The Greek Polis

Polis which in the plural is poleis literally means city and the Greek polis is the ancient Greek city-state. Due to the natural division of the country for the mountains and the sea along with the location of the habitats of the original tribes and cults, the small state in Greece probably has originated. Thus, the history of Greece is only developed on the basis of the history and the development of the two major Greek cities along with some of the minor cities. These Greek city names are Athens and Sparta.

The poleis are usually walled all around and are placed in the centre of the town that encloses the surrounding countryside. On the rise grounds of the city, there exists a fort that is popularly referred to as “Acropolis” along with a marketplace also referred to as “agora”. The centre of each of the Greek city-states is reserved for the government and the other citizens of the state live in the periphery of the city that surrounds the central part of the city. The polis was ideally made as a corporation centre for all the citizens who are taking part in the government, economic welfare, religious cult, and defence. For centuries, the people of the country are being observed and regularised by the government depending on the type of government formed which can be tyranny, oligarchy, aristocracy, or democracy. Usually, the government of the country comprises magistrates, a council, and the assembly of the citizens. A subsequent number of non-citizens such as minors, slaves, women, and residential aliens are also incorporated into the government though they hold a smaller space in it.  

During the period between the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BCE and the conquest of Egypt by the Romans in 30 BCE, the freedom of the country was cut down. It was because a large portion of the entire land came under the conquest of the large territorial monarchies who belonged to Macedonian origin. But the government was still in some power to manage local affairs and the city like Athens kept growing as an intellectual centre of Greece. 

Greek City-States: Athens

At the beginning of the 6th century BCE, Athens started emerging out as the dominant economic power of Greece. Its dominance in the trading prospect became more prominent with the discovery of silver near its neighbouring mountains. Steadily Athens became the trading centre of Greece that involved trading with the other city-states of Greece. It was also very important for Greece to be involved completely in trading as agriculture was not favoured due to the environmental condition of Athens and not many crops could be grown by cultivation that can be enough for its population.

Athens underwent transition as different governments came into play from time to time and it grew in its financial status and became wealthier through its maritime trade. The wealth became more and more concentrated in the hands of the few wealthier people who belonged to the nobility of Athens and political leaders. This in turn has left common residents of Athens into huge debts and was, therefore, forced into debt slavery. There was also the lack of perceived consistency in the law of the state at that period. Around 621 BCE, a statesman named Darco put down the first series of laws to deal with the inequalities. But all the laws were considered to be too severe as most of the punishment that was stated for most infractions was the death penalty. Therefore, an aristocrat named Solon was called later to make some modifications to the draconian law. Hence, he created many laws that aimed at equalising political power. He also worked to abolish the slavery debts by canceling all the debts. He also laid the laws that created opportunities for the people to participate in the governmental system of Athens. It is because of this reason, that he is considered as the person to lay the ground laws for democracy in Athens. 

In between 461 to 429 BCE, a leader named Pericles was a well-known leader who extensively worked together for encouraging culture, philosophy, and science along with advocating for the common people residing in the city. It is said that under his supervision and incredible leadership, Athens entered into the golden era where great thinkers and writers flourished to a greater extent. Herodotus who was known as the father of history lived and wrote his works in Athens. Socrates who was known as the father of philosophy used to teach in the marketplace. Hippocrates who is known as the father of medicine also joined with the former to teach in the marketplace. Phidias who was a renowned sculptor created one of his greatest works for the Temple of Zeus in Olympia and for Parthenon on Acropolis. Few of the famous Greek plays were written by Aeschylus, Euripides, Aristophanes, and Sophocles in Athens during this period. In 385 BCE, Plato founded his Academy outside the walls of Athens. 

But even after all the flourishment, Athen’s democracy was limited to men. The slaves, women, minors, and foreigners were not included within the periphery of democratic rights. The women were confined to private spheres. They were only responsible for managing children, taking care of the households. This included the enslaved people if one could afford them for housekeeping. While the upper-class women received education and were literate, the lower and middle section of women were restricted to the amount of education that is strictly required to manage the household chores. Even, in order to travel in public, the women needed male chaperons. Though the enslaved people were not a part of the political system, they became an integral part of the economy where they were the sole cultivators of land, worked largely in construction sites, and carried out a series of domestic functions.    

Greek City-States: Sparta

Between 600 to 800 BCE, the Greek city-state Sparta flourished with the population as it is located in the area of the Peloponnesus which is absolutely fertile and is there in the peninsula of southern Greece. As the financial power grew extremely in Spata in a very complex way, thus it influenced the neighbouring villages and towns to come under its control. It slowly extended its economical power throughout Peloponnesus. But the villagers were not treated equally to that of the residence of Sparta. Thus the villagers slowly turned into unfree labourers who were referred to as helots. The riches of Sparta did not enslave the privately-owned labourers, indeed they were subjects of the state of Sparta. They had some degree of freedom likeable to have a family. But at the expense of it, they were financially tied up with the land and were responsible for supplying food to the people of Sparta throughout the year. To prevent and subdue the rebellions, the city of Sparta developed a powerful and structured military team. 

Despite the helots not being given equal opportunity as that of the Spartans, but even then, there was no strict hierarchy and complex social structure being followed according to what has been stated in the theories. Thus here military achievements were the key factor to determine the class of the people rather than the monetary gain or the financial stability. From a very young age, a child is subjected to discipline and mannerism. At the age of seven, the boys in the Spata are separated from the family and are sent to the military camps. They are given strict training so that they can get into military services and can serve the state when they are barely out of their teens. The society of the Spata does not have a hierarchy but they do comprise some of the influential groups.  

Conclusion

Thus, the Greek polis is referred to as the old and ancient Greek state-city. The city experienced multiple numbers of governance with the different governments bringing about different changes in terms of political structure and strength. Greek colonisation has led to the widespread of Greek culture, tradition, and language. But it has also resulted in huge tension with the Persian empires in the neighbouring countries leading to the Persian war. Athens was considered as the city of intellectuals as it developed many masterpieces during a time period. Many of the great philosophers, historians, and medical people have contributed great work towards society. Unlike the society of Athens, the society of Spata does not follow a wealth hierarchy. It focuses more on discipline and military achievements as the key factor to determine the class of the people.