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Questions and Answers
What did Solon do to Ancient Athens?
What was one of the benefits of colonization for the city-states?
What was the purpose of the cities built by Alexander the Great?
What was one of the outcomes of the rivalry between Greek city-states?
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What was the purpose of the Olympic games?
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What was the outcome of the Peloponnesian War?
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What was the main difference between Egypt and the Greek city-states?
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What was the main similarity between Mesopotamia and Greece?
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What was the benefit of joining the Mesopotamian empire?
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What was the main reason for the extensive warfare of Egypt with its neighbors?
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Study Notes
Greek City-States
- Emerged in the first centuries of recorded civilization, around 2000 BCE
- Did not coalesce into larger empires like their Sumerian and Egyptian neighbors
- Developed separate cultures due to mountainous geography of mainland Greece
- Hellenism was the essential connection between city-states, encompassing politics, religion, and culture
Ancient Greek City-States
- Also known as polis city-states, grew as separate ruling entities not answerable to any larger empire
- The concept of the polis is fundamental to modern understandings, influencing politics, police, and polite
- Most influential city-states emerged as trading centers before becoming hubs of trade and culture
- Each polis had unique ruling structures and ways of life, with geographic separation making them intensely self-reliant and proud of their unique cultures
Examples of Greek City-States
- Thebes: emerged in central Greece centuries before others, thrived during the Bronze Age and the Golden Age of the 500s BCE
- Athens: developed laws protecting democracy, a vigilantly guarded system, and was the second city-state to emerge
- Sparta: known for its constitution and military focus, contributed to the reputation of Greeks as intelligent warriors
- Corinth: enjoyed wealth due to its central trading location
- Delphi: had deep religious significance as the location of the Oracle and shrine to the god Apollo
Ancient Greek Cities
- The central city of each polis contained an agora for public buildings, including temples and government structures
- Agora was built on top of the acropolis or central hill, where leaders of each city-state met
- Pantheon of gods was essential to average citizens, who met in the agora to offer worship to their gods after purification rituals
- Market in the agora offered fountains for water and a marketplace for trading
Geographical Regions of Greek City-States
- Thebes developed in central Greece, surrounded by plains suitable for agriculture
- Athens was located on a peninsula walled in by mountains and the sea, giving it natural protection from invaders
- Sparta had mountainous protection, access to rivers for water, and the Laconian plain for agriculture
Government of Greek City-States
- No single form of government, with leadership structures varying between city-states
- Most had some form of oligarchy, where a few elites ruled over the rest
- Sparta had a council and two kings who controlled military matters
- Athens adopted democracy, or the rule of the people, a unique form of government in the ancient world
Features of Greek City-States
- Constitutions outlined powers of different governments, holding rulers accountable
- Colonialism was an ambition and necessity, with Greeks searching for new places to colonize
- Competition between city-states drove development, colonization, trade, and warfare
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Description
Explore the history of Greek city-states, unique in the ancient world for their independence and separate cultures. Learn about the development of separate cultures in each city-state and the underlying similarities that connected them.
