oligarchy

(noun)

A form of power structure in which power effectively rests with a small number of people who are distinguished by royalty, wealth, family ties, education, corporate, or military control.

Related Terms

  • harmos
  • harmosts
  • Mentuhotep II
  • First Intermediate Period
  • nomarchs
  • hegemony

(noun)

A form of power structure in which a small group of people hold all power and influence in a state.

Related Terms

  • harmos
  • harmosts
  • Mentuhotep II
  • First Intermediate Period
  • nomarchs
  • hegemony

Examples of oligarchy in the following topics:

  • Effects of the Peloponnesian War

    • The Spartan army encouraged revolt, installing a pro-Spartan oligarchy within Athens, called the Thirty Tyrants, in 404 BCE.
    • Most of the ruling systems set up by Lysander were ten-man oligarchies, called decarchies, in which harmosts, Spartan military governors, were the heads of the government.
    • Lysander also managed to require Athens to recall its exiles, causing political instability within the city-state, of which Lysander took advantage to establish the oligarchy that came to be known as the Thirty Tyrants.
  • The First Intermediate Period

    • The Seventh Dynasty was most likely an oligarchy based in Memphis that attempted to retain control of the country.
  • Sparta

    • Sparta functioned under an oligarchy.
  • John Locke

    • Rather, he believed a legitimate contract could easily exist between citizens and a monarchy, an oligarchy, or in some mixed form.
  • Culture in Classical Sparta

    • Sparta functioned under an oligarchy.
  • The Rise of Classical Greece

    • Cleomenes I, king of Sparta, put in place a pro-Spartan oligarchy headed by Isagoras.
Subjects
  • Accounting
  • Algebra
  • Art History
  • Biology
  • Business
  • Calculus
  • Chemistry
  • Communications
  • Economics
  • Finance
  • Management
  • Marketing
  • Microbiology
  • Physics
  • Physiology
  • Political Science
  • Psychology
  • Sociology
  • Statistics
  • U.S. History
  • World History
  • Writing

Except where noted, content and user contributions on this site are licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 with attribution required.