1. Oligarchy

2. The Dark Ages.
After the fall of the Mycenaean and Minoan civilization, Greek culture went backwards for almost 300 years.
The art of writing was lost.
Cities were destroyed and plundered.
The native Ionians was enslaved by Dorians.
Eventually cities began to grow again.
These cities were walled for protection.
Each city state was independent of each other.

3. The city state, or polis, became the dominant
government structure of Greece.
The polis was small in size; Athens was the largest.
Population remained relatively low;
Each polis had:
an acropolis, or high point, where the government and religious buildings were constructed.
An agora, or market place, was the meeting-place for most of the people and was the economic center of the polis.
The surrounding farmland supported the large population inside the walled cities.

4. Nobles in Athens challenged the hereditary kings for power between 800 and 650 BC.
Power shift to nobles began =
wealthy nobles began to supply the military
Small farmers were forced to sell to wealthy nobles

5. Nobles in Athens challenged the hereditary kings for power between 800 and 650 BC.
Commoners:
Soon a merchant class developed to supply goods to a growing population
Debt slavery increased and these people challenged free laborers for jobs
The common population participated less in government and became more distrustful of wealthy leaders

6. The early oligarchy government:
The Areopagus, the Supreme Council of Elders, chosen from the noble families 
Archons leaders:
Archon Basileus (King and religious head)
Archon Polemarch (Chief of the Army)
Archon Eponymous (civil administrator)
Boule or Council of 400
Ecclesia or assembly of people, with no real power

7. Society divided into classes of people were based on land and on wealth:
the “men of 500 bushel” 500 measures of produce – wealthiest
500 bushelmen = aristocrats
the “knights” provide their own equipment and a horse (valued between 300 and 500 measures)
300 = cavalry

8. 3. the “small farmers” - farmers owning small amounts of land
200 = hoplites
4. the “manual workers” – landless, poor farm workers – poorest
200 > = oarsmen

9. general discontent among the common people:
taken advantage of by the nobles
high interest rates on loans
payment of five-sixths of produce in rental
enslaved for debt or loss of land for failure to pay debts
low prices for farm produce
excessive taxation

10. Draco
The law giver
(About 621 BC)

11. Draco’s Reforms:
posted on wooden tablets = the first written constitution of Athens
The constitution featured several major changes:
all laws were written
noble judges could no longer interpret laws as they pleased
appeal decisions to the Council of Elders for injustices
laws were very harsh: death penalty

12. UNFAIR = Advantage to the noble classes:
Debt slavery- any debtor whose status was lower than that of his creditor was forced into slavery
punishment was more lenient for those owing debt to a member of a lower class
Started the lot-chosen Council of Four Hundred

13. Commoners become unhappy
Nobles take power
dominate commoners
Commoners become unhappy
Commoners begin to be unhappy
Commoners satisfied
Draco’s reforms
Commoners near rebellion

15. was Archon Eponymous (government administrator) in 594 B.C.
Solon: 594 BC
was Archon Eponymous (government administrator) in 594 B.C.
attempted to solve economic and political problems with a series of reforms
major innovations:
economic
political 

16. Economic reforms:
GOAL: close the gap between rich and poor:
debts of enslaved peasants were cancelled
enslavement for debt was made illegal
enslaved set free
Athens as self-supporting as possible
overseas trade was encouraged

17. immigration to Athens of foreign artisans
fathers were required to teach their sons a trade
development of a system of currency, weights and measures to assist trade

18. powers of the Areopagus remained - guarding the laws
Political reforms: 
powers of the Areopagus remained - guarding the laws
Archons still came from the noble class
society was re-classified on an wealth-political basis: 4 classes
top 3 classes could hold public office

19. people’s courts established
courts of appeal with a jury system
jury-service open to the common people
increased the number of courts
new code of laws was more humane than those of Draco

20. Results:
more people had a say in government
citizen assembly given rights and powers
the Council of 400 (boule) managed the citizens’ assembly and prepared its business

22. Nobles forced to share power dominate commoners
Commoners become unhappy
Commoners begin to be unhappy
Commoners satisfied
Solon’s reforms
Commoners near rebellion