Democracy. Oligarchy is defined as “a small group of people having control of a country, organization, or institution,” In ancient greece those in control were always chosen by being the richest and most powerful men of their city state. These men chosen were usually landowners. How rich
…show more content…
The city of Athens was told to have up to five thousand leaders running the city. Most greek cities were Oligarchies. This is because it excluded most of those against the Oligarchy making it harder to overthrow. Women in ancient Greece were not even considered actual citizens. Oligarchies often occur when Democracy went wrong. When the rich became unhappy with a democracies decision then they would assemble an Oligarchies. Oligarchies are a lot like democracy in the way that, it 's a big group of people making decisions. The main difference though is that the people in democracy are elected while the people in Oligarchies are determined by their wealth and social status. Oligarchies died down around the same time as ancient Greece. Ancient Greece was the most common place for them. Though there are few Oligarchies still around, it is not anything like it was in Ancient Greece. Tyranny is another form of government in Ancient Greece. Tyranny is when one person rules over all. In 6th Century BC many states were ruled by Tyrants. It is not like Monarchy though. In Monarchy people are born into power. Tyrants were put in power by killing whoever was ahead of …show more content…
There once was a Tyrant that was named Cypelus. Cypelus lived in the city of Corinth and Corinth was a city ahead of its time due to its advanced mechanics and it was relied on for trade.Corinth was ran by a family called the Bacchiads, and the Bacchiads were very bad leaders who were ruining the city. Cypelus’s mother was a Bacchiadae. Despite this Cypelus recognized that the family was ruining the city so he took action. He became very popular with the poor people of the town and then overthrew the Bacchiads. He banned them from the city of Corinth. Most Tyrants need bodyguards after over throwing a city like the way Cypelus did but, since he made friends with so many different people, especially the poor, he never needed a bodyguard. While Cypelus was in power he funded the building of treasury at Delphi and founded the colonies of Ambracia, Anactorium, and Lecas. When Cypelus died his son Periander took

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    Athenian Government in 403 BCE Athens went through many changes in government structure, and eventually produced the most radical democracy of its time. The shape of the Athenian government in 403 BCE was especially important, because it changed from the oligarchy of the Thirty Tyrants, established by Sparta after the Peloponnesian War to a radical democracy. The radical democracy was successful and remained the shape of the Athenian government for around a hundred years. Athenians went through many government structures on their trip to democracy.…

    • 584 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The final days of democracy in Greece are in fact the story of how Athens lived its last century as an independent state. The moment of fall has to do with its time when it shined the most over Greece: at the height of power as leader of Athenian league and leader of Greek culture. The city-state pattern of Greece created a reality of competition, individuality and community centered exclusively around each political community. That is why Greece never reached a national consciousness, even that there were moments of unity when all Greeks acted as a single body (see Persian wars).…

    • 474 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    From tyrannical to democratic institutions, the manner in which a particular polis maintained order was very dynamic, and adaptations were frequently implemented in response to a changing social environment, often due to imbalance of power or matters of war. Also, each city state had a constitution specific to their geographic jurisdiction; unlike the United States’ use of federalism, Greek poleis were not united under a conventional set of guidelines, but were rather united through similar language and religious practices. The natural susceptibility of Greek government allowed for modifications to be made; either in a controlled manner of popular vote, or through the revolt of tyrannicides such as Hipparchus and Hippias. Typically, an oligarchy, aristocracy, or monarchy proved to be the most efficient practice and often led to massive productivity through construction of temples and other civic edifices, improvements in water supply and distribution, and other advancements which wholistically benefitted the polis. However, these systems tended to favor the wealthy while silencing the voice of average citizens, putting them in an economic disadvantage, and deteriorating their political efficacy; traditionally, tyranny would subsequently follow.…

    • 756 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    The differences between the three primary forms of government, oligarchy, tyranny, and democracy are as follows: oligarchy is governmental rule being in the hands of a small group of men who belonged to wealthy families. This form of leadership could be found in the city-state of Sparta where its citizens were known for their military self-discipline. There were three parts that made up Spartan oligarchy: military chiefs who were assigned as the state’s religious leaders and generals of its army, council made up of elders (over sixty years old), and five overseers who created policies and made certain that the law was obeyed. Tyranny consisted of rule being in the hands of one person who forcefully obtained governmental control. Many tyrants…

