The Spartan government system was the most unique and efficient government in the ancient Greek world, comprising an oligarchy combined with a monarchy and a democracy. This complex system of government makes the Spartan government more efficient than the Athenian system, but it also limits the amount of power that common people had in government affairs. The power that the assembly (a collection of men over the age of 30) possessed in Sparta was the power to approve or veto decisions made by the ephors. Although Sparta had an elected dual monarchy, this was enacted to act as a counterbalancing system so that the monarch could not abuse his power. The ephors were the group of the Spartan government that had the power to declare war, ensure that the kings did not abuse their power; if necessary the ephors had the right to impeach the king. Much like Sparta, Athens had a system of government that alienated the poorer population, sometimes leading the poor to sell themselves into slavery to repay their debts. However, during the Golden Age, Athens abandoned its aristocratic and tyrannical governments when Solon and Cleisthenes began to introduce democracy to the Athenian people. Solon forgave all the debts of the poor and restructured the legislative process, while Cleisthenes strove to integrate Solon's ideas