Question

What was the similarity between Athens’ and Rome’s governments before they established democracy? A. Both Athens and Rome had monarchies with absolute power.

B. Both Athens and Rome had aristocratic republics.
C. Both Athens and Rome had oligarchies with power in the hands of a few.
D. Both Athens and Rome had democratic systems with citizen participation.

Answer 1

Both Athens and Rome, before establishing their democratic systems, were oligarchies where power resided in the hands of a select few. Neither had aristocratic republics, absolute monarchies, nor fully developed democracies in the earliest phases of their governance.

Step-by-step explanation:

Before the establishment of democracy, both Athens and Rome had governments where power was in the hands of a select few, which is known as an oligarchy. In Athens, before the democratic reforms of the 6th century BCE, the polis was controlled by archons, who were members of the aristocracy. Similarly, prior to the establishment of the Roman Republic, Rome operated under a monarchical system, eventually transitioning to a republic with an oligarchic structure consisting of a Senate dominated by the aristocracy.

Neither Athens nor Rome were aristocratic republics at that time, as option B suggests, nor did they have absolute monarchies or fully developed democratic systems with broad citizen participation. The correct answer to the question is that both Athens and Rome had oligarchies (C). Power was in the hands of a few, an oligarchy, during the initial phase of their respective governments prior to the establishment of more democratic institutions.