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Polis system of ancient Greece. What is a polis in Ancient Greece? Polis-states of Ancient Greece What Greek polis

The main form of economic, social, political and ideological organization of ancient Greek society was the polis, the character and features of which determine all the originality and uniqueness of Hellenic civilization. Polis is a unique and fundamentally new phenomenon of ancient Greek civilization, its highest achievement. This typically Greek socio-political structure ensured the creation of a rational economy, the functioning of complex forms of social life, republican, including democratic, forms of government, unsurpassed and perfect achievements in the cultural field.

It is generally accepted that a polis is a special type of community, namely a community of citizen-farmers; Moreover, in contrast to the communal structures of the Ancient East, which included exclusively the rural population, the Greek polis consisted of both peasant farmers and urban residents. The ancient Greeks themselves had no doubt that the policies within which they lived were a certain type of association, a kind of community structure created for the “good life” of the citizens and its constituents, a structure capable of independent existence and prosperity.

The main structure-forming elements of the Greek polis, which determined the conditions for its formation and development, were the following. First of all, this is the economic basis of any policy - the so-called. An ancient form of property in which state property and private property organically merged, and private property was mediated by state property. It necessarily followed from this that an indispensable and unconditional prerequisite for the right of ownership of land in the policy was membership in the number of citizens of this communal association. In a classical polis, only its citizen could be the owner of the land and, accordingly, each citizen had to own a plot of land on the polis territory. The supreme right to control and dispose of the land, this main means of production in ancient times, belonged to the collective of citizens, the civil community itself.

The ancient form of ownership was never static; it developed along with the progressive development of the Greek economy towards complete private ownership. Depending on the level of development of the ancient form of property, the qualitative state of all elements of the polis structure was determined: from the origin of the polis in the archaic era, through the era of its heyday in classical times, to the crisis caused by its evolution to full private property, in which, in essence, the clear functioning of the ancient polis and its structure-forming components was impossible.

The most important integral feature of the polis organization was the institution of citizenship. The population of the policy consisted of full, incomplete and powerless categories of residents. But only the citizens who were part of the polis community had the entire amount, the entire set of rights - economic, political, and social. It was the citizens of the polis who were, therefore, the most privileged category of its population.

The concept of a citizen included the totality of a number of his indispensable rights and obligations in relation to the civil collective of the policy. The main quality of a citizen was his status as a free person. The fact is that after the abolition of debt slavery of citizens in Greece, under no circumstances (except captivity) could they lose their freedom. In this regard, in the Greek world the conviction gradually developed that no Hellenic could be a slave. Later, this position will find its theoretical justification in the works of Aristotle, who formulated the thesis that only barbarians are slaves, and slaves “by nature.”

A Greek received civil status by virtue of his birth from citizen parents, although this rule in many policies was established only in the subsequent, classical period. The people's assembly of the polis could grant civil rights, but this practice was already characteristic of the time of crisis of the polis. In oligarchic states, having the status of a citizen could imply certain conditions - a property qualification, the presence of land ownership, the ability to have a set of heavy weapons.

One of the main rights and an indispensable feature of the civil status of a politician was his right to land ownership. Agriculture and labor on the land formed the economic basis of the policy. Land ownership, and therefore agricultural labor, remained for a long time one of the main privileges of a citizen of the polis. It was land ownership, with which a person was connected either by having his own plot or through a system of public land tenure, that made him a member of the civil collective. Since the peasant economy is self-sufficient and the policy could exist without recourse to external relations, since from the point of view of land as the main means of production, it was a collection of closed peasant farms.

Economic independence, both of the individual citizen and of the entire civic body, was believed to be a necessary prerequisite for freedom for the polis and political and economic freedom for the member citizens who composed it. In connection with this, less prestige, especially during the formation of the foundations of the polis system, was enjoyed by the labor of artisans and traders, who did not derive income from land ownership. The population of policies who did not have civil rights was allowed to participate in these types of activities.

Bearing in mind the lack of fertile and cultivable land in Greece, the existence of the institution of citizenship provided for the stability and isolation of the collectives of landowners who made up the polis organizations. At the same time, the numerical limits of co-members of such groups had to be strictly controlled. It is important to note that the polis, as a collective of citizen farmers and farmers, has always acted as both the supreme owner of the land and as the guarantor of the land ownership of its members. It was the polis, and only it, that could interfere in the property relations of its fellow citizens. Thus, the state in Greece was born and existed as a coercive apparatus not over the totality of communities of its subjects (as was the case in the Ancient East), but, as it were, grew out of a separate community of its citizen-members, performing its regulatory and power functions in the interests of both individual members of the civil community and the entire collective of citizens who made it up.

