Final answer:
Political power at the end of the Archaic period in Greece saw the rise of democracy in Athens with a broader citizen involvement in politics, while other city-states like Sparta maintained oligarchic structures with less citizen participation.
Step-by-step explanation:
At the end of the Archaic period in ancient Greece, around the 6th century BCE, two dominant forms of political power structures were evident. These were oligarchy and the emerging concept of democracy, particularly evident in Athens after the reforms of Cleisthenes. In many Greek city-states, including Athens, political power was transitioning from the hands of aristocratic families and tyrants to a broader citizenry, albeit still limited to free male citizens. The political assembly, known as the agora, was where citizens discussed and voted on laws and policy decisions. This practice laid the groundwork for more inclusive political participation that came to fruition during the Classical period.
In contrast, Sparta represented a different governance model, which was a rigid oligarchy with a focus on military discipline and societal stability. Throughout the Archaic period, the Greek city-states varied significantly in their political structure, but the overarching trend was towards a form of governance that included more citizen involvement, though this involvement was not uniform across all poleis.