a polis is what
Polis, plural poleis, literally means city in Greek. It can also mean a body of citizens. In modern historiography, polis is normally used to indicate the ancient Greek city-states, like Classical Athens and its contemporaries, and thus is often translated as city-state. These cities consisted of a fortified city centre built on an acropolis or harbor and controlled surrounding territories of land. The Ancient Greek city-state developed during the Archaic period as the ancestor of city, state, Polis (/ˈpɒlɪs/; Greek: πόλις pronounced ), plural poleis (/ˈpɒleɪz/, πόλεις ), literally means city in Greek. It can also mean a body of citizens. In modern historiography, polis is normally used to indicate the ancient Greek city-states, like Classical Athens and its contemporaries, and thus is often translated as city-state. Aristotle: The Polis, from Politics The Polis as the highest good Every State is a community of some kind, and every community is established with a view to some good; for mankind always act in order to obtain that which they think good. Berkeley Film Festival, Sebastopol Film Festival, Detroit International Film Festival. Big Sky Film Festival, Mendocino Film Festival, Maryland Film Festival, Vancouver Film Center. The term polis, which in archaic Greece meant city, changed with the development of the governance center in the city to signify state (which included its surrounding villages). Finally, with the emergence of a notion of citizenship among landowners, it came to describe the entire body of citizens. Ancient History Sourcebook: Aristotle: The Polis, from Politics. Every State is a community of some kind, and every community is established with a view to some good; for mankind always act in order to obtain that which they think good. Polis (/ ˈ p ɒ l ɪ s /; Greek: πόλις pronounced ), plural poleis (/ ˈ p ɒ l eɪ z /, πόλεις), literally means city in Greek. It can also mean a body of citizens. In modern historiography, polis is normally used to indicate the ancient Greek city-states, like Classical Athens and its contemporaries, and thus is often translated as city-state. The basic and indicating elements of a polis are: 1  Self-governance, autonomy, and independence (city-state) 2  Agora: the social hub and financial marketplace, on and around a centrally located, large open space. 3  Acropolis: the citadel, inside which a temple had replaced the erstwhile Mycenaean anáktoron (palace) or mégaron (hall) Others refer to part of a city or a group of cities, such as: 1  Acropolis (high city) – the upper part of a polis, often a citadel and/or the site of major temple(s) 2  Decapolis – a group of ten cities. 3  Dodecapolis – a group of twelve cities. 4  Pentapolis – a group of five cities. Ancient History Sourcebook: Aristotle: The Polis, from Politics. The Polis as the highest good. Every State is a community of some kind, and every community is established with a view to some good; for mankind always act in order to obtain that which they think good.
Polis literally means city in Greek.