A polis is the name given to a city-state in Ancient Greece. Athens, Sparta, Thebes, Corinth, and Thessaloniki are all examples of polis’.

Lucius Sulla led an armed march on the city of Rome during the Roman Civil Wars and had himself crowned as emperor. His actions would eventually contribute to the decline of the Roman Republic and the rise of the Roman Empire, but the initial consequences were that the Roman Republic became far more conservative as power was further concentrated in the hands of the wealthy few.

Pericles is probably the most famous and esteemed statesman of ancient Athenian society. He lived in the fifth century BCE. The time of Pericles, between the Persian and Peloponnesian Wars, is often referred to as the Golden Age of Athens. Pericles encouraged the growth of Athenian democracy and expanded the electorate; he promoted the growth of arts and literature; he organized the renovation of Athens’ ancient monuments, like the acropolis; and he contributed to the defense of the city from Spartan invasion.

Tribunes were elected officials in the ancient Roman Republic. The role of tribunes was to protect the interest of the plebeians (lower class) and act as a check on the power of the Roman Senate (which primarily served the interests of the aristocracy).

The Roman Republic frequently elected temporary dictators in times of crisis or civil unrest. They were given extraordinary individual power to put down rebellions or defeat invading armies or restore order to the Senate. This practice was stopped following the Second Punic War with Carthage.

The Second Triumvirate of Rome was comprised of Marcus Lepidus, Mark Antony, and Octavian (later Augustus Caesar). The rise of the Second Triumvirate marks the final end of the Roman Republic. Together the triumvirate governed Rome for ten years with the consent of the Roman Senate. In 33 BCE relations deteriorated and Octavian defeated the forces of Mark Antony and Cleopatra in battle and consolidated Roman power in his sole authority.

Consuls were the highest ranking elected officials in the Roman Republic. Two Consuls were generally elected at the same time, to rule concurrently. They were elected for one-year terms and were chosen by an assembly of aristocrats. Consuls had a great deal of power in the Roman Republic, but they were not dictators and were still answerable to the Senate and the tribunes.

The correct answer is "A republic". The Roman Republic immediately preceded the founding of the empire, and it existed from approximately 509 to 27 BCE. As for the other answers: democracy was invented and famously practiced in the Greek city state of Athens, and the period of the Roman kingdom is largely based on legends, and by any standard it existed before the Republic, so neither "absolute monarchy" nor "constitutional monarchy" would be good answers. Lastly, 'anarchism' was not considered to be a practiced form of social organization in this time or place.

The Sui Dynasty of China reigned for less than fifty years in the sixth and seventh centuries CE. Nonetheless, the Sui Dynasty is considered especially important in Chinese history. The Sui united the northern and southern Chinese kingdoms and returned the rule of China to the hands of the ethnic Han Chinese. They also constructed the Grand Canal, which facilitated the movement of people and goods around China for several centuries.

The correct answer is democratic. The Roman Republic did allow voting but voting rights were unequal and didn't conform to representative democratic principles. Upper class citizens could unite and veto majority decisions on the basis of class.