Definition: The polis (plural, poleis) was the ancient Greek city-state. The word politics comes from this Greek word. The polis was the central urban area that may also have controlled the surrounding countryside. Athens was the urban center of Attica; Thebes of Boeotia; Sparta of the southwestern Peloponnese, etc. Each of these 3 poleis was separate from the others.
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Examples: The polis of Athens was the birthplace of democracy.
