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Warring City-States
Chapter 5 Section 2
Rule and Order in Greek CityStates
The center of Greek life
was the polis, or citystate. This name was
given to Greek cities
and the countryside
villages surrounding
them. Each city-state
was independent. The
people who lived in
them were fiercely
proud of their homes.
 Greek Political
Structures
A monarch or king might
rule some. A family of
nobles might rule a
few. A few wealthy
merchants might rule
others. Also, the idea
of a government made
of representatives
chosen by the people
took hold in some citystates.
 A New Kind of Army
Emerges
Over the years, the
Greeks developed the
ability to make iron
weapons. Because
these cost less than
weapons made of
bronze, more people
could afford them.
 Tyrants Seize Power
Soon each city-state had
its own army. The
soldiers were from all
walks of life-armed
with iron weapons and
ready to defend their
homes.
Sparta Builds a Military State
 Sparta Dominates
Messenians
One very strong city-state was
Sparta, in the south of
Greece. The leaders of
Sparta made their city a
military state. Boys joined
the army at age seven and
went through a long period
of training as soldiers.
 Sparta’s Government
and Society
Spartan women ran the
farms and other
businesses, freeing
their husbands to serve
in the army. A small
Council of Elders
suggested laws that had
to be approved by a
vote of all men over
30.
Athens Builds a Limited
Democracy
 Solon’s Political and
Economic Reforms
Athens, another city-state,
developed in a very
different way. The wealthy
nobles and the poor people
clashed in a contest for
power in Athens. In 594
BC, the nobles gave a man
named Solon the power to
change the government of
Athens to end this fight.
He removed some of the laws
that the poor had not liked.
He also made it possible
for any citizen of Athens to
join the assembly, which
discussed and approved
laws. The conflict between
the rich and the poor did
not end, however. Later,
new changes were needed
to open the government
even more.
 Political Developments
in Athens
Athens became a
democracy, or
government by the
people. However, the
government by the
people. However, the
Government of Athens
was not a full
democracy.
All citizens were free to
join in, but only onefifth of Athenians were
citizens. Women had
no role in political life.
Finally, many who
lived in Athens were
slaves who had no
rights either.
The Persian Wars
While these changes were
taking place in Athens
and Sparta, trouble
loomed on the east.
The powerful Persian
Empire set its sights on
conquering the Greeks.
 Battle at Marathon
In 490 BC, Persian ships
landed 25,000 soldiers
on the coast of Greece.
At the Battle of
Marathon, the Greeks
won a tremendous
victory that saved
Athens.
 Thermopylae and Salamis
The Persians returned ten
years later. The Greeks
lost a battle on land,
despite the heroic efforts of
a small band of Spartans.
The Persians also burned
Athens. However, the
ships followed it with
another victory on land.
The threat from Persia was
over.