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Greek Polis. ... Greeks applied the label "polis" to all of the states, regardless of
their political distinctions, because each was a koinonia, a community. ...
Aristotle's view on the polis. Aristotle is known for his ideas and beliefs in
Nichomachean Ethics. ... This can be achieved through the teachings of the polis. ...
Greek Polis. ????? The Polis "The polis was a complex hierarchical society
built around the notion of citizenship. It was made ...
the polis. The ... polis. First of all, let us examine how revolutions in warfare
could have helped with the conception of the polis. ...
The Ideal Polis. The freedom that is to be cultivated in the citizens of Plato's
ideal polis, and in the polis itself is supposed to be a free and just place. ...
Submitted by clove75 on June 6, 2006
Category: History Other
Words: 1796 | Pages: 8
Views: 114
Popularity Rank: 89,453
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The Greek City-State: Ideology or Archaeology?
Hurwit, an acclaimed art historian, suggests that a Greek city-state, or polis, "was an idea, the equivalent of a particularly intense communal or corporate spirit," and that, by extension, "Greeks themselves became political animalscreatures of a polis" (Hurwit 73). I, too, think that a polis is a group of individuals who not only defined themselves through the city they lived in, but also vis-à-vis literary movements, warfare tactics, political institutions, religion, and athletics. Furthermore, these aforementioned ideas "cannot be excavated" (Hurwit 73). Consequently, by examining the various historical factors that led up to the emergence of the polis, we shall see how these ideas aided in the process of creating the physical manifestation of the polis.
First of all, let us examine how revolutions in warfare could have helped with the conception of the polis. In the Iliad, the ancient epic poet Homer consistently focuses on the rich, elite warrior-class of men who are fighting to save their honor and defend what they are entitled totheir own inherited social and economic status. However, Homer does give mention to the poor paupers who fight alongside the powerful warrior-class. Thersites, who is introduced in Book II of the Iliad, illustrates this by questioning the Achaeans motives for going to war. In turn, Odysseus, in a public show of manliness, berates him mentally, and physically harms him, thus showing Thersites (and the audience) his lowly social status. This reiterates the widely accepted idea that poor men, such as Thersites, were forced to fight in the Trojan War (as they had no individual say in the matter) because the concept of individuality was severely condemned by the ruling class. In this passing instance, we can see the germ of the polis, exemplified by Thersites' unwillingness to fight and his daring, explosive rejection of aristocratic values.
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