Political Changes In Ancient Greece

Following Greek’s “Dark Age,” the Archaic Age (circa 800-500 B.C.E.) led to important political changes for the region, with the most important one being the development of the city-state called a polis (plural poleis). While there were a number of developments during the Archaic Age, perhaps the most valuable lessons that can be drawn from Greek civilization and from the formation and evolution of the Greek poleis. “With the Polis, the Greeks established a new type of political structure” (McKay 119) where poleis with it’s own distinctive system of government. While the Poleis were not the first forms of city-states to emerge, they were more than a political institution. Communities of citizens with their own customs and laws and after 800

Sparta became the leading military power within Greece and expanded their territory by conquering Messenia, after which they turned the conquered Messenians into helots (unfree residents who were forced to work the lands of the state), until they rose up in a rebellion, which spurred significant political change for Sparta. All citizens were made legally equal, and Sparta was led by two kings fulfilled the role of military leaders, a council of nobles, and five ephors who were elected by the citizens. The Helots continued to work the land, while Spartan citizens devoted themselves to military training that began at the age of 7. Athens also faced important changes at the time, but reacted much differently than Sparta. The Athenians created a democracy. In 621 B.C.E., Draco published the first law code of the Athenian polis. The code was harsh, but “embodied the idea that the law belonged to all citizens” (McKay, 122) and soon led to reformations more in favor of the common people of Athens, and allowed common citizens to both participate and vote on issues within the government and encouraged all full citizens to participate within the