Monarchy, oligarchy, democracy and republic: who holds power
Grade 6 Social Studies Worksheet
Circle the best answer.
Read this first
Three ancient governments
Columns City | Who held power | What the sources say: Babylon | one king, Hammurabi | a code of laws set out in the king's name; Sparta | two kings and a Council of Elders of 28 | usually called an oligarchy, with parts of monarchy and democracy; Athens, during its war with Sparta | a Council of 400 | Aristotle calls it the oligarchy; it lasted about four months. Then, below the table: Cause and effect chain "Babylon": [1] Who holds power? One king, Hammurabi of Babylon; [2] Laws are set out in the king's name; [3] The people of Babylon live under the king's laws; [4] This form of government is a monarchy. Arrows: 1 → 2, 2 → 3, 3 → 4. Below the chain: Sparta's Council of 28 is by tradition, told by a Greek writer long afterward. The war between Athens and Sparta lasted from 431 to 404 BCE. Sources: Harper, The Code of Hammurabi (1904); Plutarch, Life of Lycurgus; PBS, The Greeks; Aristotle, The Athenian Constitution (Kenyon, 1891).
Who holds power in Babylon, by Milo's chain?
- A Council of 400 men
- One king, Hammurabi
- Two kings and a Council of Elders
- The citizens of Babylon, voting
Three ancient governments
Columns City | Who held power | What the sources say: Babylon | one king, Hammurabi | a code of laws set out in the king's name; Sparta | two kings and a Council of Elders of 28 | usually called an oligarchy, with parts of monarchy and democracy; Athens, during its war with Sparta | a Council of 400 | Aristotle calls it the oligarchy; it lasted about four months. Then, below the table: Cause and effect chain "Sparta": [1] Who holds power? Two kings and a Council of Elders; [2] By tradition the Council had 28 elders, so 30 men with the 2 kings; [3] A few men, not the many, make the main choices; [4] Sparta is usually called an oligarchy, with some monarchy and some democracy. Arrows: 1 → 2, 2 → 3, 3 → 4. Below the chain: Sparta's Council of 28 is by tradition, told by a Greek writer long afterward. The war between Athens and Sparta lasted from 431 to 404 BCE. Sources: Harper, The Code of Hammurabi (1904); Plutarch, Life of Lycurgus; PBS, The Greeks; Aristotle, The Athenian Constitution (Kenyon, 1891).
How many elders sat on Sparta's Council, by Noah's chain?
- 400
- 2
- 30
- 28
How long did the Council of 400 last, by Pia's chain?
- About four weeks
- About four years
- About four months
- About forty years
Three ancient governments
Columns City | Who held power | What the sources say: Babylon | one king, Hammurabi | a code of laws set out in the king's name; Sparta | two kings and a Council of Elders of 28 | usually called an oligarchy, with parts of monarchy and democracy; Athens, during its war with Sparta | a Council of 400 | Aristotle calls it the oligarchy; it lasted about four months. Then, below the table: Cause and effect chain "Babylon": [1] Who holds power? One king, Hammurabi of Babylon; [2] Laws are set out in the king's name; [3] The people of Babylon live under the king's laws; [4] This form of government is a monarchy. Arrows: 1 → 2, 2 → 3, 3 → 4. Below the chain: Sparta's Council of 28 is by tradition, told by a Greek writer long afterward. The war between Athens and Sparta lasted from 431 to 404 BCE. Sources: Harper, The Code of Hammurabi (1904); Plutarch, Life of Lycurgus; PBS, The Greeks; Aristotle, The Athenian Constitution (Kenyon, 1891).
What form of government is Babylon's, by Ren's chain?
