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{{cquote|A Wolf found great difficulty in getting at the sheep owing to the vigilance of the shepherd and his dogs.  But one day it found the skin of a sheep that had been flayed and thrown aside, so it put it on over its own pelt and strolled down among the sheep. The Lamb that belonged to the sheep, whose skin the Wolf was wearing, began to follow the Wolf in the Sheep's clothing; so, leading the Lamb a little apart, he soon made a meal off her, and for some time he succeeded in deceiving the sheep, and enjoying hearty meals.}}

{{cquote|A Wolf found great difficulty in getting at the sheep owing to the vigilance of the shepherd and his dogs.  But one day it found the skin of a sheep that had been flayed and thrown aside, so it put it on over its own pelt and strolled down among the sheep. The Lamb that belonged to the sheep, whose skin the Wolf was wearing, began to follow the Wolf in the Sheep's clothing; so, leading the Lamb a little apart, he soon made a meal off her, and for some time he succeeded in deceiving the sheep, and enjoying hearty meals.}}

As Gentiles learned insightful Aesop's Fables like the one above, warnings about similar deceit by the devil given by Judaism and Christianity were likely easier to understand and accept.

As Gentiles learned insightful Aesop's Fables like the one above, Jewish and Christian warnings about the deceit of the devil were easier to understand and accept.

Aristocrats who owned land ruled the early Athenian government, and "archons" were elected officials who made the law.  Tyrants rose to power in the 600s B.C.  The tyrants were primarily rich upstarts who illegally took over the government by violent means and catered to the lower classes to maintain popularity.  Athens was ruled by a series of tyrants leading to a reformer named Solon who allowed most “citizens” (males descended from citizens) to vote.  Solon also prohibited debtors’ prison, something allowed even in the early United States.  Draco was another “reformer” who wrote such strict laws that the negative term “draconian laws” is used to today to criticize overly rigid rules.  Other tyrants included Pisistratus (transferred estates from the nobles to the peasants and started building projects to create jobs) and Cleistenes (created the democratic Council of 500 and promoted freedom of speech).  Cleisthenes is also believed to have founded “ostracism”, a system by which any citizen believed to have too much power by other citizens could be voted into exile for ten years, or “ostracized”.  

The government of Athens in this early period was controlled by aristocrats who owned land.  They elected "archons", who were the government officials who made the law.  But in the 600s B.C., tyrants rose to power.  The tyrants were primarily rich upstarts who illegally took over the government by violent means and catered to the lower classes to maintain popularity.   

 

Athens was then ruled by a series of tyrants.  One tyrant was "Draco", who wrote strict laws that had the same penalty for every crime, not matter how minor:  the penalty of death.  The negative term "draconian laws" is used to today to criticize overly rigid rules. But Draco was not all bad:  he granted voting rights only to people who would bear arms in self-defense.<ref>http://www.stoa.org/projects/demos/article_democracy_development?page=3&greekEncoding=UnicodeC</ref> Other tyrants included Pisistratus (transferred estates from the nobles to the peasants and started building projects to create jobs) and Cleistenes (created the democratic Council of 500 and promoted freedom of speech).  Cleisthenes is also believed to have founded "ostracism", a system by which any citizen believed to have too much power by other citizens could be voted into exile for ten years, or "ostracized". 

 

In 594 B.C. the Athenians selected Solon to revise their laws.  He was a reformer who allowed most "citizens" (males descended from citizens) to vote.  This was the beginning of a real democracy.

   

   

By the 500s B.C. (6th century), Hellas had become a culture larger than the geographical area of Greece.  The basic political unit was the city, which in Greek is called the “polis” (PAH-lus).  The plural of “polis”, to express many cities, is “poleis” (PAH-lace).  Each polis was made up of a city surrounded by a countryside.  From that root we obtained our word “politics”.  Over 200 Greek city-states arose in the Greek landscape and geography, which has many hills and valleys well-suited to separate city-states.  The unsuitability of the Greek terrain for farming encouraged more trade.

By this time, the 500s B.C. (6th century), Hellas had become a culture larger than the geographical area of Greece.  The basic political unit was the city, which in Greek is called the "polis" (PAH-lus).  The plural of "polis", to express many cities, is "poleis" (PAH-lace).  Each polis was made up of a city surrounded by a countryside.  From that root we obtained our word "politics".  Over 200 Greek city-states arose in the Greek landscape and geography, which has many hills and valleys well-suited to separate city-states.  The unsuitability of the Greek terrain for farming encouraged more trade.

Several important cities arose: Athens, Corinth, Sparta and Thebes.  Athens and Corinth were powerful economically, controlling maritime and mercantile trade.  Athens and Sparta were powerful militarily, and were rivals of each other for a long time.

Several important cities arose: Athens, Corinth, Sparta and Thebes.  Athens and Corinth were powerful economically, controlling maritime and mercantile trade.  Athens and Sparta were powerful militarily, and were rivals of each other for a long time.

