The basic
political structure of
Ancient Greece. It was created during the 8th and 7th centuries
BCE, after the decline in the power and importance of
kings. The basic institution common to all
poleis, regardless of their form of government, and what seperates them from other forms of city-states is the the gathering of the citizens (that was named
ecclesia in
Athens), in which officials were elected and laws were passed. All early
poleis were basically
oligarchic and ruled completely by the aristocracy, but the
economic crises of the 6th century instigated the rise of
tyrants in almost all poleis (for example
Peisistratus in
Athens and the Bacchiadai in
Corinth cf. also
apoikia), as well as the work of the great legislators (such as
Solon of
Athens and
Lykourgos of
Sparta). When the
tyrants were deposed some of the cities returned to their former
aristocatic governments but most have instituted alterations to it as to incorporate more of the
citizens in the
government. The polis
Athens went the longest way, as after the expulsion of
Hippias and
Hipparchus the statesman
Kleisthenes created the
democratic constitution of the polis. Several other poleis later followed
Athens to create their own
democracies.
The importance of the polis in Greece dwindled after the occupation of Greece by Philip II of Macedonia in the 330's BCE.