- A republic
- A monarchy
- An oligarchy
- A democracy
Three ancient governments
Columns City | Who held power | What the sources say: Babylon | one king, Hammurabi | a code of laws set out in the king's name; Sparta | two kings and a Council of Elders of 28 | usually called an oligarchy, with parts of monarchy and democracy; Athens, during its war with Sparta | a Council of 400 | Aristotle calls it the oligarchy; it lasted about four months. Then, below the table: Cause and effect chain "Sparta": [1] Who holds power? Two kings and a Council of Elders; [2] By tradition the Council had 28 elders, so 30 men with the 2 kings; [3] A few men, not the many, make the main choices; [4] Sparta is usually called an oligarchy, with some monarchy and some democracy. Arrows: 1 → 2, 2 → 3, 3 → 4. Below the chain: Sparta's Council of 28 is by tradition, told by a Greek writer long afterward. The war between Athens and Sparta lasted from 431 to 404 BCE. Sources: Harper, The Code of Hammurabi (1904); Plutarch, Life of Lycurgus; PBS, The Greeks; Aristotle, The Athenian Constitution (Kenyon, 1891).
What is Sparta usually called, by Tala's chain?
- A republic
- An oligarchy
- A monarchy
- A democracy
What does Aristotle call the rule of the Council of 400, by Zee's chain?
- A republic with elected consuls
- The oligarchy
- A democracy of the citizens
- A monarchy under one king
What came after the Council of 400, by Ari's chain?
Use the picture in question 6.
- Power went to 5,000 men
- Power went to one general
- The 400 ruled for life
- Athens chose one king
Three ancient governments
Columns City | Who held power | What the sources say: Babylon | one king, Hammurabi | a code of laws set out in the king's name; Sparta | two kings and a Council of Elders of 28 | usually called an oligarchy, with parts of monarchy and democracy; Athens, during its war with Sparta | a Council of 400 | Aristotle calls it the oligarchy; it lasted about four months. Then, below the table: Cause and effect chain "Babylon": [1] Who holds power? One king, Hammurabi of Babylon; [2] Laws are set out in the king's name; [3] The people of Babylon live under the king's laws; [4] This form of government is a monarchy. Arrows: 1 → 2, 2 → 3, 3 → 4. Below the chain: Sparta's Council of 28 is by tradition, told by a Greek writer long afterward. The war between Athens and Sparta lasted from 431 to 404 BCE. Sources: Harper, The Code of Hammurabi (1904); Plutarch, Life of Lycurgus; PBS, The Greeks; Aristotle, The Athenian Constitution (Kenyon, 1891).
Why do the sources call Hammurabi's laws a king's code, by Esme's chain?
- Sparta's elders wrote them
- They were set out in the king's name
- The citizens of Babylon voted on them
- A council of 400 voted for them
Three ancient governments
Columns City | Who held power | What the sources say: Babylon | one king, Hammurabi | a code of laws set out in the king's name; Sparta | two kings and a Council of Elders of 28 | usually called an oligarchy, with parts of monarchy and democracy; Athens, during its war with Sparta | a Council of 400 | Aristotle calls it the oligarchy; it lasted about four months. Then, below the table: Cause and effect chain "Sparta": [1] Who holds power? Two kings and a Council of Elders; [2] By tradition the Council had 28 elders, so 30 men with the 2 kings; [3] A few men, not the many, make the main choices; [4] Sparta is usually called an oligarchy, with some monarchy and some democracy. Arrows: 1 → 2, 2 → 3, 3 → 4. Below the chain: Sparta's Council of 28 is by tradition, told by a Greek writer long afterward. The war between Athens and Sparta lasted from 431 to 404 BCE. Sources: Harper, The Code of Hammurabi (1904); Plutarch, Life of Lycurgus; PBS, The Greeks; Aristotle, The Athenian Constitution (Kenyon, 1891).
The 28 elders are by tradition, told by a Greek writer long afterward. How should Jun treat that number?
- As a law that Sparta carved in stone
- As a later tradition, not a record of the time
- As proof the Council kept one size for good
- As a list signed by the elders themselves
Does the table show which form of government is best, Luz asks?
- No: it shows who held power, not which is best
- Yes: an oligarchy, because Sparta was strong
- Yes: a monarchy, because Babylon had written laws
- Yes: a democracy, because Athens changed it