The next characteristic feature of the polis organization of the ancient Greeks is the attitude of citizens towards the military organization of the polis. The most important right and at the same time the responsibility of every citizen was his personal participation in the protection of his policy. Considering that in the classical polis there was no regular army, all its citizens were potential warriors, members of the civilian militia, called for encirclement as a military threat appeared. The fact is that the Greek policies, as relatively small political entities, could not maintain a standing army, as was the case, for example, in the ancient Eastern states, and the protection of their policy from external threats fell entirely on the shoulders of male citizens.

In archaic times, due to the development of the economy of Greek city-states and the growth of the welfare of a significant part of their citizens, heavy weapons, previously available only to members of the aristocracy, became more widespread. Now the main figure of the polis army is becoming a hoplite - a representative of the middle class of the peasantry, a warrior who had a set of defensive (armor, helmet, leggings and shield) and offensive (spear and small sword) weapons. The role of the aristocratic cavalry is disappearing. Due to the fact that it becomes possible to arm a significant number of militia detachments, a new type of combat formation of an army is born - the so-called. Greek phalanx.

Unlike the martial arts system of the aristocrats, which previously determined the outcome of battles, the phalanx, consisting of several hundred, sometimes thousands of warriors, was a kind of single whole that swept away the enemy’s battle formations like a powerful ram. It was in the solidity of the formation, in the simultaneity of the actions of the hoplites who made up the phalanx, that its strength, offensive and defensive capabilities lay. The phalangist was not at all required to have individual courage, personal bravery or any professional skills as a fighter. His main responsibility in battle is courage and discipline, complete trust of the hoplites in each other. In this battle formation, success was determined by the ability not only not to be afraid of the enemy, but also to support your neighbor with your composure and courage. Therefore, an important quality that the phalanx taught was not only the self-confidence of the citizen of the polis, but also complete trust in his fellow citizen-warriors.

Special forms of self-government in the civil collective are another integral feature of the Greek polis. The People's Assembly, which united exclusively citizens, was the most important institution of police administration, thanks to which the will of every citizen who was necessarily part of it was taken into account. Other bodies of political administration - the council, the court, an extensive network of political positions that exercised executive power - were also in the hands of the civil collective.

In polis society, a special system of relations developed between the authorities and the individual citizen. Here, the source of legal norms is the law developed by citizens at the people's assembly, which is the highest legislative body. Participation in the adoption of laws or decisions affecting the interests of the entire population was its inalienable right. Political indifference was considered unworthy of the status of a citizen.

No one other than the citizens of the policy had the right to own land on its territory, as well as the right to dispose (through decisions of the entire collective of citizens) of public lands that belonged to the entire collective of citizen-politicians. No one other than citizens of the policy had the right to participate in its military and political organization. Therefore, in the classical Greek polis there was a characteristic trinity of appearance of a member of his civil collective: at the same time he was a citizen, an indispensable participant in the political life of his civil community, and an owner, and a warrior.

Another important circumstance is that the civil collective of the policy was a collection of free, politically equal, economically independent citizen-farmers.

The polis was a combination of the city and the surrounding rural area (choirs). The economic unity of citizens (or non-citizens, as was the case in Sparta) engaged in agriculture and crafts was necessary to implement the principle of polis autarky. The urban center becomes a place of concentration of handicraft production, ideally small-scale production, designed for direct exchange of goods with farmers, to meet the needs of the rural population.

A typical Greek polis was very small in its territory, occupying an area, as a rule, from 100 to 200 sq. km. in such a policy lived from 5 to 10 thousand people, of which only a minority. Approximately 1-2 thousand people had citizenship rights. Such territory could be crossed using the then primitive means of transport in a few hours. However, in Greece there were also larger policies, for example Sparta, which had a territory of 2500 sq. km.

Each Greek polis was a sovereign state, having its own citizenship, its own laws, authorities and administration, as well as all external obligations; the architectural attributes of this kind of civil community - temples of the polis gods, a complex of public buildings, a theater, a square for a meeting of the people's assembly, palaestra, stadiums , public water intake structures, etc.

