Greek Polis Research Paper

The English word "politics" is derived from the Greek word polis. In meaning, a polis was the Greek’s political standpoint and community in which they lived. The polis or was the most important form of committee that dominated the Mediterranean world for 1300 years from 750 BCE to 500 CE. In practice a polis was an autonomous group of Greeks with its own citizen army its own set of laws and its own specific gods.
So what did it mean to be a Greek who lived in a polis? Well, it meant many different things. It meant you shared a common culture with other Greeks. You spoke the same language, though in a unique dialect. You should have common literature with other Greeks, at least as far as poems of Homer. You also worship the same God has other …show more content…
It was the social, political, and economical center for a city such as Athens. There were many moving parts to the polis and in Greek life in general; men and women. Both of these parties brought different attributes and contributions to the ancient world. Men held the dominant role in public life in ancient Greece. They were engaged in politics and public events, while women were to stay in the home. Men were the decision makers of this time, which meant they wrote the laws. On the other hand, to be a woman in ancient Greece it meant that your place was in the house and she was not to be seen or heard. Women received little to no education, they had no political or legal identity, and could never leave the house unattended. The main function of a Greek wife was to provide her husband with children, preferably male so the men would have a …show more content…
The men who forced the oligarchs out of power were called tyrants, starting a tyranny in Athens. In a tyranny, the ruling power is in the hands of one person who is not a lawful king. A tyrant was different from a monarch in that he has no legal right to claim rule, and that a tyrant did not inherit his power, it was taken by force. Even though the tyrants took their power by force, it did not mean they were unpopular. Tyrants were usually Greek military leaders who gained the support of the people by promising them more rights, and once they were in power they kept their promise by helping the poor and even cancelling debts of poor farmers. They also exiled aristocrats that challenged him. However, some tyrants were not as gracious as others. The last tyrant of Athens, Hippias, was harsh in his rule. He hired spies to report anyone who spoke out against him and then killed the guilty. As his reign became more and more unbearable, he was forced to step down from power. The people were ready for a new form of government, one that was ruled by the people, a democracy.
Around 500 BCE, the people of Athens developed a democracy. However, it was a different democracy than the one we have today, Athens had a direct democracy where every citizen can vote on every issue. Athenian democracy consisted of an assembly, any free man could speak in the Assembly and vote on public