How was Greece organised?

Greece was not one country as it is today. In the 700s BC Greece was divided into city states. These areas weren't much bigger than cities, but they each had their own laws and army. Most city states were governed by a small group of noblemen, called aristocrats. Often the people of the state didn't agree with the aristocrats and this could lead to revolts. The Athenians came to believe that no one group of people should make the laws, but that all the citizens should have a say in the government of the state. In 508 BC, a different system of government was introduced in Athens, and this was called democracy. Other city states soon followed Athens' idea of governing the state in a more peaceful way.