WORLD HISTORY

Detailed explanation-1: -By the 8th century BCE many of the Greek city-states were ruled by nobles. This type of government is called an oligarchy, which means “ruled by a few.” The best known city-state that practiced an oligarchy was Sparta.

Detailed explanation-2: -In early Athens, kings ruled the city-state. Later, a group of rich landowners, or aristocrats (uh-R I S-tuhkrats), took power. A government in which only a few people have power is called an oligarchy (AH-luh-gar-kee). The aristocrats dominated Athenian society.

Detailed explanation-3: -The Athenian Revolution (508–507 BCE) was a revolt by the people of Athens that overthrew the ruling aristocratic oligarchy, establishing the almost century-long self-governance of Athens in the form of a participatory democracy – open to all free male citizens.

Detailed explanation-4: -The first governments of most city-states were monarchies, where a king ruled over the people. These soon led to another form of government called an oligarchy, where a few people held all of the political power.

Detailed explanation-5: -In this chapter, you will explore the four forms of government that developed in the Greek city-states: monarchy, oligarchy, tyranny, and democracy.