Greek Polis

The Greek polis were the city-states of Ancient Greece, which were instrumental in the development of Greek culture in the late Homeric period, Archaic period and Classical period.

Without a doubt, Athens and Sparta deserve to be highlighted as the most important Greek cities (polis) in the Greek world.

The term “polis” in Greek means “city”. Note that the Greek polis represent the basis for the development of the concept of the city as we know it today.

Birth and Development of Polis

The polis appear in the 8th century BC. and reach their zenith in the 6th and 5th centuries BC. Previously, people gathered in small villages (agricultural gentile communities called “genos ”) with land for collective use, which flourished during the Homeric period.

The demographic and trade expansion were the main causes for the emergence of the Polis, which included the countryside and the city (center). They were, therefore, essential to strengthen the organization of the members of Greek society.

The polis was controlled by an aristocratic oligarchy and had its own organization and, therefore, social, political and economic independence. The social organization of the polis was basically constituted by free men (Greek citizens) born in the polis, women, foreigners (metics) and slaves.

Therefore, in Athens the so-called Eupatrids or “Well-born” belonged to the small ruling class that owned the largest lands and were responsible for administering the politics of the polis.

After them were the Georgoi, landowning farmers. And finally, the Thetas (or marginals), the workers who had no power over the lands and who represented the majority of the Greek population.

Already the society in Sparta it was divided into Spartans (the soldier aristocrats), responsible for the development of polis politics.

The so-called Periecos represented free men (merchants, farmers and artisans). And finally, the slaves, called the Helots, who constituted most of the Spartan pollution.

The Greek polis were divided into two parts:the Astey (urban area) and the Khora (rural area), being formed by houses, streets, walls and public spaces.

As public spaces, we can highlight the Acropolis, the highest point of the city, formed by palaces and temples dedicated to the gods; and the Agora, the main square where fairs and various public events such as civic and religious events took place.

The economy in the polis was based on agriculture and commerce, being a self-sufficient urban core. Politics in the polis, on the other hand, revolved around the People's Assembly, the Aristocratic Council and the Magistrates, although in each place it presented peculiar characteristics.

For example, in Athens political power came from the Ecclesia, the Popular Assemblies, which in Sparta were called the Apel (made up of Spartans over 30 years old) and Gerusia (composed of 28 elders over 60 years old).

Characteristics of the Greek Polis

The main characteristics of the Greek polis were:

It had autonomy and held power;
They were self-sufficient (politically, socially and economically);
They had their own laws and social organization;
Propelled the emergence of private property;
It had social complexity.

Athenian Democracy

Athenian democracy represented one of the most emblematic moments in the history of Athens.

It was developed through the legislators and politicians Dracon and Solon and consolidated around 510 BC, when the aristocratic politician Cleisthenes defeats the tyrant Hippias.

Its implementation was essential in the development of the Greek polis, which was spread to the other city-states.

Greek Polis:Philosophy

Since the polis represented one of the models of social, political and economic organization in the Greek world, it was essential for the development of society as well as human thought, mediated by the processes of socialization that took place among citizens in public places.

It was from these webs of relationships that Greek philosophy represented one of the important strands that were developed by philosophers who inhabited the polis.

With the advent of democracy, these social relationships were consolidated by reflections carried out by Greek citizens.

This rational evolution of the mind was the key to the development of Greek philosophy at the expense of the mythological view that dominated the Greek mentality earlier.