Greek civilization was essentially an urban civilization. therefore, the city was a component of any Greek polis (maybe with the exception of Sparta, which was an association of five rural villages). The city was, first of all, a fortified point, under the protection of whose walls the entire population of the policy could take refuge (including residents of the rural area), and a center of handicraft production and trade, culture, religious and political life.

Thus, members of the polis civil community, both city dwellers and rural residents, constituted a close-knit, very closed collective, which strictly guarded and controlled all the rights and privileges of its fellow members.

There are no city-states in modern Greece, but in ancient times, on its current territory, there were many powerful associations called policies. A number of researchers believe that they cannot be called city-states in the established sense of the word, since many of them had quite extensive agricultural lands under their control. However, in fact, the policies corresponded to the concept, since powerful cities developed separately from each other, had their own political, economic and social structure, and also entered into friendly or military relations with each other. Historically, there was no large territorially and according to the population of the state. Instead, more than a hundred independent cities with small or relatively large adjacent territories were formed on the lands of the modern country. They contained not only pastures and agricultural land, but also smaller settlements. They were called policies and in ancient times retained significant features of tribal associations:

uniform property rights for all community members;
power is in the hands of the council of elders;
Only members of the community could be citizens, and foreigners and slaves did not have the right to participate in social and political life.

By the 7th–6th centuries. BC e. the situation began to change, and significant masses of free citizens rebelled against the supremacy of the aristocracy. This led to the emergence of democracy, the birthplace of which is Athens, where the power of the people, expressed in joint governance and decision-making on important issues, was most clearly represented. However, this not only did not stop the slave trade, but, on the contrary, raised this phenomenon to an extreme degree. Since now everyone could dispose of “living goods”, as well as have private property, including land, human trafficking and economic gain became the most important values. In some cities the situation was different: a leader with unlimited power was chosen from among the people, which marked the beginning of the formation of early tyranny in ancient Greek society.

Greek policies

Despite the fact that in modern historiography all the city-states of Greece are usually called poleis, their size and structure differed significantly:

Sparta - 8400 km2;
Attica - 2650 km2;
Corinth - 880 km2;
Samos - 470 km2;
Aegina - 85 km2.

An interesting example of poleis that cannot be called city-states in the traditional sense are Boeotia and Phocis. The first occupied an area of 2580 km2 and included a maximum of 20 independent micro-states, and Phocis, with an area of 1650 km2, consisted of 22. Despite the fact that they were perceived as a single whole, those within the association had a certain degree of independence. At the same time, the modest size of the territories does not allow them to be classified as traditional states.
The largest city-states of Greece included:

Athens.
Sparta.
Miletus.
Corinth.
Thebes.
Olympia.
Chios.
Syracuse.
Mycenae.
Delphi.

Athens - the main city at all times

The current capital of Greece and at the same time the most famous city-state, since ancient times it has played a leading role and was considered a powerful association. Athens is called the cradle of European civilization, where the foundations of theater, sculpture, architecture, philosophy and, of course, democracy were born.

In the classical period, power was in the hands of the people, that is, all free citizens of the polis who had the right to participate in the social and political life of the entity. The supervisory and judicial bodies were called “Grand Juries” and had broad powers. Executive power was transferred to the philes, that is, representatives of certain social and professional groups, who formed a fairly large body called the “Council of Five Hundred”. Both authorities were elected by lot - everything was left to fate.

Thanks to this, any free citizen could become the owner of unlimited power, for example, obtain the position of central judge or supreme Athenian ruler. According to existing norms, it is a sacred duty
Any Athenian was protected by democratic rights and freedoms. At general meetings of the two bodies, issues of peace and war, social structure and distribution of benefits, as well as the deprivation or issuance of citizenship to specific individuals were resolved.

This was democracy in its purest form, which has never been realized to such a global and pure extent either before or since. Its principles and foundations have been transferred to the modern electoral system of most European countries, but with significant amendments and restrictions.

Sparta is a military entity with strict rules

Another famous city-state of the ancient world, Sparta, took the opposite path of development, which did not in any way reduce its achievements. Unlike the democracy of Athens, it was ruled by a ruling military regime. Sparta owes its appearance to the warlike Dorian tribe, famous for its cruelty. Having captured the Peloponnese, it turned the local residents into helot slaves who had no rights and freedoms. Throughout its development, tribal features were preserved here:

the power of the nominally ruling kings was minimal;
headed by a council of elders;
real power belonged to the meeting of the highest military ranks.

