Greek Government

Today during class, we talked about the different forms of Greek Government. It is really interesting how there government worked back then and the different people type of governments in the world today, and who uses that kind of government. Greece was all about the wine and the money, so the rich people would be the leaders. The following is the notes I took today.


Some Essential Government Terms

• Polis: fundamental political unit, made up of a city, and the surrounding countryside. 
• politics (affairs of the cities), policy, political, etc.
• Monarchy: rule by a single person (a king, in Greece)
• Aristocracy: rule by a small group noble, very rich, landowning families
• Oligarchy: wealthy groups, dissatisfied with aristocratic rule, who seized power (often with military help)
• Tyrant: powerful individuals who seized control by appealing to the common people for support

Transformation of Government

• During the 6th and 7th centuries BCE, aristocrats ran the show in Greece
• Back then, rich people wielded much more influence in society, and held much more government power, than the middle class or the poor

Aristocracy

• Aristocrats: members of the ruling class
• They attended symposium meetings where the elite men would enjoy wine and poetry, performances by dancers and acrobats, and the company of hetaeras, ( courtesans) while discussing politics

POLITICS: an exclusive club

        no women (except the "entertainment"

        no middle class

        certainly no slaves

        sometimes, even aristocrats were excluded

Tyrants Seize Control

• Sometimes aristocrats would form alliances with hopelites (well-armed soldiers), and set up an alternative form of gov't called tyranny. 
• Tyranny: someone who rules outside the framework of the polis
• Modern meaning of tyrant: an abusive or oppressive leader
• greek meaning of tyrant: someone who usually seized power (usually with hopelite help)