GREEK POLIS: CHARACTERISTICS, SOCIAL AND POLITICAL ORGANIZATION - HISTORY - 2025

The Greek polis were the name given to the characteristic city-states of classical Greece. This type of political and administrative units arose at the end of the Dark Ages, when various population nuclei were grouped together in a process called synecism.

Ancient Greece did not exist as a country in the modern sense, but was made up of a large number of independent polis with their own social characteristics. Only in the face of an external threat did the cops unite and act as a common entity. While that was not happening, clashes between them were frequent.

Map of Ancient Greece - Source:

Among the most important polis were Athens, Sparta or Olympia. Although their political structures varied, one of the points in common was the creation of the concept of citizen. Apart from these, the city-states also lived with other free inhabitants but not citizens and, in the lower part of society, slaves.

While Sparta distinguished itself as a militarized society, other polis, such as Athens, soon stood out for the importance attached to philosophy. At that time, philosophy was also concerned with theorizing about politics, so the works of authors such as Socrates influenced administrative organization.

Origin

The polis was the name given to the city-states that made up Ancient Greece. They were independent administrative units made up of the central city and the lands that surrounded it.

Although there is no absolute consensus on the date of their appearance, it is generally considered that they originated in the late Archaic Age.

Dark Age

The Dark Age includes the historical period that goes from 1200 a. C to 750 a. C. At the end of this era is when the cops begin to appear.

Already during the Bronze Age antecedents of these city-states had emerged, but the end of the Mycenaean civilization caused a crisis in the urban centers. For that reason, during most of the Dark Ages, cities were not of great importance.

Genos or oikos

According to historians, the origin of the polis lies in the union of the oikos. These were clans at first familiar and later broader, which were ruled by the Basileus.

At one point, several oikos decided to accept a single authority to put an end to open conflicts between them. For the VIII century a. This union had led to the creation of authentic city-states: the polis.

Along with the full members of the oikos, the polis were also home to the slaves owned by each clan and who were essential to the economy of the time.

Discrepancies in the date of origin

In spite of the aforementioned, there is a historiographical current that advances the origin of the polis to the 9th century BC. These are based on the fact that the formation in the 8th century BC. C of some colonies that had the characteristics of city-states. The bottom line is that to replicate that structure in the colonies, the polis had to have appeared earlier.

One of the archaeological evidences that seems to confirm this opinion is the remains of Smyrna. This was built around the year 850 a. C and was made up of about 500 houses surrounded by a wall.

Likewise, the supporters of placing it in the 9th century BC. C the appearance of the polis indicate that Homer described cities of this type in his poems.

Evolution of the polis

As with all administrative organizations, the Greek polis evolved over time. At first, their system was aristocratic, with the nobles controlling the government of the city-state.

With the passage of time, the Basileus was losing to the political and economic power. He only kept his religious power intact. These further increased the influence of the aristocracy.

This system was the dominant one until the beginning of the archaic era, at which point the nobility had to begin to share their power with other groups.

The crisis that put an end to the rule of the aristocracy happened between the 7th century BC. C and VI a. It is then that the so-called stasis occurred, which caused the polis to adopt a system of tyranny.

From the archaic polis to the classic polis

The next step in the evolution of the polis came when the underprivileged classes united with those in the middle position to demand improvements in their situation.

The authorities of the polis responded to this demand by appointing special magistrates, who were, in practice, authors of new legislation. The laws drafted were intended to smooth out the conflicts that had arisen.

Although the result varied depending on the polis, an unprecedented system to date began to develop in Athens: democracy.

characteristics

The different cops had their own characteristics. However, there were some shared by most of them.

Small territorial extension

Among the elements common to all the Greek polis was the small territory that each one dominated.

As a general rule, the polis was made up of a city in which administrative, religious, commercial and political buildings were located. Around this urban nucleus, the polis dominated a small strip of land devoted to crops.

The size of most of the polis did not exceed 90 square kilometers. Its population ranged from 3,000 to 5,000 inhabitants. The exception to this small size were Athens and Sparta, the two powers in the area.

Political and economic independence

Although the concept of the nation-state was not yet born, each Greek polis could be considered as an independent state. Each had its own government and administrative system, and wars between them were frequent.

Another common element in the polis was their economic independence. Each city had its own currency and its own way of organizing trade.

The social structure

Polis society was made up of several different classes. The great novelty was the appearance of the concept of citizen. These were those free people who had the right to vote.

On the other hand, the polis were slave societies. The slaves used to be prisoners of war, although some got to that situation because of the debts they contracted.

