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Aristocracy, Oligarchy, Democracy, And Monarchy

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Forms of Government: Monarch, Aristocracy, Oligarch, Democracy, and Tyranny Introduction In ancient Greek political systems, there were different forms of government, such as Monarchy, Aristocracy, Oligarchy, Democracy, and Tyranny. In this essay, we will illustrate, compare and contrast these government forms. Monarchy is an old form of government; a monarch, such as a king or a queen, rules a kingdom or empire. In a constitutional monarchy, the monarch's power is limited by a constitution, but in an absolute monarchy, the monarch has unlimited power. Aristocracy, which was the combination of Greek words “aristos” means "excellent", and “kratos” means "power" (Oxford English Dictionary, 1989). Aristocratic government places power in …show more content…

This was common throughout ancient Greece; Athens had an oligarchy during and after the Peloponnesian War, it also existed in Corinth and Thebes. However, the most famous one was Sparta, a military Oligarchy. In this type of government, a minority of prestigious group of rich families had control over the states, and most citizens could not take part in the …show more content…

Athens, as the leader in the early experiment of democracy had set the foundation for the later development of modern democracy. Although, the other government forms such as monarchy, aristocracy, oligarchy and tyranny had fulfilled their political functions at the time in Greece, they appeared to be inferior to the democratic system. Under those none democratic systems, political powers were concentrated in the hands of an individual, or a tyrant, or a small group of the rich and the powerful; most citizens were not even able to take part in government offices; let alone the slaves, non-citizens along with the women who had no political rights at all. Under the rule of the none democratic government system, the social and economic problems and class conflicts appeared to be more intensified. The ruling class (or individual) appeared to be more strict and suppressive towards the commoners, and more brutal and cruel to the

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