Greece Lesson 2: Beginnings of government

Greece Lesson 2: Beginnings of Greek government

Learn about early leadership and how democracy developed

Not long after the Trojan War ended, civilization in Greece collapsed. No one knows exactly why. Life went on, but poverty was everywhere. People no longer traded beyond Greece for food and other goods. They had to depend on what they could raise or make themselves. Some were forced to move to islands or to the western part of Asia Minor. They were so concerned with survival that they even forgot the practice of writing.

Dark Ages

 These years, from the early 1100s BC to about 750 BC, have been called Greece's Dark Ages. Scholars nickname a period of time as a "dark age" when a civilization does not keep historical records. Without writing, people had to depend on word-of-mouth to keep their traditions and history alive. Old traditions were remembered only in the myths that were told and retold.

Open Ended

Why was the period of time between 1100-750 BC called "Greece's Dark Ages?"

Greece's Dark Ages were not completely bleak, however. During that time, families gradually resettled in places where they could grow crops and raise animals. Some of these family farms may have developed into villages.

Fortified Hills

When families chose where to build their farms, they favored places near rocky, protected hills. There they built fortifications and other structures to protect themselves from attack. The name for the fortified hill of an ancient Greek city is acropolis, meaning “upper city.”

Multiple Choice

What is an acropolis?

• a city built on a high, rocky hill

• the upper part of a river

• city built at the bottom of a mountain

• a rocky farm

Independent cities

 Historians believe that sometime around 750 BC, villages throughout Greece began joining to form cities. Each city formed near an acropolis. As the cities developed, they became city-states. City-states are cities that act like independent states with their own laws, government, and beliefs. Hundreds of Greek city-states formed, each one more or less independent.

Multiple Choice

What is a city with its own traditions and its own form of government and laws called?

• city

• acropolis

• county

• city-state

Draw

Draw what a Greek city-state looked like.

Rulers

The earliest rulers of city-states were probably chieftains, or kings who were military leaders. By the end of Greece's Dark Ages, most city-states were ruled by aristocrats, which are members of rich and powerful families. Aristocrats controlled most of the good land. They owned horses, chariots, and the best weapons, which made them stronger than others.

Aristocracy to Middle Class

 As the Greeks sailed to foreign ports, trading olive oil, marble, and other products, the city-states became richer. A middle class of merchants and artisans developed. They, too, wanted a say from the government of their cities. These people could not afford to equip themselves with horses and chariots for war. However, they could afford armor, swords, and spears. With these weapons, large groups of soldiers could fight effectively on foot. Gradually, military strength in the cities shifted from the aristocrats to the merchants and artisans.

Multiple Select

A middle class of ________ and _______ became soldiers that fought with armor, swords, and shields.

• aristocrats

• sailors

• artisans

• merchants

Open Ended

Why do you think the middle class wanted to fight against the aristocrats?

Greek tyrants

 As a result of these changes, aristocratic governments were often overthrown and replaced by rulers called tyrants. A tyrant was a ruler who took power by force. Tyrants were usually supported by the middle and working classes. Today, we think of tyrants as being cruel and violent. That was true of some in Greek tyrants, but others ruled wisely and well.

Open Ended

What is a tyrant?

New type of government

 Eventually, the people of many city-states overthrew tyrants who were too harsh. Some of the cities adopted a form of government that would have a lasting effect around the world for years to come. It was called democracy, a form of government in which citizens govern themselves. The city-state in which democracy was most fully developed was Athens.

Multiple Choice

What type of government is a democracy?

• one king rules and governs

• citizens elect their leaders and govern themselves

• two kings have absolute power

• citizens choose a king to govern

Athenian leader

 About 594 BC, an Athenian leader named Solon won the power to reform the laws. One of Solon’s first laws cancelled all debts, or money owed to other people, and freed citizens who had been enslaved for having debts. Another law allowed any male citizen of Athens age 18 or older to debate important laws. These laws and others made Athens the leading democracy of the ancient world.

Multiple Choice

What was the name of the Athenian leader that won the power to reform the laws?

• Homer

• Athens

• Solon

• Pericles

Open Ended

What was one of Solon’s first laws?

Citizenship

Citizens of Athens might be rich or poor. However, not everyone living in ancient Athens benefited from democracy. Only about one in five Athenians was a citizen.

Multiple Choice

Only about ___ of Athenians were considered citizens.

• 1/2

• 1/3

• 1/4

• 1/5

 In Athens, only men could be citizens. A citizen had to have an Athenian father and mother. Some of the people living in Athens were enslaved. These people, as well as women and foreigners, did not take part in democracy. But the men who were citizens of Athens were free and self-governing.

Multiple Select

Men, women, and foreigners were considered citizens in ancient Greece.

• True

• False

Open Ended

Why do you think Athenian men didn't want women or foreigners to be citizens?