The significance of Polis resides in the structure of the ancient Greek world. Polis was a structure of community, or territory of the land. It means a community of people living together. Research indicates that Polis is the birthplace of culture (Oniszczuk 33). Thus, an individual Polis was different from the other in terms of social, political, religious, legal, and judicial practices. Therefore, the polis represented communities and citizenship.
The Athenians and the Spartans were both Greek cities, but with different histories. They both belonged to the Great Greek race but they originate from different tribes as it was common for the Greeks. Despite their differences, both cities had a lot in common, especially how they viewed the world. For example, they both had governments with an assembly. Young men from Athenians and the Spartans were trained to be great warriors. However, Athenians focused on controlling most of the land, and the Spartans were not interested in expanding their land, but to have a strong army to protect them.
The challenge that was brought about is globalization. For example, the Polis which was small expanded to become a big city. As such, people in the city lost their worldview due to different opinions and cultures brought by the increasing population in the city. During the period of Hellenism, Cosmopolis brought the transformation of society (Alexander 243). The Cosmopolitan society allowed kings to influence the public. Citizens became subjects controlled by the kingdoms, and this made them lose their identity.
Modern society is still shaped by the ideas of ancient Greeks. For example, it is worth noting that democracy itself is rooted in the philosophy of the Greeks. Even though Plato is given a lot of credit for his natural law ideas, Epicurus also gave much to modern democracy. It was his notion that justice is merely an agreement of mutual benefit between parties, to secure one’s ability to pursue pleasure and means and protect them against criminals.
Works Cited
Alexander, James. “Empire as a Subject for Philosophy (Polis, Imperium, Cosmopolis).” Philosophy 94.2 (2019): 243-270.
Oniszczuk, Jerzy. “Polis as the Prototype of a Contemporary Community.” Krytyka Prawa 11.3 (2019): 33-55.