Which form of government, practiced in certain greek city-states and in persian empire describe a society ruled by a king or queen until his or her death at which point power passes on to a family member

It were be primarily a "monarchy" (usually an "absolute monarchy") in which power is passed on to a family member after the king or queen's death, since in such systems it is believed that the royal family in question is "appointed" by God. 

The goods the europeans wanted the most were gold, jewels, silk, perfumes, and especially spices.

His belief that laws designed to the majority would succeed in aiding minorities as well