Despite the presence of a ruling elite, whose election took place without the participation of the bulk of the population, there were no significant class differences in material terms. The reason for this was the peculiar philosophy of life of the polis: the ascetic way of life was valued, which is why today it is called Spartan, simplicity in clothing and home arrangement, as well as unpretentiousness in food and entertainment. They ate together, using the same provisions provided for everyone, and did not use money at all, since they did not recognize or see the value in it.

The main goal and meaning of life of the Spartans was war and the conquest of new territories. From childhood, the young residents of Sparta were taught to be strong, dexterous, resilient and unpretentious, and instead of games, combat and military training prevailed here. Since the main goal of every man was considered to be the realization of the destiny of a brave warrior, all weak and sick boys, even in infancy or at a very early age, were killed or, as it went down in history, thrown from a cliff. The reason for this social policy was their unsuitability for war, and they were not suitable for anything else. It was impossible to send them to agricultural or other physically difficult work, since this was considered beneath the dignity of a Spartan: such work fell on the shoulders of helot slaves.

Miletus - the pearl of Ionia

Miletus, founded in the fourth millennium BC, was considered one of the richest and oldest Greek city-states. According to legend, it was founded by the mythological hero Miletus, who migrated from Crete, and the settlement flourished thanks to Thrasybulus, Thoas and Damasenor - one of the most famous tyrants in the ancient world. The association included adjacent lands, as well as about 80 remote colonies located along the Pontic coast and even in Egypt.

Miletus was located in the Asia Minor region: its ruins, where traces of linear writing and Minoan frescoes were found, can today be seen in the territory that belongs to Turkey. In ancient times, this region was called Ionia, which is why the famous historian Herodotus called Miletus the “Ionian pearl.”

Corinth - one of the three leading policies

Corinth's strategic location at the crossroads of trade routes played an important role in its rise and fall. During the heyday of the ancient world, he fought for leadership with Thebes and Athens, and in some periods even occupied a leading position. Thus, in the 6th century before the advent of the new era, the Corinthians were known as the largest producers and suppliers of classical ceramic tableware, including those decorated with the famous black-figure vase painting.

As in other large cities, the center of Corinth was the acropolis, rising on a hill, where there was a traditional agora - a market square, which was also used for meetings, as well as a temple to the goddess of love Aphrodite. It is not surprising that priestesses of love, whose number reached a thousand, gathered near him. They all wore their long black hair uncovered: it was believed that it had miraculous powers. Corinth is also famous for the fact that the famous Isthmian Games were held here: competitions in gymnastics, music, poetry and equestrian skills were organized in honor of the sea deity Poseidon.

Thebes - famous for numerous myths

Thebes was one of the three largest trade and economic associations of Ancient Greece. The fame and power of a city-state can be judged by how often it is mentioned in myths and tales. Going deep into the past, it is considered the birthplace of the god of wine Dionysus, and later Hercules was recorded as one of its indigenous inhabitants.

There is a well-known legend in which the story is about the military campaign of the kings of seven other policies against the powerful and influential Thebes. Also, the works of Orkhomenes of Minis speak of the constant rivalry of the region with Boeotia, which, despite its modest size, had the status of a multi-city association that could pose serious military competition. In addition, one of the most famous rulers of the ancient world lived here - King Oedipus, whose name today is used to name a very unusual psychological complex.

Olympia - birthplace of the Olympic Games

Located in the Peloponnese, Ancient Olympia could not boast of great trade, military and economic potential, but at all times it had the status of the most important religious, cultural and sports center. In ancient times, there were some of the most revered sanctuaries here, dedicated to the earth goddess Gaia and her son Kronos, who is mythologically considered the father of Zeus, the supreme god of thunder and the father of many gods of the ancient Greek pantheon.

The location of Olympia in the Peloponnese determined its role not only in ancient but also in modern history. The peninsula is named after the hero Pelops, who defeated Oenomaus, the king of Pisa, in a chariot race. It must be said that in ancient times it was one of the most popular sports, accessible only to the rich. Significant funds were invested in the purchase of horses and equipment of the vehicle. However, most of the money was spent on the maintenance of hired riders, and the loser, or rather his family, sometimes received more than the winner. The fact is that the competitions were fierce and were not about speed, but about the destructive force when chariots collided. Therefore, in most cases they ended in the death of one or more riders.

