ANCIENT GREEK CIVILIZATION

INTRODUCTION:
CITY-STATES
Because of the unique geography of Greece, many of its cities were established on
islands, or separated by the hills and mountains of the mainland.
For this reason, ancient Greeks formed independent city-states, rather than one united
civilization like those in ancient Egypt or Rome.
The systems of government used to rule these city-states went through many changes
over time.

POLITICAL STRUCTURE:
FORMS OF GOVT
1. MONARCHY
"monarch" comes from the Greek language word monos,
"one, singular" arkho "to rule
is rule by a single person, a king, or equivalent (either sex), who has the final word in law
by right.
Greek kings were chosen by the people of a city-state. When the king died, another
leader was selected to take his place. Eventually, though, kings demanded that their
power go to their children after their death, usually their eldest son. In a monarchy, then,
rulers inherit their power.
Mycenaeans Kings
Kings often had many advisers and officials from the upper class to help them make
decisions. Depending on the city-state, the kings advisers had varying amounts of
power.
2. ARISTOCRACY
The original monarchy was gradually forced aside by the aristocrats, who ruled the polis
in the seventh and early sixth centuries
aristos meaning excellent and Kratos meaning power.
is rule by those who are born to the leading families and thereby are qualified to rule,
whether or not they are particularly qualified in other ways. Aristocrats are born to the
nobility, but not all nobles are born aristocrats.
3. OLIGARCHY
Oligos few
Arkhein rule
is rule by a few, and the few are almost always the wealthiest members of
society. Many polis were ruled by an oligarchy of landlords whose land was
worked by tenant farmers.
Landlords, People who belong in Noble family to be selected as Archons
Around 800 BCE, Aristocrats in most city-states overthrew monarchy and took
power for themselves. the nobles of Attica, keep power in their own hands
through membership of

ANCIENT GREEK CIVILIZATION

the Areopagus - a council which takes its name from the hill in Athens on which it
meets. The council chooses annually seven members of the nobility to serve as
'archons'.
The aristocrats gave way in the 500s to oligarchs, some of whom were nobly
born and some of whom were rich commoners. The most important oligarch was
Solon (SO-lun), who ruled in the early sixth century. When the polis faced a
social and economic crisis generated by lack of agrarian land, the other oligarchs
gave him supreme power to quell the discontent. Solon responded by
establishing a constitution that struck an uneasy balance between the desires of
the wealthy few and the demands of the impoverished and indebted masses.
Neither group was satisfied, however, and the contest soon resumed.
Solon (the one who lead in the formation and establishment of democracy),
Demosthenes (he is credited to have contributed considerably to the
development of rhetoric and oration in ancient Athens)
By the middle of the 8th century B.C., the nobles, who resented the power of the tribal king, had
taken over the government, ushering in the AGE OF OLIGARCHY:

Nobles ruthlessly acquired the best land.

Many commoners were reduced to virtual serfdom.
Other commoners were forced to seek a living on rocky, barren soil.

In 594 B.C, when Athenian nobles realized their failure to reform would result in a tyrant, they
agreed to the policy of compromise advocated by the liberal aristocrat SOLON. Inspired by the
new ideals of moderation and justice, Solon instituted MODERATE REFORMS:

Provided a new start for the lower classes by CANCELING DEBTS.

Sought FULL EMPLOYMENT by stimulating trade and industry and requiring fathers to
teach their sons a trade
Granted common people POLITICAL RIGHTS but not equality.

4. Tyranny
Although today the word tyrant, the leader of a tyranny, has a negative
connotation, in ancient Greece the term was used to describe any leader who
had taken power by overthrowing the previously established government.
Many tyrants in ancient Greece were popular leaders who improved life for many
Greeks. However, in some Greek city-states, tyrants did abuse their power.
is rule by a dictator who had illegally seized power.
Pisistratus in Athens - a typical benevolent tyrant who actually paved the way for
democracy, Pheidon in Argos , Lykophron in Thessaly, the Kypselidai, which
included Periander, in Corinth and Polykrates in Samos

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Eventually, an aristocratic tyrant named Pisistratus (pie-sih-STRA-tuhs) succeeded in
making himself the sole ruler and made certain important concessions to the common
people to gain their support for his plan to start a new monarchic dynasty with his sons
as his successors. Butthe sons were not nearly as clever as their father and were swept
from power by rebellion in 510 b.c.e.
Many people who werent wealthy came to hate the oligarchs. Eventually, the poor
turned to leaders who promised to improve their lives. These leaders were usually in the
army. Backed by the people, they used their soldiers to throw the oligarchs out of power.
Around 600s BCE, Many people in Greek city-states turned to men who promised to
change the government. The men who forced the oligarchs from power were called
tyrants. Thus, the beginning of tyranny.
5. Democracy
Demos people
Kratos power
is a form of government in which the ruling power is in the hands of all the people.
Cleisthenes (founder of democracy), Pericles (longest leader of Athenian Democracy)
Hippias, a tyrant is toppled in 510 when the nobles of Attica, eager to get power back
into their own hands, enlist the help of Sparta. Around 500 BCE, the people of Athens
decided to try governing themselves which led to democracy led by Cleisthenes.
The winner of the ensuing free-for-all was Cleisthenes (KLEYES-thehnees), an
aristocrat and the true founder of the Athenian democracy. Cleisthenes believed that the
people should have the last word in their own government, both because it was just and
because he believed it was the best way to keep civil peace