Architectural organization of the polis

These city-states used to be very similar in terms of their urban organization. Thus, they had a citadel or fortress called an acropolis that stood on the highest ground in the urban area. It was in that citadel that the buildings dedicated to religion, economics and politics were located.

These urban centers were organized around a large public space, a kind of central square: the agora. It was where the market was built and where cultural activities were held.

Finally, the walls played a fundamental role for the defense of the city. As the polis were gaining in strength, the walls were increasing in extension.

Political organization

In the beginning, the polis were ruled by monarchs. Later, these were losing their power in the hands of an oligarchy made up of the aristocracy. The next step was the emergence of tyrannies based on the rule of a powerful leader. Finally, in some of the city-states, democracy prevailed.

Basileus

As noted, the polis began as monarchies, although monarchs did not accumulate all powers. The Basileus, the name given to the king, accumulated religious, military and judicial powers.

At his side the nobility ruled, with control functions so that the monarch did not overreach. These aristocrats were the owners of the best farmland and, through the marriage of their descendants, they accumulated more economic and political power.

Over time, the aristocracy began to strip the Basileus of many of its powers, eventually becoming the rulers of the cities.

Political evolution

The aristocrats, when they came to power in the polis, reserved access to the most important positions on the Council. However, several crises ended up causing different tyrants to appear that put an end to the aristocratic rule.

Already in the Archaic period, the polis underwent changes in their social and economic structures. These transformations, in turn, ended up promoting changes in the political system that allowed the people to participate in decisions.

Although, compared to the current concept, it was more of a plutocracy than a democracy, it did represent a totally different way of governing.

Democracy and the concept of citizens

In the political and social sphere, there is no doubt that one of the great innovations introduced by the Greek polis was the creation of the concept of citizen.

From that moment on, the free male inhabitants of the polis began to have political rights, such as being able to vote.

Not all the inhabitants could acquire the condition of citizen. Thus, foreigners, women, slaves and freedmen could not be.

It should be noted that this new political system, democracy, did not reach all the Greek polis. One of the most important, Sparta, maintained its government based on the aristocracy.

Political institutions

Although there were exceptions, most polis created very similar institutions, although the names could vary.

Among the most common were the Assembly, the group of citizens, the Council, which advised the government and the Magistrates, officials of each city-state.

Social organization

As has been pointed out, one of the bases of the society of the polis was the appearance of the concept of citizen. For this, issues such as wealth or their status as a free person or not were taken into account.

Citizens or politai

The citizens were the only ones who had all the political and civil rights. This condition was achieved by birth and meant the acquisition of some responsibilities with the city-state.

These responsibilities ranged from military to political to judicial. In all these areas, citizens could and should participate by occupying positions of responsibility.

Finally, they were also obliged to pay some special fees to cover public ceremonies or festivals.

Not citizens but free

Among free men, since women were governed by another social system, there were some groups that were not considered citizens. Among these groups were, for example, foreigners who lived in the polis.

Non-free social classes

The Greek polis were societies in which slaves abounded. These used to have reached that condition for reasons of war, like many descendants of the defeated. Likewise, unwanted children could end up having that fate, as could those who could not pay their debts.

There were two types of slaves: public, whose owner was the State, and private, who belonged to private owners. Not being considered free, these slaves did not enjoy any kind of political rights. Instead, they could buy their own freedom and become free people, but never citizens.

Sparta

As a militarized and aristocratic society, Sparta had some unique characteristics. Thus, only those born to mothers and fathers of the city-state could be considered Spartans. Her only job was military service.

As in the rest of the polis, these citizens were the only ones with political rights, something from which women were excluded.

Economic organization

The basis of the economy of all ancient Greece was agriculture, although in many areas its fields were quite unproductive. At the beginning of the 4th century BC, the polis began to develop artisan activities, as well as to promote trade.

Another characteristic aspect of the economy of the polis was the use of slaves for the hardest jobs.

farming

Although the orography of the Hellenic peninsula made many areas difficult to cultivate, the polis used the plains to grow products such as vines, cereals, olives or vegetables.

These lands were in the hands of large landowners and farmers with less land had to limit themselves to subsistence activity.

Crafts

Handicrafts in the early days of the polis were practically only for domestic use. Little by little, this was changing until, by the 4th century BC. C, this activity played an important role in the commerce of city-states.

At first, it was an activity carried out only by women, but when more production became necessary, the polis began to use slaves as labor.

Apart from textiles, which became very famous, the cops also worked leather, metal, or clay. These materials used to be handled in specialized workshops and, most of the time, they belonged to specific families.

