Glossary · Term · government

Oligarchy

c. 700 BCE – 1797 CE · 8th century BCE

Oligarchy, rule by a few, usually the rich, was the commonest constitution of the Greek city-states and reached its most enduring form in the Republic of Venice, governed by a closed patriciate from 1297 to 1797.

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See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Oligarchy. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/oligarchy
MLA
“Oligarchy.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/oligarchy. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Oligarchy.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/oligarchy.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Oligarchy’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/oligarchy (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