Ancient Greece

===Government and law===
{{Main|Ancient Greek law}}
[[File:Law Code Gortyn Louvre Ma703.jpg|thumb|left|Inheritance law, part of the [[Gortyn code|Law Code of Gortyn]], Crete, fragment of the 11th column. Limestone, 5th century BC]]

Initially many Greek city-states seem to have been petty kingdoms; there was often a city official carrying some residual, ceremonial functions of the king (''[[basileus]]''), e.g., the ''[[archon basileus]]'' in Athens.<ref>Holland T. ''Persian Fire'', p. 94 {{ISBN|978-0-349-11717-1}}</ref> However, by the Archaic period and the first historical consciousness, most had already become aristocratic [[Oligarchy|oligarchies]]. It is unclear exactly how this change occurred. For instance, in Athens, the kingship had been reduced to a hereditary, lifelong chief magistracy (''[[Archon of Athens|archon]]'') by {{circa}} 1050 BC; by 753 BC this had become a decennial, elected archonship; and finally by 683 BC an annually elected archonship. Through each stage, more power would have been transferred to the aristocracy as a whole, and away from a single individual.

Inevitably, the domination of politics and concomitant aggregation of wealth by small groups of families was apt to cause social unrest in many ''poleis''. In many cities a [[tyrant]] (not in the modern sense of repressive autocracies), would at some point seize control and govern according to their own will; often a populist agenda would help sustain them in power. In a system wracked with [[class conflict]], government by a 'strongman' was often the best solution.

Athens fell under a tyranny in the second half of the 6th century BC. When this tyranny was ended, the Athenians founded [[Athenian democracy|the world's first democracy]] as a radical solution to prevent the aristocracy regaining power. A [[Popular assembly|citizens' assembly]] (the ''[[Ecclesia (ancient Athens)|Ecclesia]]''), for the discussion of city policy, had existed since the reforms of [[Draco (lawgiver)|Draco]] in 621 BC; all citizens were permitted to attend after the reforms of [[Solon]] (early 6th century), but the poorest citizens could not address the assembly or run for office. With the establishment of the democracy, the assembly became the ''[[de jure]]'' mechanism of government; all citizens had equal privileges in the assembly. However, non-citizens, such as [[metic]]s (foreigners living in Athens) or [[Slavery in ancient Greece|slaves]], had no political rights at all.

After the rise of democracy in Athens, other city-states founded democracies. However, many retained more traditional forms of government. As so often in other matters, Sparta was a notable exception to the rest of Greece, ruled through the whole period by not one, but two hereditary monarchs. This was a form of [[diarchy]]. The [[Kings of Sparta]] belonged to the Agiads and the Eurypontids, descendants respectively of [[Eurysthenes]] and [[Procles]]. Both dynasties' founders were believed to be twin sons of [[Aristodemus]], a [[Heracleidae|Heraclid]] ruler. However, the powers of these kings were held in check by both a council of elders (the ''[[Gerousia]]'') and magistrates specifically appointed to watch over the kings (the ''[[Ephor]]s'').