In honor of the events of antiquity, only chariot competitions were initially held at Olympia. Later, the disciplines were replenished with gymnastics, strength exercises, running - it was at the Olympia stadium that the standard marathon distance was created, as well as other competitions. Six months before they started, messengers scattered from Olympia all over Greece to inform and look for participants: killing a messenger or athlete was considered a grave sin, which is why military operations were almost always curtailed throughout the region during the games and preparations. It was this factor that formed the basis of the philosophy of the modern Olympic movement, which promotes the peaceful competition of athletes and the apolitical nature of the games.

Actually, a separate city was called a polis. But an important clarification should be made here: in those years, cities were often actually separate states. The same Phoenician Empire was, in the modern sense of the word, a confederation formed by individual countries that could leave it at any time. In addition, the bulk of the population of the polis was politically active: any free person considered it his duty to participate in voting and in making important government decisions.

All this often resulted in fierce disputes and even fights right on the streets, which is why contemporaries considered the Greeks “eccentric and loud people.” Thus, the polis should be considered a separate, special form of political and social structure. The territory of such a formation was limited not only by the city walls, but also by those lands that the bulk of the population of the policy (that is, people in public service) could protect and cultivate.

Athens

Answering the question of what a polis was in Ancient Greece, the first state that should be considered is Athens. The territory of the Athenian polis occupied the entire Attica peninsula in Central Greece. Athens itself is located in the center of a fertile plain 5 km from the sea.

The dominant position in the new state belonged to the clan nobility. The main government positions were occupied by aristocrats. The highest power belonged to the Areopagus, consisting of representatives of the clan nobility, and the archons - government officials (the head, the high priest, the commander-in-chief, six public judges).

Gradually, the poor members of the community fell open and were forced to take loans from the rich. A debt stone was placed on the borrowers' land. When they could not repay the debt with interest, they lost the land. Those who rented land kept only a sixth of the harvest for themselves, and the rest was given to the owner of the land. The peasants became poor, became debtors, and subsequently turned into slaves.

20 years have passed since the beginning of Solon's reign, and unrest began again in Athens. A relative of Solon, the commander Pisistratus, in 560 BC. e. seized power and began to rule in Athens individually, by force ensuring peace and harmony in the Athenian polis. Thus, tyranny was established in Athens.

The lands of the aristocrats who left the country were distributed among the peasants. For them, the tyrant introduced a tax (a tenth of the harvest), thereby enriching the state treasury. Pisistratus tried to promote the development of agriculture, crafts, trade, and shipbuilding. He began a large construction project in Athens: temples, paths and water pipelines were erected on his orders. Famous artists and poets were invited to the city, the Iliad and Odyssey were written, which by that time were transmitted orally. Actually, it was during the reign of Pisistratus that Athens became the cultural center of Greece. Their naval power began from then on.

How did city-states arise in the first place?

The polis is unique in that it arose at a turning point in ancient history, during the transition from the tribal and communal system to the first “proto-states.” In those early years, the stratification of society began: skilled people preferred to become artisans and sell the results of their labor, rather than give away the goods they created for free. Merchants appeared who knew how to sell handicrafts to other tribes, and a “caste” of warriors who defended those same merchants and the general well-being of all members of this “forerunner of the state” became rigidly isolated.

In general, almost all city-polises of Ancient Greece had a good army, and therefore, if necessary, they could stand up for themselves.

Of course, all these people did not prefer to live in a bare field. Large cities began to quickly emerge and develop. Due to the fact that artisans and landowners, merchants and warriors, scientists and politicians lived within their walls, they were completely self-sufficient. This is how policies arose.

But what was the social structure of such amazing (by modern standards) “cities”? Oddly enough, the bulk of the population of the Greek-style polis was represented by free people, citizens. They participated both in the production of everything necessary (pastoralists, farmers, artisans) and in the defense of their land. The military class defended populated areas from not very dangerous threats, while during times of enemy raids only its inhabitants came out to defend the walls of the policy.

