Classical Greek Oligarchy: A Political HistoryClassical Greek Oligarchy thoroughly reassesses an important but neglected form of ancient Greek government, the rule of the few. Matthew Simonton challenges scholarly orthodoxy by showing that oligarchy was not the default mode of politics from time immemorial, but instead emerged alongside, and in reaction to, democracy. He establishes for the first time how oligarchies maintained power in the face of potential citizen resistance. The book argues