    • 279 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Decent Essays

    The Athenian government consists of a Democratic government. In theory, a Democracy is a government of the people, by the people and for the people. Taken from that theory of the Athenian Democracy, the “people” referred to men over the age of 18 who were born from Athenian parents. Men ruled the government, where they were able to vote and make political decisions regarding the country. Women, foreigners and slaves were not allowed to participate in the government at all.…

    • 426 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Even though many of these city states shared the same religion and did in fact speak Greek each in many ways had its own unique identity and therefor, created its own style of government. The Four main governments that were established were Monarchy, Democracy, Oligarchy and Tyranny. Monarchy is defined as “A supreme power or sovereignty held by a single person.” From around 2000-800 B.C most Greek city states were indeed monarchies.…

    • 1042 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    World History Quiz

    • 727 Words
    • 3 Pages

    4. How were Greek city-states governed? Greek city- states were govern in many ways, Greek’s city states were first governed by a monarchy, then an aristocracy, then oligarchy. 5.…

    • 727 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Sparta’s government changed between two times. In times of peace, Sparta had an oligarchy of 30 elders, each over 60 years of age. The oligarchy also included an assembly of male adults and five ephors, which had unlimited power. Some have said that Athens had a better government, considering it was a democracy. While I understand their point of view, it is important to remember that a democracy takes longer to debate and argue about issues, while a monarchy and oligarchy can make faster decisions.…

    • 579 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    Chapters 1 to 4: Ancient Greece Geography, Government, Athens vs. Sparta, and Golden Age of Greece Study Guide – Use your online HA! textbook Directions: Using your handouts, notes, workbook, and online textbook, answer the following questions as thoroughly as you can. Fill in a response wherever you see “???.”…

    • 1550 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Only they wanted to preserve this way of life. Only citizens were allowed these privileges, and only the Athenians were considered citizens. Pericles was in charge of the Athenians from (461-429 B.C.) and believed in the greatest good for the greatest number of people. He believed in equality of all citizens. Some of their rights were, trial by jury, Citizen Army, and freedom of speech.…

    • 515 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Greek and Roman views on Death & Afterlife. The Greeks and Romans saw passing in a mind-boggling manner. While their demise customs had numerous similitudes, the importance of death and the afterlife between the two cultures. In both societies, the dead 's groups looked after by the ladies.…

    • 754 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Throughout history there has been many cultures with different ideas on how to organize their people. The Athenians, Sparta, and later the Roman Republic are examples of early forms of democracy. There where many systems of government in history some being oligarchy, monarchy aristocracy, and many others with slight variations. Why and how did democracy grow to such popularity, and how has democracy changed since its creation. The exact date of when democracy was first used in society is unknown but historians estimate it is approximately 500 BC in Athens Greece.…

    • 1892 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    These chances led to alterations in Greek politics, by creating a political hierarchy necessary for social structure in Greek society. Political structure therefore played a large role in the Archaic Greece everyday life by leading society into prosperity throughout the Archaic Period. The political structure is described in concise detail in Pamela Bradley’s Ancient Greece: Using Evidence, in a modern written source which displays the general pattern of political development in Greek city-states in the archaic period. Political structure started with simple monarchy, which then became a struggle between king and nobles. The source continues to describe this leading to the development of aristocracy, where leaders of racial groups or tribes would rule the city-state.…

    • 1505 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Most characteristics in ancient Greece have been aptly credited and honored, but some negative aspects have been idealized or overlooked. The United State government built its foundation using many components from Grecian governments of antiquity, especially Athens’. The democratic system in Athens allowed for all male citizens to contribute to the government. This gave the middle and lower classes more influence, instead of the upper class…

    • 1330 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Monarchies and tyrants ran a lot of these cities. There was also a select few that used oligarchies. But the main form of politics was democracy. It was a widely regarded as the Greek’s greatest contribution to civilization. Then there was Egypt and their evolution throughout time.…

    • 1611 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Superior Essays