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Earliest Greek democracies

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This is a list of the Greek democracies for which there is some evidence in the Archaic period, following Eric Robinson's book The First Democracies (Stuttgart, 1997). Most of them probably pre-date the establishment of democracy in Athens by Cleisthenes in 508-507 BC.

Polis/ area Date
Achaea At some point between c. 650 and c. 500 BC
Chios Probably a democracy sometime between c. 600-550 BC
Megara Probably a democracy sometime in the 6th century BC
Chalkis Possibly a short-lived democracy sometime in the 6th century BC
Mantinea Possibly a democracy sometime in the 6th century BC
Cnidus A democracy either in the 6th century or the 4th century BC
Heraclea Pontica A democracy by c. 560 BC
Cyrene A democracy from c. 550 BC
Naxos A democracy from c. 550 to 490 BC
Ambracia Probably a democracy by c. 550 BC
Argos A democracy possibly from c. 550, and definitely from 494 BC
Elis Possibly a democracy in the 6th century, and definitely in the 5th century BC
Samos Possibly a democracy in the late 6th century BC
Kos A democracy from the 490s BC
Akragas Possibly a democracy before 488, and definitely one after 472 BC

References

Robinson, Eric W. (1997). The First Democracies: Early Popular Government Outside Athens. Stuttgart: Franz Steiner Verlag. ISBN 3515070973. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: checksum (help)

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