Definition: The polis (plural, poleis) was the ancient Greek city-state. The word politics comes from this Greek word. In the ancient world, it was the central urban area that could 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. The word polis could also refer to the city's body of citizens.
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Examples:
The polis of Athens was the birthplace of democracy.