Solon's Laws

In the 8th-7th century BC. e. a certain part of the demos - merchants, owners of workshops and ships, wealthy peasants - became rich. Now they sought to participate in the management of the policy, but were deprived of this right. It was they who launched and led the struggle of the demos against the aristocracy.

In the midst of the turmoil, citizens turned to the Athenian politician Solon, who headed the polis in Ancient Greece - this led to the implementation of several reforms. First of all, he canceled the debts of the Athenians and banned debt slavery. The land plots were returned to the debtors. The Athenians, who were enslaved for debt, were freed. From now on, no Athenian could be a slave!

Greece in antiquity- this is not one whole state in the understanding of contemporaries. The ancient country consisted of poleis - city-states. They were independent units that considered themselves independent, but if it was necessary to unite against an external enemy, the allies instantly came to each other’s aid.

A special form of organization of economics, law and political relations
Any of the policies consisted of urban development and the territory surrounding it. These were fields of farmland, pastures, farms. They were called "choirs". These mini-states arose according to the unique political, economic and legal views of the Hellenes. At first they fought against the remnants of the primitive system with clan orders. Afterwards, as a result of the growth of commodity-money relations and the division of crafts, agricultural preferences, and social struggle, separate communities arose.
From an economic point of view, the property of farmers belonged both to the community and was of a private nature. Moreover, private property was defined only for full representatives of the policies, which owe their origin. There were few such residents, while the rest were considered incompetent. Among them:

Absolutely powerless slaves.
Craftsmen.
Free traders.
Representatives of ethnic groups and foreigners who have few rights.

Wealthy citizens of the city-state were endowed not only with the right of private property and land ownership, but also had slaves. For performing public service and fulfilling their military duties, residents of the policies were paid a salary.
If required, all residents aged 17 to 65 stood up to protect the policies. No matter how many there were, in wartime they represented the people's militia. It included everyone, regardless of social status and income. Only the rich performed higher tasks: they led foot troops with excellent weapons. Poorer representatives of wealthy communities could only dominate over not very well-armed soldiers.
Every resident of the policy was a patriot of his homeland. A special ideology reigned in the city-states. In a political sense, these states were united by one thing: the government consisted of representatives of the public - “apella”. It also included full-fledged residents of the policies, who made up the Areopagus or Senate. There were also elected positions.

These are the "magistrates". The political system of each polis can be equated to a democratic one, since the state was ruled by a popular assembly. However, there were policies that introduced an oligarchic or even tyrannical type of government. This was Sparta. But Athens remained democratic at almost all times, even when under oppression and in complete destruction.

As for the economy, the dominant role was played by territories, the amount of fertile land and livestock. In addition, excellent relations between farmers, traders and artisans made the economy of the policy stronger, from which the state acquired greater independence and influence in the general political arena. Sparta can be considered such a polis. But Corinth, which did not have such a rich chorus, belonged rather to the craft and trade varieties of the economic system.

At one time, policies underwent a crisis. For example, when the institution of private property was highly developed, some land owners became completely poor or went bankrupt. This state of affairs is typical for the period of the 5th century. BC. It lasted for about a century.

Draconian methods and reforms of Solon

These were the methods of rule of a certain Dragon Emperor. He issued a set of legislative acts that were extremely cruel. We managed to save only a few names, the essence of which is already clear. Among the draconian methods:

Complete patriarchy.
The legality of bonded slavery.
Possibility of inevitable blood feud.
Very high property tax rate.

The council, which essentially ruled Athens, consisted of 400 full citizens. They were given the right to bear arms.
Afterwards there was another important period in the life of Greece - the effect of the new legislation of Solon. This was facilitated by quite revolutionary sentiments among social activists. They almost openly opposed the tribal aristocracy. Prosperous traders and industrialists followed the same example. The revolution happened in the 7th century. BC. Of course, it was more like a banal struggle for power and the desire for a better life for certain segments of the population. As always, the losers were the lower classes.
As a result, the struggle led to Solon entering the political arena. He was elected archon and given exclusive and unique powers. Accordingly, this ruler favored the family aristocracy. A distinctive feature of Solon's innovations was the reform of debt slavery. All debt obligations were cancelled. People in bondage were released, and those who were sold to other countries were returned to their homeland.
The new ruler divided the residents into several categories, depending on their wealth and social status, down to the lowest stratum. Representatives of the first 3 categories had the right to be appointed to government positions. The highest of them were occupied by first-class students. The fourth type of community was included only in the national assembly.
Each policy had a “Council 400”. Meetings were held annually. The representative office consisted of one hundred people from each tribe. Solon also formed a court that could be considered popular, since it included members of all 4 categories. Thus, the clan system was preserved, and the phyla (4 classes) inhabited Athens and other policies. This state order was maintained for 30 years.

