for lack of a better name,

我想不出更好的说法了
a monarch who fundamentally rules and everybody is subject to him.

统治者制定规则一切都要臣服于他
He has an aristocracy around him,

他身边有贵族陪同
he has a lot of helpers, but he's the boss

他有很多侍从但他才是老大
and that's what you see in the world everywhere else.

就像你在世界各地看到的一样
After that, if you examine as best we can

接下来如果你尽可能地研究一下
the cities of the Dark Ages

黑暗时代的城邦
and ask what kind of government,

以及他们采用何种政府形式的话
if you want to use that word, would these communities have had,

要是你很想用政府这个词
you probably wouldn't do badly if you looked at

你也许会从《奥德赛》中
the Odyssey for the best clues you could find.

找到你想得到的那个答案
Of course, they won't be perfect,

当然并不是完美的答案