Editing Oligarchy (section)

== History ==

=== Ancient Greece ===
{{see also|Athenian democracy|Athens in the 5th century BC}}
The [[Ancient Greek]] word ''oligarchia'' is used by historians of [[Ancient Greece]] to describe the position of the [[Eupatridae]], the aristocratic elite, of the [[city-state]] of [[Classical Athens|Athens]] prior to the [[Athenian Revolution]] of 508–507 BC, which began [[Athenian democracy]].{{sfn|Simonton|2017|p=21}} Although the citizens tolerated the oligarchy for decades, the involvement of the hated [[Spartan army|Spartans]] in the defense of Athens led some of the influential elite, led by [[Cleisthenes]], to defect to supporting democracy. Reaction against Spartan hegemony also made several oligarchies in the [[Peloponnese]] into democracies.{{sfn|Simonton|2017|pp=23–24}} However, the elite soon came into conflict with the people, or ''demos'', specifically in [[Aegina]], [[Syracuse, Sicily#Classical period|Syracuse]], and [[Naxos]] in the 500s and 490s BC.{{sfn|Simonton|2017|p=27}} Soon many city-states had settled into a fairly constant system of rule by the rich, with the ''demos'' being used periodically by the weaker party and otherwise being out of power.{{sfn|Simonton|2017|p=28}} Many nominally democratic Greek city-states, despite frequent revolt by the ''demos'', remained firmly controlled the wealthy elite, who spurned attempts to allow commoners into power.<ref>{{cite journal|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/26695493|last=Alwine|first=Andrew|title=The Soul of Oligarchy|year=2018|volume=148|pages=235–267|journal=Tapa|publisher=Johns Hopkins University Press|access-date=April 24, 2025}}</ref>

Athens ended complete rule by the rich in 493 BC, when a commoner named [[Themistocles]] became [[archon]]. He ruled Athens for over twenty years, and is best known as the victor of the [[Greco-Persian Wars]].<ref>{{cite journal|url=https://oxfordre.com/classics/classics/view/10.1093/acrefore/9780199381135.001.0001/acrefore-9780199381135-e-6340|title=Themistocles, Athenian politician, c. 524–459 BCE|journal=Oxford Classical Dictionary|publisher=Oxford Research|date=7 March 2016|last1=Burn|first1=Andrew Robert|last2=Rhodes|first2=P. J.|doi=10.1093/9780199381135.013.6340|access-date=April 25, 2025}}</ref> When Themistocles fell, the [[Areopagus]], an aristocratic council which was formerly the most powerful body in Athens, began to gain more prominence, spearheaded by conservative and anti-democratic politician [[Cimon]]. In 461 BC, politician [[Ephialtes]], who supported radical democracy, proposed a law to limit its powers, which the [[Ecclesia (ancient Greece)|Ecclesia]] passed unanimously. Its function was supplanted by the [[Boule (ancient Greece)|''boule'']].<ref>{{cite book|last=Abbott|first=Evelyn|title=Pericles and the golden age of Athens|url=https://archive.org/details/periclesandgold00abbogoog|publisher=G. P. Putnam's sons]]|pages=85–88|year=1891|access-date=April 25, 2025}}</ref> Cimon was [[Ostracism|ostracized]] for ten years by Ephialtes and his supporters.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Goušchin|first=Valerij|date=26 February 2019|title=Plutarch on Cimon, Athenian Expeditions, and Ephialtes' Reform (Plut. Cim. 14–17)|url=https://grbs.library.duke.edu/article/view/16194|journal=Greek, Roman, and Byzantine Studies|language=en|volume=59|issue=1|pages=38–56|issn=2159-3159|access-date=April 25, 2025}}</ref> However, Ephialtes was assassinated in 461 BC, possibly by the aristocrats.<ref>{{cite journal|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/4436111|title=Who Murdered Ephialtes?|journal=Historia|last=Rollar|first=Duane W.|year=1989|volume=38|issue=3|publisher=JSTOR|access-date=April 25, 2025}}</ref>