Activities of Cleisthenes

If we consider the life of city-states using the example of Athens, it is permissible to say that almost all city-states followed a similar path. Every nation protested against dictatorship and tyranny. Cleisthenes, a fairly distinguished resident of Greece, led one of the trends of populism, which opposed tyrants. As a result, having become a successful politician, this figure seized power.
Thus, the clan system in Greece was practically eliminated. This period dates back to 500 B.C. BC. The division of the population was carried out not by class and economic component, but by territory. The Phils were liquidated. They became territorial phyles. There were 10 of them. Each of them included 3 territories. The population consisted of only 1 third of villagers, the rest were city residents. Demes were also formed - these are even smaller units of a third of phyla. Each deme was headed by a headman.

The policies differed significantly in the number of inhabitants and class composition. The largest of them was Sparta. Over 200 thousand people lived on an area of more than 8,000 square kilometers.
Next in terms of quantitative composition is Attica. Athens had an area of only 2.5 km2, but practically the same population as Sparta - about 150-170 thousand.
There were city-states that were located on only 40 km2, and their population was several hundred people. On average, the territory of the policies in Greece was up to 200 km2, which was inhabited by 15 thousand inhabitants. Only 1-2 thousand could be full-fledged warriors.
It so happened that the policies were very identical in political structure. The people's assembly characterized each of the city-states. People made final decisions, regardless of what rulers or oligarchs inclined them to do. This is how citizens governed their state-polis.
Polis are unique units, known throughout the world for their distinctive traditions. Such city-states existed only in Greek society. And now Greece is divided into provinces, but at the same time it is already a single state.
Polis have always respected the opinion of the majority. The owners of a large amount of land and extensive farming also had a certain weight. Revolutions and almost revolutionary events had no effect on the established order. City-states existed for quite a long time, ingrained in the minds of politicians and ordinary people.

In the 5th century BC. Dion, thanks to its cult affiliation with Zeus and the Muses, especially revered in these parts, became the second capital of Ancient Macedonia. King Archelaus made it a cultural center comparable in importance to the main pearls of Greece - Delphi and Olympia - and combining the exclusivity of both.

Parnassus is a sacred mountain!

In this article we will talk about a sacred place for any Hellene of ancient times - Mount Parnassus. The ancient Greeks believed that the “navel of the earth” (in Greek “ὀμφᾰλόςγῆς” - “the center of the Earth”) is located only 150 kilometers from Athens in Phocidea on the slopes of Mount Parnassus. On the slopes of this mountain was located the famous Delphic sanctuary, which was considered the center of the entire Panhellenic world.

Knossos Palace.Crete

The Palace of Knossos, or more correctly Knossos, is the most famous Greek landmark, which is more than four thousand years old. It is located near the capital of the island of Crete, Heraklion. It seems incredible, but the legendary palace with the mythical creature the Minotaur was discovered only a hundred years ago, and until that moment there were only suspicions about the existence of an ancient architectural monument on this site.

Skiathos Island

The island of Skiathos (translated from Greek as “Shadow of Athos”) is a small island (49 km.2), which is the westernmost island of the Northern Sporades archipelago. The island is washed by the Aegean Sea and has more than 60 beaches to suit every taste: from large and crowded to wild and untouched by civilization.

Greek polis- “city-state”, the form of organization of which was based on communal relations.

A feature of the policy was the ownership of land by the entire civil collective, a member of which had his own plot of land, and therefore was a full citizen of the policy.

The formation of the Greek polis during the archaic period (VIII - VI centuries BC).

This period is sometimes called the time of formation of the “Greek miracle”. In fact, in just three centuries, the foundations of civilization were formed: a more advanced economic system based on market relations was emerging, the Greeks were moving from a tribal society to a civil society, where relations were built on the basis of existing (written) laws. At this time, a worldview emerged, characterized by a rational view of the world around us, and Greek art developed, embodying high aesthetic ideals. But the main phenomenon that determined the essence of the era was the formation of the Greek polis.

