Mr. Ignacio Arana
English Composition II
25 February, 2015
Ancient Greek City-States
The Pillars of Ancient Greece
Introduction
Body
According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, a city-state is “a state that has its own government and consists of a city and the area around it”. This definition shows that the ancient Greece was divided into city-states in which this were independent of each other, with their laws, customs, money, and army (Greek City State). City-States are also called as polis, most of this polis started having an Oligarchy type of government; although at the end they became a democratic one, in which every city governed by itself. Most of the cities were usually at war among them; therefore some of them joined forces so they could become in a larger city (City-States and types of Government in Ancient Greece). Even though each city-state was independent among them, this had many things in common just like speaking the same language, believing in the same gods; therefore they all called themselves Greeks. This city-states had different types of governments, like the following: Democracy, Monarchy, Tyranny, and Oligarchy, been the last mentioned the first type applied. (Ancient Greek City-States).
The most powerful and popular city-states of the ancient Greece are Athens, Sparta, Corinth, and Olympia. The article Ancient Greece the City of Athens, that “During the time of the Ancient Greeks it was the center of power, art, science, and philosophy in the world. Athens is one of the oldest cities in the world as well, with recorded history going back over 3400 years. It is the birth place of democracy and the heart of the Ancient Greek civilization.” Its name is due to the Greek goddess of wisdom, Athena; which shrine is The Parthenon located at the center of The Acropolis. The Acropolis is located on a hill in the middle of the city surrounded by stone walls, was first built as citadel or as a fortress (Ancient Greece, The