Lesson 3 The City-State and
Democracy
The Rise of City-States
ESSENTIAL QUESTION How was Greece organized politically?
Greek City-States
• Geographic features (______) separated Greece into small regions
• ______—Greek name for a city-state—common around 700 B.C.
• Most city-states were ______—fewer than 20,000 people—due to geography
- ______and ______were largest
- small size caused people to form a ______community
Layout of the City
• Center of life was the ______—open space for business, gatherings,
political discussions, festivals, and athletic contests
- Statues, temples, public buildings filled the city state.
• Many cities had a fortified hilltop—______, or “highest city”
- used for military (______) at first, but later had temples, palaces
Forms of Government
Monarchs and Aristocrats
• Each city-state was independent and used its ______form of government.
Greek city-states had ______types of government: monarchy, oligarchy, and direct democracy.
• Earliest governments were ______ruled by king or queen
*By 700s B.C., most were ruled by an aristocracy
• ______—upper class, nobility; in Greece, born into a high family
Oligarchy
• Oligarchy—means “______”
- A small group of people rule because of ______and land ownership, not birth.
Tyrants
• In monarchy, aristocracy, oligarchy, the ______lacked power—at times rebelled.
• ______—someone who took power illegally, was not of royal birth
- Not necessarily cruel in Greece—some tyrants helped the poor
• Tyrants helped overthrow oligarchy, ______people for change.
Athens Builds a Limited Democracy
Citizenship
• People learned they could influence government, demanded more power
• Greeks invented idea of ______.
• Citizen—person loyal to government and protected by government
- had to be born to ______citizens, male, 20 yrs. Old, and either upper or lower class.
Direct Democracy
• In democracy, all ______make political decisions in government
• Athens had direct democracy—all citizens meet to decide on laws
- United States has indirect democracy—people elect representatives
Limited Democracy
• Athens had limited democracy—only free adult males were citizens
- ______,______foreigners could not take part in government
- non-citizens could not become citizens.
Forms of Government Chart
Form of Government / Monarchy / Oligarchy / Direct DemocracyWho Ruled / A king or queen / A small group of citizens / All citizens took part in govn’t (but not all people were citizens)
Basis for Rule / Kings/queens claimed the gods gave them the right to rule and a son was the next ruler. / Aristocratic birth, wealth, or land ownership gave them right to rule. / Neither wealth nor social status affected the right to make decisions.
Type of Rule / Supreme power / Supreme power / Majority vote
Lesson 3 The City-State and
Democracy
The Rise of City-States
ESSENTIAL QUESTION How was Greece organized politically?
Greek City-States
• Geographic features (mountains) separated Greece into small regions
• polis—Greek name for a city-state—common around 700 B.C.
• Most city-states were small—fewer than 20,000 people—due to geography
- Athens and Sparta were largest
- small size caused people to form a close community
Layout of the City
• Center of life was the agora—open space for business, gatherings,
political discussions, festivals, and athletic contests
- Statues, temples, public buildings filled the city state.
• Many cities had a fortified hilltop—acropolis, or “highest city”
- used for military (protection) at first, but later had temples, palaces
Forms of Government
Monarchs and Aristocrats
• Each city-state was independent and used its own form of government.
Greek city-states had various types of government: monarchy, oligarchy, and direct democracy.
• Earliest governments were monarchies ruled by king or queen
*By 700s B.C., most were ruled by an aristocracy
• Aristocracy—upper class, nobility; in Greece, born into a high family
Oligarchy
• Oligarchy—means “rule by the few”
- A small group of people rule because of wealth and land ownership, not birth.
Tyrants
• In monarchy, aristocracy, oligarchy, the poor lacked power—at times rebelled.
• Tyrant—someone who took power illegally, was not of royal birth
- Not necessarily cruel in Greece—some tyrants helped the poor
• Tyrants helped overthrow oligarchy, united people for change.
Athens Builds a Limited Democracy
Citizenship
• People learned they could influence government, demanded more power
• Greeks invented idea of citizenship
• Citizen—person loyal to government and protected by government
- had to be born to free citizens, male, 20 yrs. Old, and either upper or lower class.
Direct Democracy
• In democracy, all citizens make political decisions in government
• Athens had direct democracy—all citizens meet to decide on laws
- United States has indirect democracy—people elect representatives
Limited Democracy
• Athens had limited democracy—only free adult males were citizens
- women, slaves, foreigners could not take part in government
- non-citizens could not become citizens.
Forms of Government Chart
Form of Government / Monarchy / Oligarchy / Direct DemocracyWho Ruled / A king or queen / A small group of citizens / All citizens took part in govn’t (but not all people were citizens)
Basis for Rule / Kings/queens claimed the gods gave them the right to rule and a son was the next ruler. / Aristocratic birth, wealth, or land ownership gave them right to rule. / Neither wealth nor social status affected the right to make decisions.
Type of Rule / Supreme power / Supreme power / Majority vote