Kingdoms in Ancient Greece?

[mj_toronto8]

My niece has a school project about Ancient Greece, and she asked me an interesting question: were there kingdoms in Ancient Greece? I always associate Greece with city-states like Athens and Sparta, but I’m wondering if there were any actual kingdoms during that time.

Did Ancient Greece ever have kings ruling over larger territories, or was it mostly independent city-states? I’ve heard of Mycenae and the Minoans—were they considered kingdoms? And how do they compare to the more famous city-states of the Classical period?

If anyone has insights or resources that could help me explain this to her in a simple way, I’d really appreciate it. She's 11 years old and she chose this topic herself.

 

[k_tsoukalas]

That’s such a great question for your niece’s project! Ancient Greece is mostly known for its independent city-states like Athens and Sparta during the Classical period, but earlier in Greek history, there were kingdoms.

The Mycenaean civilization (1600–1100 BCE) is a great example—they were ruled by kings who governed from palaces like Mycenae and Pylos. The Minoans, centered on Crete before the Mycenaeans, also had centralized palatial systems, though we’re less sure about their rulers’ exact titles.

These kingdoms were very different from the city-states of the Classical period, which often had democratic or oligarchic systems. The city-states were smaller and focused on their independence, while the Mycenaean and Minoan “kingdoms” controlled larger areas.

Your niece might enjoy learning about King Agamemnon of Mycenae, who appears in Greek mythology and is tied to the Trojan War!