The Forms of Government in Ancient Greece
In spite of the fact that all of the Greek poleis (city-states) were Greek and served the same religion, or very similar strains of the same religion, the Greek poleis were often governed in different ways. Sometimes, these governing differences were very small. Other times, these differences were, as the cliché goes, "day and night."
Overview of Governmental Formats
There are many forms of government and many types of rulers. In this piece, however, I will be discussing five forms of government in particular: tyranny, monarchy, oligarchy, aristocracy, and democracy. First, it may be to our benefit to receive a short overview of each form of government just listed. Here follows a few brief overviews of those five forms of governing:
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The Merriam-Webster Dictionary (n.d.) defines a tyranny, in its secondary definition of the word, as "a government in which absolute power is vested in a single ruler," citing the Greek polis as a particularly apt example of this governmental form. Tyrannies are generally regarded negatively.
Monarchy. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary (n.d.) defines a monarchy, in its primary definition of the word, as an "undivided rule or absolute sovereignty by a single person."
Oligarchy. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary (n.d.) defines an oligarchy, in its primary definition of the word, as a "government by the few," and, in its secondary definition of the word, as "a government in which a small group exercises control especially for corrupt and selfish purposes."
Aristocracy. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary (n.d.) defines an aristocracy, in its primary definition of the word, as a "government by the best individuals or by a small privileged class," and, in its tertiary definition of the word, as "a governing body or upper class usually made up of a hereditary