It is considered the year 429 a. C as the turning point in the craft of the polis. From then on, a social class made up of the owners of these workshops appeared. This new group soon managed to amass significant wealth.

Commerce

If the Greek orography was an impediment to the development of agriculture, its geographical location gave it the opportunity to be a commercial power, especially in the maritime sector.

His ships were soon heading to Egypt, Italy, and the Black Sea in search of the wheat they needed, while carrying other goods to sell.

Trade became so important that a new social class developed: the emporoi or merchants. These had to pay tribute for each load they transported.

Main Greek polis

The two great powers of ancient Greece were Athens and Sparta. The two had different political, social and commercial systems and clashed on various occasions. Besides, there were also other important polis such as Olympia or Corinth.

Athens

The name of the city comes from the goddess Athena, who, according to myth, claimed the area after defeating Poseidon.

According to historians, the first inhabitants settled in Athens around the year 3000 BC. C. The whole city was built taking the Acropolis as its nerve center. Already by 1400 a. C, it had become an important settlement within the Mycenaean civilization.

Athens, unlike Sparta, did not focus its development on military power. Its importance was based on its commercial activities, especially maritime ones. In part, this commitment to commerce was due to the poverty of the land that surrounded the city.

In time, Athens was the center of all classical Greek civilization. In it, philosophy reached heights that had never been seen and it was also the place where democracy developed.

Sparta

Along with Athens, Sparta became the other great polis of its time. Her power was based on her military might.

The army of Sparta was the only professional in all of Greece. Each of its components received a farm and the slaves necessary to work it.

Its origin is in the union of five villages. These, already gathered in a city-state, were conquering the nearby towns. Over time, their power increased and they began to attack other city-states until they came to control almost all of the Peloponnese.

The government of Sparta never evolved towards democracy. At the head of the polis was a caste made up of warriors.

Its power became so great that in order to defeat it a great alliance had to be formed between the main polis. Finally, the 362 a. C, Sparta was defeated by the Thebans and began its decline.

Maroon

As was customary among Greek polis, Corinth was raised from a raised rocky area. The city was surrounded by a great wall that descended from that rock until it reached an artificial port.

For a time, Corinth managed to position itself almost to the same level of importance as Athens and Sparta. It was also where colonizing expeditions to Sicily and Corfu started.

Corinth was one of the most enduring city-states, maintaining its importance well after Roman rule began.

Pergamon

Part of the most important polis were located in Asia Minor, a territory located in present-day Turkey. Among them, Pergamon stood out, a cultural and intellectual center in which an authentic treasure of knowledge was preserved in the form of scrolls.

Olympia

Situated on the slope of Mount Cronio, Olympia went down in history as the origin of the Olympic Games. These were held every four years, for a few days when all wars had to stop.

Similarly, Olympia was home to some of the best-known religious buildings in classical Greece. Finally, in this city, the workshop of Phidias, one of the most prestigious sculptors of the ancient world, was located.

Importance in the philosophy of Ancient Greece

Philosophy, a word derived from the Greek terms "philos" (love or follower) and "sofia" (wisdom) was cultivated in almost all the polis. Through it it was intended to reach the truth using reason.

Philosophers tried to understand the world around them through the use of thought and to extract the laws that determined the natural order.

On the other hand, it must be borne in mind that in ancient Greece philosophers were not only dedicated to abstract thought. His works covered a multitude of subjects, from physics to politics. In the latter field, philosophers discussed the best possible system of government, something that had practical repercussions in the polis.

Philosophy as a discipline of thought is considered to be born in Miletus, a polis located in Asia Minor.

Philosophy and political organization

The social and political system of the Greek polis gave its citizens the opportunity to dedicate part of their time to intellectual activities. This, in itself, represented a great change compared to previous civilizations.

Many of the early philosophers, like the Sophists, had a special interest in educating young people to participate in politics.

Later, it was the philosophers who theorized about the best possible system of government. Some preferred the government of the best, understood as the most intellectually prepared, while others provided arguments in favor of democracy.

Plato and Aristotle

School of Athens. Rafael Sanzio.

Although there were numerous philosophical schools, all experts highlight the names of two philosophers as the most influential: Plato and Aristotle. His work was not only important in his time, but is part of the foundations of civilization in the West.

Both philosophers based much of their political and social thought on the very existence of the polis. This, composed of citizens and slaves, was only viable if it was considered as a political entity.

Law and justice were the main elements of the polis. Along with them, the two philosophers also attached great importance to freedom, understood as a political concept and unattainable outside the city-states.

References

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