What was the earliest form of government in ancient Greece?

Answer 1

Originally, Greece (Mycenae) had a ruler or monarch, until the rise of the separate city-states that created competing systems of government.

The earliest urban society in Greece was the palace-centred Minoan Civilization, which reached its height on Crete c.2000 BC. It was succeeded by the mainland Mycenaean civilization, which arose c. 1600 BC following a wave of Indo-European invasions. About 1200 BC a second wave of invasions destroyed the Bronze Age cultures, and a Dark Age followed, known mostly through the epics of Homer. At the end of this time, Classical Greece began to emerge (c. 750 BC) as a collection of independent city-states, including Sparta in the Peloponnese and Athens in Attica. The civilization reached its zenith after repelling the Persians at the beginning of the 5th century BC (see Persian Wars) and began to decline after the civil strife of the Peloponnesian Wars at the century's end. In 338 BC the Greek city-states were taken over by Philip II of Macedon, and Greek culture was spread by Philip's son Alexander the great throughout his empire. The Romans, themselves heavily influenced by Greek culture, conquered the city-states in the 2nd century BC. After the fall of Rome, Greece remained part of the Byzanthine Empire until the mid-15th century, when it became part of the expanding Ottoman Empire.

monarchy

Answer 2

Originally, Greece (Mycenae) had a ruler or monarch, until the rise of the separate city-states that created competing systems of government.

The earliest urban society in Greece was the palace-centred Minoan Civilization, which reached its height on Crete c.2000 BC. It was succeeded by the mainland Mycenaean civilization, which arose c. 1600 BC following a wave of Indo-European invasions. About 1200 BC a second wave of invasions destroyed the Bronze Age cultures, and a Dark Age followed, known mostly through the epics of Homer. At the end of this time, Classical Greece began to emerge (c. 750 BC) as a collection of independent city-states, including Sparta in the Peloponnese and Athens in Attica. The civilization reached its zenith after repelling the Persians at the beginning of the 5th century BC (see Persian Wars) and began to decline after the civil strife of the Peloponnesian Wars at the century's end. In 338 BC the Greek city-states were taken over by Philip II of Macedon, and Greek culture was spread by Philip's son Alexander the great throughout his empire. The Romans, themselves heavily influenced by Greek culture, conquered the city-states in the 2nd century BC. After the fall of Rome, Greece remained part of the Byzanthine Empire until the mid-15th century, when it became part of the expanding Ottoman Empire.

monarchy