1. 11-3 Notes: The City-State and Democracy

2. The Rise of City-States Basic form of political organization in Greece was the city-state (“polis” in Greek), a powerful city and the lands surrounding it Common by around 700 BCE Most were small (limited by geographic features such as mountain ranges) Athens and Sparta were the largest Most had fewer than 20,000 residents

3. Layout of the City Agora was the center of city life Agora was an open space where people came to conduct business, gather publicly Festivals, athletic contests were held there Statues, temples, and other public buildings could be found there Many cities also had a fortified hilltop called an acropolis (“highest city” in Greek) People mainly used the acropolis for defensive purposes at first Later they built temples and palaces along the flat tops of high hills

4. Forms of Government Each city-state in Greece was independent and had their own form of government Monarchies were the earliest form of government (monarchs are kings or queens who have supreme power) Most city-states started like this Aristocracy is another name for the upper class or nobility In Greece they were people who descended from their high-born ancestors (some believed they were descendants of mythical heroes) Corinth began as a monarchy and then later became an aristocracy, like most other city-states

5. Oligarchy, Tyranny Oligarchy means “rule by the few” (similar to aristocracy; minority group controls the government) Aristocrats rule due to inherited social class, but oligarchs rule due to wealth or land ownership Poor people rebelled as a way to show their resentment of being shut out of power Some rich people became tyrants (who campaigned for the support of poor people), or people who took power in illegal ways (acted like a king without royal lineage) Some Greek tyrants worked to help the poor through building projects or the enactment of laws cancelling debt, etc. Tyrants helped to overthrow oligarchies and showed how a leader can gain power through the people

6. Athens and Democracy People realized that the power had political power as a result of tyrants Citizen – a person who is loyal to a government and entitled to protection by that government To the Greeks this person had a right to take part in the government of that city Citizens were born to parents who were free citizens Citizens came from both lower and upper classes 500 BCE – Solon and Cleisthenes, leaders in Athens, began making reforms to give power to poorer people

7. Solon and Cleisthenes 500s BCE – Many poor farmers in Athens are so in debt that they were forced to work their land for someone else or become slaves 594 BCE – Nobles elected Solon to lead Athens Solon freed people enslaved due to debt and then abolished slavery Solon organized citizens into 4 classes based upon wealth, not class Rich men still had more power yet it was a fairer system All citizens could serve in the assembly and elect leaders He also reformed laws to make them less harsh 500 BCE – Cleisthenes increased the citizens’ power even more He took power away from nobles, and organized citizens based upon place of residence and not wealth

8. Direct Democracy Athens moved towards an early form of democracy, a system of government in which the citizens make political decisions Direct democracy – all citizens meet and vote to create laws Indirect democracy, where citizens vote for representatives, is more common today Only free adult males who were citizens could vote Women, slaves, foreigners could not vote and non-citizens could not become citizens