Ancient Greek Government Essay

Ancient Greek Forms of Government

Introduction to the Various Forms of Government

Ancient Greece has experienced numerous forms of government throughout the years. The five forms of government that I will compare and contrast are monarchy, oligarchy, aristocracy, tyranny, and democracy. All of these words derived from Greek origins but they are all very different.

Monarchy

The word monarchy is originated in Greece and comes from the terms monos (meaning: single) and arkhein (meaning: rule). A monarchy is therefore a form of government in which the power is in the hands of one person. In ancient Greek time this typically referred to a king. Monarchy was the first of all of these discussed forms of government. Monarchy existed from 2000

Democracy refers to a governmental structure in which control is in the hands of the citizens. Democracy was developed in Greece at approximately 500 B.C.E. Many say it is the birthplace of democracy.

According to our reading assignment from last week, “Athens was the first and perhaps the most radically pure form of democracy in history” (Brand, n.d., p. 28). In Athens, each year fifty councilors from each of the ten demos were chosen. They would propose laws. These laws would then be democratically passed or rejected by the citizens of Athens. Greek democracy ended after what many refer to as the “Greek World War”. City State vs. City State. The Macedonian War put an end to the “Greek Civil War” and the democracy. In 336 B.C.E. Greece became a part of the empire under King Alexander the Great of Macedon.

Conclusion

It was interesting to learn how the forms of government have progressed through the times in Ancient Greece. The formal government began as a monarchy. It progressed into an aristocracy and oligarchy then into a tyranny and a democracy. Even being a democracy did not last in ancient Greece. After less than 200 years, Greece was once again under the rule of a monarch. Currently, Greece is once again a democracy. It will be interesting to see how the democracy progresses throughout the next 200