Emergence of City-States

• By the time Homer’s epics were composed each Greek community had begun to organize itself into a polis

• Polis= city state

The Polis

• A polis was a community with its own government– Governed the city as well as the surrounding

villages and countryside • Each polis had an agora or a marketplace and

a government center• Population was generally small

The High City

• A typical polis was usually built on two levels • Acropolis= meaning “high city” was built on a

high hill – Public buildings and temples– It also served as a fortress

• On lower ground were people’s homes, shops and farms

Politics in the Polis • Each city-state had a different form of government • In the early times the polis was governed by an

aristocracy • But in time the citizens began governing

themselves– In most of the world priests and kings held all political

power • Unfortunately not everyone was considered a

citizen of the city-state the lived in – Women, foreigners, and slaves could not participate in

government

Pride in the Polis

• Citizens felt strong pride and loyalty towards their polis – Greeks believed that a good citizen should always

be willing to sacrifice for his city • “The polis was the frame work of Greek life” – If a polis was successful citizens consider

themselves a success as well