Ancient Greece A Unique Institution Formed During The...

The Polis was a unique institution formed during the Dark Ages (1100-776 BCE) in Ancient Greece following the fall of Mycenaean Civilization. The term polis can also be translated in to city-state in that each poleis was its own independent state which were generally organized in to complex hierarchical structures. Poleis were independent in several aspects such as (but not limited to): political, judicial and religious dealings. There were many notable poleis in Ancient Greek, and many of them were in their prime, were very successful however, the ideal polis was Athens. Athens was a model polis because of its political systems, economy, intellectual capital and naval strength. A vital question is, what constitutes an ideal polis? As mentioned before a polis is a city state (a city that functions as an independent state). In order for a polis to be ideal it must follow a criterion. In order to be an ideal polis, the city state must have adequate political leadership and systems. Thi s includes the rule of many as well as appropriate representation amongst citizens. The ideal polis, must have strong economic policies or advancements (the desire to expand/grow). The desire to expand and grow can be perceived as a corporate perspective to the polis. The polis must have a desire to grow economically (in which ever field such as agriculture, pottery etc.) and also a desire to grow as a state. The polis must also have institutions of learning, in order to create a knowledgeable