The large cities dominated the areas around them.  Sparta, for example, exercised influence over the other cities of the Peloponnese.  It was also allied with Corinth and Thebes.  Athens instituted a semi-constitutional system of government run by aristocrats, most notably Pisistratus and his sons.  

The large cities dominated the areas around them.  Sparta, for example, exercised influence over the other cities of the Peloponnese.  It was also allied with Corinth and Thebes.  Athens instituted a semi-constitutional system of government run by aristocrats, most notably Pisistratus and his sons.  

Ultimately the Pisistratids lost power, and the world’s first democracy was established instead in 500 B.C.  The powerful body became an assembly open to all (male) citizens.

Ultimately the Pisistratids lost power, and the world's first democracy was established in 500 B.C.  The powerful body became an assembly open to all (male) citizens.

The city-states were remarkable because they adopted a form of democracy that inspired our Constitution:  citizens elected representatives who would then make decisions for everyone.  But there was only a legislature in Athens, rather than the separation of powers that is unique to our Constitution.  Also, not all Greek males in Athens were citizens.  The city-state of Athens had 225,000 residents at its peak, but only 30% of the males were citizens.  Males born to families with large incomes became citizens.  Still, Athens is considered to have invented “democracy”, and its residents felt an allegiance to the state because of this.

The city-states were remarkable because they adopted a form of democracy that inspired our Constitution:  citizens elected representatives who would then make decisions for everyone.  But there was only a legislature in Athens, rather than the separation of powers that is unique to our Constitution.  Also, not all Greek males in Athens were citizens.  The city-state of Athens had 225,000 residents at its peak, but only 30% of the males were citizens.  Males born to families with large incomes became citizens.  Still, Athens is considered to have invented "democracy", and its residents felt an allegiance to the state because of this.

Athens also had a direct democracy:  every citizen (Athenian adult males) could propose laws and participate in their consideration and approval.  Nobles served as judges to interpret the law, but there was a right to appeal and citizens served as jurors for trials in court.

Athens also had a direct democracy:  every citizen (Athenian adult males) could propose laws and participate in their consideration and approval.  Nobles served as judges to interpret the law, but there was a right to appeal and citizens served as jurors for trials in court.

Democratic Athens’ main rival was the city-state of Sparta, which was not a democracy.  Instead, Sparta was a military culture based on high military discipline.  Parents were forced to let their male children leave the house at age seven and receive training at a strict military camp—if the boys were lucky enough to make it to the age of seven, that is.  The Spartans had a cruel practice by which all male babies were examined by community leaders immediately after birth.  If the child appeared weak or deformed in any way, he was taken into a remote area and left to die from exposure or wild animals.  The Spartans did want any member of their military to be anything less than 100% fit.

Democratic Athens' main rival was the city-state of Sparta, which was not a democracy.  Instead, Sparta was a harsh military culture based on high military discipline.  Parents were forced to let their male children leave the house at age seven and receive training at a strict military camp — if the boys were lucky enough to make it to the age of seven, that is.  The Spartans had a cruel practice by which all male babies were examined by community leaders immediately after birth.  If the child appeared weak or deformed in any way, he was taken into a remote area and left to die from exposure or wild animals.  The Spartans did want any member of their military to be anything less than 100% fit.

   

   

There were rigid social class structures in Sparta.  The aristocrats, called the “spartiates,” were people descended from the Dorian invaders of the second century.  The second class of citizens, called “perioeci”, consisted of landowners, artisans, and traders.  They were primarily relatives of the natives who had lived in the region before the Dorians conquered it.  The third class was comprised of conquered people who were basically serfs and were known as “helots”, and lastly there were slaves in Sparta—usually prisoners of war.  The last two classes did not enjoy the rights of citizens.  At times it was even legal for citizens to kill the non-citizens (the helots) to reduce population!   

There were rigid social class structures in Sparta.  The aristocrats, called the "spartiates", were people descended from the Dorian invaders of the second century.  The second class of citizens, called "perioeci", consisted of landowners, artisans, and traders.  They were primarily relatives of the natives who had lived in the region before the Dorians conquered it.  The third class was comprised of conquered people who were basically serfs and were known as "helots", and lastly there were slaves in Sparta—usually prisoners of war.  The last two classes did not enjoy the rights of citizens.  At times it was even legal for citizens to kill the non-citizens (the helots) to reduce population!   

The helots did the farming and were 4/5ths of the overall population.  The Spartans were not the brightest people in the world:  they forbade the use of gold and silver for money, and instead used heavy iron bars as money. For most Greek city-states, trade consisted of making olive oil and wine and exchanging it with surrounding regions to obtain timber and grain in return.

The helots did the farming and were 4/5ths of the overall population.  The Spartans were not the brightest people in the world:  they forbade the use of gold and silver for money, and instead used heavy iron bars as money! For most Greek city-states, trade consisted of making olive oil and wine and exchanging it with surrounding regions to obtain timber and grain in return.

=== Persia and the Persian Wars (500-479 B.C.) ===

=== Persia and the Persian Wars (500-479 B.C.) ===