Polis

A polis (πολις)

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— plural: poleis (πολεις) —

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is a city, or a city-state. The word originates from the ancient Greek city-states, which developed during the Hellenic period and survived (though with decreasing influence) well into Roman times.

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The territory of an ancient polis centred around a citadel, called the acropolis, and would of necessity also have an agora (market) and a gymnasion. Most people lived in the countryside, but only a short journey away from the civic centre. The Greeks did not regard the polis as a territorial unit so much as a religious and political association. Each city was composed of several tribes or demes, which were in turn composed of phratries and finally gentes. Metics (resident foreigners) and slaves lay outside this organization. Birth typically determined citizenship. Each polis also had a number of protecting gods and its own particular festivals and customs.

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City: :For alternate meanings see city (disambiguation)...

City-state: A city-state is a region controlled exclusively by a city, and usually having sovereignty....

Ancient Greek: Ancient Greek refers to the stage in the history of the Greek language corresponding to Classical Antiquity, which normally applies on two ancient periods of Greek history: Archaic and Classic Greece. The Ancient era of Greek history normally includes also the Hellenistic (post-Classic) age, however...