A characteristic feature of the policy was its small size. A typical Greek polis, as a rule, had its own chora (i.e., agricultural territory), reaching several tens or even hundreds of kilometers. Approximately 5 - 10 thousand people lived in such a policy, of which no more than 2000 had citizenship rights.

There were also larger policies: up to 200 thousand people lived in Athens, although there were no more than 35 thousand citizens in it. There could also be very small policies where only a few hundred people lived. But each policy was a sovereign state, which had its own citizenship, its own laws and its own governing bodies.

The center of the polis has always been the city, and Greek civilization, in essence, was an urban civilization. It was the city, with its economic opportunities and dynamic life, that created a higher level of needs than traditional village life.

The Greek polis became a form of ancient society and state where the existence of the concepts of “citizen” and “civil society” became possible for the first time.

In the archaic era, simultaneously with the formation of the Greek polis, the idea of civil status was formed. The first quality of a citizen was his status as a free man. After the widespread abolition of debt slavery, a citizen in his state could under no circumstances be enslaved. In principle, the conviction is gradually emerging that a Greek, any Greek, cannot be a slave.

The most important right of a citizen was the right to land ownership. Agriculture for a long time remained the main occupation of citizens, and it was considered as the most appropriate thing for a free person. Peasant labor was associated with such an important concept for the Greeks as autarky, economic self-sufficiency, since it was believed that economic independence is a necessary prerequisite for political freedom.

Because of this, the work of an artisan, merchant, or money changer was considered less prestigious, since it made a person dependent on the elements of the market. Wage labor, work for another person, was generally impossible for a citizen. A citizen works for himself, a slave works for another person.

Another right and at the same time duty of a citizen was personal participation in the protection of his policy. Every citizen was a warrior. Since the policies, as very small political entities, could not maintain a standing army, the entire male population had to defend their homeland from external threats.

During the archaic period, due to the growing prosperity of a significant part of the demos, heavy weapons, previously available only to members of the aristocracy, became more widespread. Now in the Greek army the main figure is hoplite- a heavily armed infantryman.

Having the opportunity to well arm a large detachment of warriors, the Greeks created phalanx- a closely knit tactical formation of hoplites acting as a single unit. Closely closing the formation, putting their spears forward, to the sounds of music that set the rhythm of the movement, the phalanx, like an armored wall, swept away the enemy’s battle formations. It was in the solidity of the entire formation, in the coherence of the actions of all soldiers that the striking force of the phalanx lay. There was no place for manifestations of individual courage and personal bravery; the courage and discipline of everyone was required here.

The Greeks were excellent warriors, and this was due both to the special physical training of citizens, to the development of Greek sports agonism, and to the high volitional qualities that they demonstrated on the battlefield. Military clashes, and especially wars with the Persians in the 5th century. BC e., proved the ability of Greek warriors to fight to the last drop of blood, defending their state.

Patriotism was an important component in the system of spiritual values of citizens. A resident of the Greek polis did not defend some abstract idea, but himself, his loved ones, his property, his freedom, his civil status. A citizen who could not defend his homeland lost his status, which means, according to the Greeks, he became an inferior person. The phalanx taught the citizen to the idea that his interests, his status and property can only be protected by the joint efforts of all citizen-soldiers, that only the collective is a guarantee of his existence as a citizen.

In a society where a citizen is part of an armed people and, besides this people's militia, there is no other force to force an individual to perform any actions, a different system of relations develops between the authorities and the individual, between members of this society. With the withering away of tribal institutions that previously controlled various spheres of life, in the archaic era a system of legal regulation of relations arises; the law becomes the determining factor.

In the polis, the source of legal norms was the people themselves, and the highest legislative body was the people's assembly. Participation in the adoption of laws or decisions affecting the interests of the entire population was an important right of a citizen of the polis. The conviction that both the fate of the state and your personal well-being depends on you personally, your decisions, stimulated the political activity of citizens. Social indifference was considered unworthy of the status of a citizen. It was participation in the political life of the state that made a person a citizen, which, according to Aristotle, fundamentally distinguished the Greeks from the barbarians.

Thus, the trinity of concepts: landowner, warrior, participant in political life characterizes the status of a citizen of the polis. The totality of citizens of the polis is civil society.

Polis system of ancient Greece. What is a polis in Ancient Greece? Polis-states of Ancient Greece What Greek polis