What term describes a city that with its surrounding territory forms an independent state in Ancient Greece?

What term describes a city that with its surrounding territory forms an independent state in Ancient Greece?

• A. Polis
• B. City-State
• C. Empire
• D. Kingdom

Answer: (B)

In ancient Greece, the basic political unit is the city-state, a city with its surrounding territory that governs itself as an independent state. This arrangement meant each polis had its own laws, government, army, and civic practices, separate from neighboring centers. The term emphasizes both the urban center and the sovereign land it controls, which is why the common English label is city-state. In Greek sources, the same idea is described by the word polis. Examples like Athens, Sparta, and Corinth illustrate how a single city and its countryside functioned as a self-governing entity, distinct from empires or monarchies.

In ancient Greece, the basic political unit is the city-state, a city with its surrounding territory that governs itself as an independent state. This arrangement meant each polis had its own laws, government, army, and civic practices, separate from neighboring centers. The term emphasizes both the urban center and the sovereign land it controls, which is why the common English label is city-state. In Greek sources, the same idea is described by the word polis. Examples like Athens, Sparta, and Corinth illustrate how a single city and its countryside functioned as a self-governing entity, distinct from empires or monarchies.