Name __________________________________________________ Hour _____________ Date _________________________
Chapter 11: Ancient Greece
Lesson 3: The City-State and Democracy p.370 - 376
Main Ideas
 Government: Instead of being a unified country, Greece was organized into
separate city-states.
 Government: Different political systems evolved in the various city-states. Some
governments changed because of conflicts between rich & poor.
 Government: The city-state of Athens developed democracy, which is rule by the
people.
Vocabulary
Term
Definition
Other
Representation
(Icon, Picture, Example,
Sentence, etc.)
Application:
What learning target
does this term connect
to? Why?
polis
aristocracy
oligarchy
tyrant
citizen
democracy
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The Rise of City-States - p.371 -372
1. How was Greece organized politically?
2. What were the largest city-states in ancient Greece?
3. About how many people were in most Greek city-states?
Why was a city-state considered a “close community?”
4. What area was the center of city life called?
What kinds of things could you find there?
5. What was the acropolis? What was located on the acropolis?
Forms of Government – p. 372 -373
6. Early on, how did the people of each city-state figure out which government worked best for
them?
7. There were several forms of government early on for city-states in Greece. What was the
name of the earliest form of government in ancient Greece? How did governing style work?
8. What is aristocracy?
9. What does “oligarchy” mean?
10. In ancient Greece, what was a tyrant? What was the role of a tyrant?
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Athens Builds a Limited Democracy - p. 374 - 376
11. How did limited democracy develop in Athens?
12. Who were the two leaders in Athens who helped citizens get more power?
13. How did Solon get elected and how did he organize citizens in Athens?
What were TWO things Solon did for the city of Athens?
14. What were THREE things we know about Cleisthenes?
15. What is the difference and similarities between direct & limited democracy.
Direct Democracy
similarities
Limited Democracy
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Fill in the graphic organizer with details about each type of government in Greece
Monarchy
p.373.375
Oligarchy
p.373.375
Direct Democracy
p.375
Limited Democracy
p.376
Summary of Lesson:
• The people of Greece lived in independent city-states
• Greek city-states had various types of government: monarchy, oligarchy, and direct democracy.
• Over time, the male citizens of Athens gained the power to make political decisions.
Why it matters today:
Athens is often called the birthplace of democracy. Many people in today’s world are seeking to
replace other forms of government with democracy.
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