Aristocracy

Aristocracy is a kind of government that puts power in the hands of a small, privileged ruling class.^[1] In Ancient Greek, the word aristocracy means the rule of the best, but it has come to be linked with rule by Nobility. A member of the aristocracy is an aristocrat.

There are different kinds of aristocracy with different ways the government is set up. In history, most aristocracies are hereditary. Members of the ruling group have passed on power to their eldest surviving Child. In most cases, this was their son. Daughters were often excluded from this. Aristocracy can be combined with other kinds of government. There were small groups of people that run a country. The people were called aristocrats and often had titles such as duke, duchess, baron and baroness.

Some good examples of this are the Spartiates in Sparta, the eupatridae in Athens, the patricians or Optimates in Rome to name a few

1. ↑ "Aristocracy". Oxford English Dictionary. December 1989. Archived from the original on June 29, 2011. Retrieved December 22, 2009.