The+Political+Game



At first, kings ruled the newly developing Greek city-states. However, this began to change around 800 B.C. One new system that they tried was an oligarchy. An oligarchy is a type of government where only a small number of people rule. These people were usually nobles, or as Greeks called them, //aristoi.// In English, the word //aristoi// is “aristocrat.” Sometimes, one of the ruling members in an oligarchy tried to seize more control. Sometimes, the people supported that individual who was called a //tyrrano//. In English, this word is “tyrant.” When we think about the word “tyrant” now, we associate it with someone who rules harshly and oppressively. However, in ancient Greece, being a tyrant just meant that the ruler had absolute power. Tyrants in early Greece often ruled successfully. Often, they lost power when they tried to pass on their power to a family member.
 * Tyranny and Oligarchy**

The Greeks also tried early forms of democracy. Democracy is a form of government in which the people rule themselves. The Greek form of democracy was direct—that is, all citizens met to discuss and then vote on laws. This is different from a representative democracy. In Athens, only citizens could vote. Citizens were free-born men from Athens over the age of 18. Women, slaves, and men born in other city-states could not vote. Sparta also was a democracy, but very few people were eligible to be citizens and run the government. Only about 10% of Spartans had this right.
 * Democracy and Dictatorship**

Democracy in ancient Greece did not last because war broke out between Athens and Sparta. This was called the Peloponnesian War. Sparta won the war and established its form of government in Athens. The Spartan democracy was less equal and less democratic than the Athenian model. In time, Alexander the Great conquered the Greek city-states and became their king. Greece then had a dictatorship—absolute power and control by a single ruler.

Before the Peloponnesian War, a man named Pericles was a leader in Athens. During the time of Pericles, Athens experienced a golden age where Greek drama, architecture, and philosophy flourished. There were also advances in the concept of democracy, including the development of the idea of citizenship.
 * The Idea of Citizenship**

In a speech in 431 B.C. known as the “Funeral Oration,” Pericles talked about Athenian democracy and honored the soldiers who had died during the Peloponnesian War. Pericles discussed the idea that every citizen is equal before the law. In the “Funeral Oration,” Pericles outlined a system of government that greatly influenced later generations. He talked about how government leadership should not be determined by a person’s social class, but by a person’s accomplishments. He also described how in the Athenian democracy, power is shared by the people.

How did Pericles describe citizenship?