akritas
09-02-2007, 09:38 AM
The term city-state is a modern one, coined probably by historian William Warde Fowler in his 1893 book, ‘The City-State of the Greeks and Romans'. For the Greeks the word was polis, which means both “city” and “state.” It could as well mean “independent sovereignty.” It is the word from which politics, the art of government, is derived. In the 4th century BC the philosopher Aristotle wrote a book entitled ‘Politics'. It was entirely about the governing of the polis, because he could imagine no other type of sovereignty that could be self-governing.
The ancient city-states of Mesopotamia developed from small villages into moderate-size cities. The same was true in Greece. In Greece, however, the type of land had more to do with the course of development than it did in Mesopotamia. Greece is a country of mountains and valleys, making land communication difficult. It was an ideal locale for the growth of completely independent, geographically separated communities.
This forced separation led to great diversity in the size, prosperity, culture, and forms of government among the Greek states. Some were democracies; others were governed by kings, tyrants, or small groups. Athens, the greatest of the city-states, was at one time or another a monarchy, tyranny, and democracy. Sparta, the perennial foe of Athens, was a highly militarized society ruled by kings. What these cities had in common was their independence and the fact that they were governed by laws.
Since Athens is considered by many historians to be the model city-state and the cradle of Western democracy, its institutions have probably been more closely studied than those of any of the other Greek societies. At the height of its power, during the 5th century BC, Athens was a popular democracy in a limited sense. Only male citizens were allowed to conduct public affairs. Women had no votes, nor did the many free foreign-born residents who came to make up a large part of the population. There were also many slaves, and these of course played no role in civic life.
The strength of the city-state was that all citizens knew each other and strove to take part in the conduct of public life. Each citizen was also soldier, judge, and participant in the cultural life of the city. The weakness of the city-state was its determination to be independent. During the Greek period hundreds of city-states were founded throughout the Mediterranean region from Asia Minor to southern France. Many of these were colonies sent out from the Greek mainland. That each could maintain its independence permanently proved impossible.
The stronger cities, such as Athens and Sparta, succeeded in dominating smaller ones and forcing them to pay tribute. Only in the face of a threat from Persia could they close ranks and cooperate . But in the end their separateness proved their undoing, as the larger sovereignties of Macedon and Rome overcame them.
After the end of the Roman Empire in the West, about AD 476, free city-states did not emerge until late in the Middle Ages in Europe. But from the 13th to the 15th century they came to dominate the commercial and cultural life of the continent. Among the most prominent were Florence, Genoa, Pisa, Milan, Venice, and Padua in Italy; Geneva in Switzerland; the cities of Flanders; and the trading cities of the Hanseatic League in what is now northern Germany—Hamburg, Lübeck, Bremen, and others. These cities lost their independence when nation-states came to dominate the map of Europe.
Source:Britannica on line, 2007 (http://www.britannica.com/ebc/article-198738)
The ancient city-states of Mesopotamia developed from small villages into moderate-size cities. The same was true in Greece. In Greece, however, the type of land had more to do with the course of development than it did in Mesopotamia. Greece is a country of mountains and valleys, making land communication difficult. It was an ideal locale for the growth of completely independent, geographically separated communities.
This forced separation led to great diversity in the size, prosperity, culture, and forms of government among the Greek states. Some were democracies; others were governed by kings, tyrants, or small groups. Athens, the greatest of the city-states, was at one time or another a monarchy, tyranny, and democracy. Sparta, the perennial foe of Athens, was a highly militarized society ruled by kings. What these cities had in common was their independence and the fact that they were governed by laws.
Since Athens is considered by many historians to be the model city-state and the cradle of Western democracy, its institutions have probably been more closely studied than those of any of the other Greek societies. At the height of its power, during the 5th century BC, Athens was a popular democracy in a limited sense. Only male citizens were allowed to conduct public affairs. Women had no votes, nor did the many free foreign-born residents who came to make up a large part of the population. There were also many slaves, and these of course played no role in civic life.
The strength of the city-state was that all citizens knew each other and strove to take part in the conduct of public life. Each citizen was also soldier, judge, and participant in the cultural life of the city. The weakness of the city-state was its determination to be independent. During the Greek period hundreds of city-states were founded throughout the Mediterranean region from Asia Minor to southern France. Many of these were colonies sent out from the Greek mainland. That each could maintain its independence permanently proved impossible.
The stronger cities, such as Athens and Sparta, succeeded in dominating smaller ones and forcing them to pay tribute. Only in the face of a threat from Persia could they close ranks and cooperate . But in the end their separateness proved their undoing, as the larger sovereignties of Macedon and Rome overcame them.
After the end of the Roman Empire in the West, about AD 476, free city-states did not emerge until late in the Middle Ages in Europe. But from the 13th to the 15th century they came to dominate the commercial and cultural life of the continent. Among the most prominent were Florence, Genoa, Pisa, Milan, Venice, and Padua in Italy; Geneva in Switzerland; the cities of Flanders; and the trading cities of the Hanseatic League in what is now northern Germany—Hamburg, Lübeck, Bremen, and others. These cities lost their independence when nation-states came to dominate the map of Europe.
Source:Britannica on line, 2007 (http://www.britannica.com/ebc/article-198738)