HIST 1421_ Written Assignment Unit 2 - AY2022-T4
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Government In Ancient Greek Poleis
University of the People
HIST 1421- AY2022-T4
Written Assignment Unit 2
2022, April 14
Government In Ancient Greek Poleis
1
Introduction
According Khan Academy (n.d., para 1-3), mentioned that Greece's terrain is hilly, hence, ancient Greece was divided into several smaller areas, each with its dialect, cultural quirks, and identity. Ancient Greece was characterized by regionalism and regional strife. Cities often dominated the area surrounding them, being built in valleys between mountains or on coastal plains.
Around 800BCE, the Poleis were governed independently by monarchies, military groups, and the tyrant, or Oligarchs. In the past, Greece's polis possessed Athens, Sparta, Thebes, Corinth, Delphi, Crete and
others. Hence, the two most powerful city-states were Athens and Sparta. Although Athens was a democracy
and Sparta had two kings and an oligarchic government, both were influential in the development of Greek society and culture.
Even though there were many large and small poleis, each different polis has individual ruling and politics because of the different contrast between Monarchy, Aristocracy, Tyranny, Oligarchy, and Democracy.
Government In Ancient Greek Poleis
Kostiner, J. (2020) said that Monarchy is a political design based on one person's whole authority or dominion. The word refers to states in which supreme authority is vested in the monarch, an individual ruler who serves as the head of state and is elected by hereditary means. Most monarchs exclusively allow male succession, often from father to son. According to Cartwright, M. (2018, para 10) saying, Aristodemus or his
twin sons Eurysthenes and Procles made their way down the Eurotas, establishing new villages and capturing Sparta. In actuality, the Minyan components in the populace encouraged the Dorian invasion since
they despised the Achaean yoke. Although Sparta had a citizen assembly, it is most known for its two-king system with five selected ephors.
According to Britannica, T. Editors of Encyclopaedia (2020), Aristocracy refers to governing by a rather slight select nobility, or a minority of individuals deemed most fit to lead. It is the moral and intellectual rule of the few to govern in the interest of everyone. Senior levels of government represent the state's political aristocracy; the highest religious dignitaries constitute the church's aristocracy, and the wealthiest business executives and investors constitute an aristocracy of economic wealth. The majority of
Government In Ancient Greek Poleis
2
such social aristocracies have been hereditary aristocracies, both legally and factually. The top strata have a propensity to become a hereditary group dominated by the offspring of aristocratic parents.
As the article from Cartwright, M. (2018, para 11), Tyrants were the sole rulers of a state who illegitimately seized power, frequently murdering their predecessors. Greek tyrants were not inherently bad rulers, as the world has come to believe, but they merely looked after their interests. Syracuse in Sicily experienced a string of notable dictators, including Dionysios in 405 BCE. Tyranny became the polar opposite of democracy in the eyes of the Athenians.
As Cartwright, M (2018, para 12) explained the oligarchy is a political power structure dominated by
a small group of persons, but it may also contain big organizations. Oligarchies were the most popular type of city-state rule, and they frequently happened when democracy failed. In 411 BCE, 'the oligarchy of the 400' usurped control from the Assembly in Athens. Meghala and Thebes are the other two states with oligarchic governments.
In the article from Cartwright, M. (2018, para 5-6), Democracy was ruled by male citizens by voting.
The boul, or council of 500 residents, was elected by the lot and served a short period as the assembly's executive committee. In principle, every male citizen 18 years or older may speak and vote in the assembly, generally with a simple show of hands. The Areopagus was a comparable council in Athens, where seniors were appointed life members.
Conclusion
The ancient Greek city-states had several forms of government. Some had direct democracy, in which all citizens could participate in Athens, while others had an oligarchy, in which a small group directed
the Thebes, and yet others had a single leader or Tyrant. My opinion is that Democracy is better since it allows freedom of speech and fairness to the poor. The World Bank Group (n.d.) emphasizes the equity of women in the eight Millennium Development Goals, as more countries mention respect and equity. Words Counts
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References
Britannica, T. Editors of Encyclopaedia (2020, May 27). Aristocracy
. Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved from: https://www.britannica.com/topic/aristocracy
Cartwright, M. (2018, 20 March). Ancient Greek Government.
World History Encyclopedia. Retrieved from: https://www.worldhistory.org/Greek_Government/
Khan Academy. (n.d.). The Greek polis.
Khan Academy. Retrieved from: https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/world-history/ancient-medieval/classical-greece/
a/the-greek-polis
Kostiner, J. (2020, June 9). Monarchy
. Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved from: https://www.britannica.com/topic/monarchy
The World Bank Group. (n.d.). The 8 millennium development goals
. World-bank. Retrieved from: https://www5.worldbank.org/mdgs/