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Athens and Sparta Essay There were three types of government in Ancient Greece: an oligarchy, monarchy, and a democracy. An oligarchy was governed by a few wealthy and powerful people. A monarchy was governed by only one person. A democracy is when citizens voted on who the leader was and public matters. Citizens were only men who had Greek origin and were not slaves. If citizens did not care for a politician, when they voted, …

…chosen from among the members of the highest or two highest property classes. After 457 BC the third class of zeugitai (the hoplite class) became eligible. Men of the middle class claimed the right to participate in the popular assembly because they comprised the heavily-armed infantry, membership in which also required some wealth and leisure time. Owing to changes in military tactics, Athenians accepted that the heavy infantry also had become vital to the city's survival.