Lesson 6.3 Government and Citizenship in Ancient Greece

What was a polis?

• a city-state

• a city center

• a marketplace

• a gathering space

What type of government is ruled by one person who typically has taken power by force?

• a tyranny

• a monarchy

• an oligarchy

• an aristocracy

How did the geography of ancient Greece affect its political organization?

• The seas helped communities to unite and form a single empire.

• The islands were exposed to invaders and caused cities to unite.

• The peninsulas encouraged expansion and led to regional governments.

• The mountains caused isolated communities to form separate governments.

How did the government of ancient Athens change over time?

• Aristocrats took over the government.

• Women gained equal rights to men.

• Voting became organized by social class.

• More people gained a voice in the government.

How did Solon change the Greek government?

• He reorganized the people into groups based on tribes.

• He allowed people to enslave citizens who owed them money.

• He allowed immigrants to earn citizenship and the right to vote

• He created new social classes based on wealth instead of birth.

Why was citizenship important in ancient Greece?

• All residents could become voting citizens.

• Only citizens were able to become tyrants.

• Citizens could take part in ruling the city-state.

• Only citizens could vote for who would be king.

How did the government in ancient Greece develop?

• One’s family of birth gradually became unimportant to citizenship.

• The wealthy gained power as the city-states moved away from tyrants.

• Citizens and noncitizens were able to participate in developing laws.

• Power moved from the upper classes to include members of all social classes.

Read the passage from a text by an ancient Greek biographer named Plutarch.

Some wicked men are rich, some good are poor,

We will not change our virtue for their store:

Virtue's a thing that none can take away;

But money changes owners all the day.

• Money should not determine who participates in the government.

• Money should not be taken away from people who commit crimes.

• Wealthy people should not have a say in government because they are bad.

• Merchants should not be in government because they exchange money all day.

What best describes direct democracy?

• a government where people vote on laws and rules

• a government where people vote for representatives

• a government where citizens rule

• government where representatives make laws

Who would be considered a citizen in ancient Athens?

• any adult who had not been exiled from the city

• a man who had been born in Athens to immigrants

• an adult who had been born to citizens

• any person born in the city to citizens of Athens