WORLD CIVILIZATION

Detailed explanation-1: -A city-state, or polis, was the community structure of ancient Greece. Each city-state was organized with an urban center and the surrounding countryside. Characteristics of the city in a polis were outer walls for protection, as well as a public space that included temples and government buildings.

Detailed explanation-2: -Each polis was an independent entity with its own legislative, executive, and judicial functions and its own military. Some poleis, like Athens, had navies as well. There were Greek poleis that were tyrannies, democracies, or oligarchies.

Detailed explanation-3: -These colonies remained in contact with their mother cities, and acknowledged their ‘blood ties’ with them, but in most other respects they soon acted independently of them. A final reason behind the development of city-states was the Greek aristocracy, who acted to prevent any permanent monarchies from forming.

Detailed explanation-4: -Ancient Greece was comprised of hundreds of essentially independent city-states, partly due to the geography of Greece. Communities were separated by mountains, hills, and water.

Detailed explanation-5: -Of these, Athens and Sparta were the two most powerful city-states. Athens was a democracy and Sparta had two kings and an oligarchic system, but both were important in the development of Greek society and culture.