Even in single countries, different regions sometimes have governments that are very similar and at the same time, very different. Such a case occurred in ancient Greece, in the city-states of Sparta and Athens. While Sparta was more based on oligarchy, Athens was a democracy. Their profound differences in rule often caused them to war against each other. These two significant ancient Greek city-states, Sparta and Athens, had many differences and similarities in how their ideas about rule influenced their government.

Spartan government was an oligarchy, it was based on financial status and militarism. The Spartans ruled over a set of oppressed people from Messenia known as helots. They outnumbered the Spartans by a large amount, and they revolted. The Spartans were just barely able to crush the revolution. They decided they needed their government to focus on military and their way of life to form a solid, completely unified society. The document entitled "The Lycurgan Reforms" says that "obedience to their [the people of Sparta] legislator" was the reason why the society prospered. They had an assembly of all citizens over th

The Athenian system of democracy gave the power of government to the whole people of Athens. "Everyone is equal before the law" is stated in the document, "The Funeral Oration of Pericles". The document also states that no one is "in political obscurity" because of their class or financial status, Any citizen, despite their class or wealth, could hold public office. The majority of the people were interested in what was going on in their government. Those who were not especially interested in political matters, still knew the basics of what was going on in the current government. Bribery to obtain office was also eliminated. The important Council of Five Hundred (Boule) was elected by the people of Athens, fifty from each region. One of its major deeds was to draw up the agenda for the Assembly. The Assembly of all working citizens, called the Ecclesia, elected magistrates and voted on any state policies. From these citizens, juries were selected by lot every year to form law courts, Heliaea. The Assembly also determined the strategies used in war, and they also had the right to declare war, make peace, grant citizenship, among many other things. However, the Athenian government was less liberal than many other Greek city-states, especially in how they defined a citizen. A citizen to the Athenians was a free man over eighteen born in Attica. Female relatives of these men were also citizens, but called astai which meant "those without political rights." The military generals were called the Board of Ten Generals, or strategoi, they were elected every year and could be elected for an unlimited number of terms. Even though the Athenian system of democracy was effective, the minority opinions were not respected, and usually censured severely. The government was generally dominated by powerful statesmen who could force their laws unt

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Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)