We briefly review the history of archaic and classical Greece, focusing on the development of the polis and of ancient Greek demokratia. The emergence of the polis as a political institution took place in a particular con-text, with a more widespread access to resources, as earlier centralised power had vanished. A specific form of democracy then appeared in Athens, demokratia, within the context of the polis. We examine the political economy research that has provided a formal background for these historical innovations.