Illustrations of Greek Poleis
History 221, Fall 2007
Basic Features of a Polis: a town/city center, a Khora or
surrounding land with villages and farms, People, and Independence
Town/City Center
Khora or Territory (e.g. Tauric Khersones on Black Sea)
People: exclusive citizenship laws, hierarchy from polites (citizen) to metoikos
(resident alien) to slave to women, parameters of size
Independence: reliance on self-defence