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The Polis: The Foundation Of Greek Identity And Civilization

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A polis was a self-governing city-state that served as a foundation of Greek identity. Although each polis was unique in its own way, they shared a similar significance to Ancient Greek civilization being that it formed a new political structure that provided a defining characteristic of Greek identity and civilization. For instance, new political institutions provided communities with their own laws and traditions. In their respective polis, people had a sense of belonging to the community and how each individual had a part in making the whole of the community. This was vital for the idea of Greek identity as “this notion of community was fundamental to the polis and was the very badge of Greekness” (A History of Western Society 68). Furthermore, the political structure of poleis established various forms of government where certain ones were favored more than the other or were best for the people.
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