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Essay / Development of the Greek Poleis - 960
The polis emerged from the scattered villages of early Greece, as a means of building unified states and centralizing government. The creation of the Greek poleis was an important political innovation throughout history because it gave rise to new systems of government that became models for modern state structure. It was characterized by its ability to unite citizens and, through this, led to the growth of larger states such as Athens and Sparta. Within the poleis there were constitutions drawn up with the aim of achieving a unified system of government for each state. In addition, this new form of government allowed citizens to participate more in political and social affairs, which had not been the case under previous powers. Thus, the making of the constitution and the introduction of a new political structure both influenced and changed the nature of the state. The first Greek poleis served to unite citizens under a centralized government. Under Athenian and Spartan government, the people had more rights and opportunities within society, which were governed by an established constitution. The constitution or politeia operated within individual poles to identify the ideas and values that would distinguish one city-state from another. For example, in Sparta, the Rhetra served as the foundation of the structure of society. These were a set of laws established and implemented by Lykourgos, which formed the new system of government through a combination of different elements from all the polis; namely oligarchy, monarchy and democracy. Rhetra played a role in regulating the process of law and policy making, as well as educational governance, as it ensured equitable distribution of power and rights. of the poleis, gave birth to a new social and political idea. Through state reform, each polis developed its own constitution which dictated how government and citizens were structured. Within this new structure, more political opportunities presented themselves to citizens, strengthening their sense of citizenship towards the city through greater contributions. Through Athens, the first forms of democracy appeared and in Sparta, military force became their dominant characteristic. In both cases, citizens were united in the pursuit of common goals, which explains the successful growth of the first Greek poleis. Thus, the early poleis became a model for shaping the nature of the state, and it was the various factors resulting from the reforms that influenced the development of the state..