Editing Ancient Elis (section)

===Democracy in Elis===
Elis was a traditional ally of [[Sparta]], but the city state joined [[Argos, Peloponnese|Argos]] and [[Classical Athens|Athens]] in an alliance against Sparta around 420 BC during the [[Peloponnesian War]]. This was due to Spartan support for the independence of [[Lepreum]]. As punishment following the surrender of Athens, Elis was forced to surrender Triphylia in 399 BC
[[Eric W. Robinson]] has argued that Elis was a democracy by around 500 BC, on the basis of early inscriptions which suggest that the people (the ''[[glossary of rhetorical terms#Demos|dāmos]]'') could make and change laws.<ref>{{cite book|last=Robinson|first=Eric W.|title=The First Democracies: Early Popular Government Outside Athens|place=Stuttgart|publisher=Steiner|date=1997|pages=108–111|isbn=3-515-06951-8}}</ref> Robinson further believes that literary sources imply that Elis continued to be democratic until 365, when an oligarchic faction seems to have taken control (Xen. ''Hell.'' 7.4.16, 26).<ref name="Robinson 2011">{{cite book|last=Robinson|first=Eric W.|title=Democracy Beyond Athens: Popular Government in the Greek Classical Age|place=Cambridge|publisher=Cambridge University Press|date=2011|isbn=978-0-521-84331-7}}</ref>{{rp|29–31}} At some point in the mid-fourth century, democracy may have been restored; at least, we hear that a particularly narrow oligarchy was replaced by a new constitution designed by Phormio of Elis, a student of [[Plato]] (Arist. ''Pol.'' 1306a12-16; Plut. ''Mor.'' 805d, 1126c).

The classical democracy at Elis seems to have functioned mainly through a popular Assembly and a Council, the two main institutions of most ''poleis''. The Council initially had 500 members, but grew to 600 members by the end of the fifth century (Thuc. 5.47.9). There was also a range of public officials such as the ''demiourgoi'' who regularly submitted to public audits.<ref name="Robinson 2011"/>{{rp|32}}