polis

Examples of polis in the following topics:

• The Agora

  • An agora was the central, public space of Greek poleis, singular polis.
  • The word means "gathering place" or "assembly" in ancient Greek and was the location where members of a polis met to discuss rulings and military actions.
  • The polis was also home to markets and athletic competitions.

• Introduction to Ancient Greece

  • Greek society was insular, and loyalties were focused around one's polis (city-state).
  • While Greek daily life and loyalty was centered on one's polis, the Greeks did create leagues, which vied for control of the peninsula, and were able to unite together against a common threat (such as the Persians).
  • With the defeat of the Persian threat, Athens became the most powerful polis until the start of the Peloponnesian War in 431 BCE.

• Delphi and Greek Treasuries

  • These small, temple-like structures held the votives and offerings made to Apollo as well as a small proportion of the spoils won from battle from each polis.
  • The Siphnian Treasury was built for the polis of Siphnos, a city-state that occupied a Cycladic island.

• Polytheism

  • The term comes from the Greek poly ("many") and theoi ("gods") and was first invented by the Jewish writer Philo of Alexandria.

• Pottery in the Greek Geometric Period

  • Unlike the Mycenaeans, this culture was more focused on the people of the polis, which is reflected in the art of this period.

• The Acropolis

  • The word "acropolis" comes from the Greek words ἄ (akron, "edge, extremity") and π (polis, "city").