Athens and sparta were both

countries.
city-states.
monarchies.
empires.

they where city states. it was Alexander the great that United them, and created a single unified hellenic country (whilst also invading persia)

   City-states

Explanation:  Athens and Sparta were two of many city-states in ancient Greece. It was a typical form of political governance where every city had its own government. One of the reasons for the formation of such city-states is relief, although it is not crucial, the evidence for this is the formation of the empire under Alexander the Great. Before the creation of the Greek Empire, each of the city-states had different types of governments, and often fought against each other for various political reasons, although when faced with danger from the outside, they knew how to unite and come together against the enemy.

the answer is a

explanation: