Reflections on the Ancient Greek Polis: A Look at the Political Structure

The political structure of the Greek polis, as varied as it was, provided a few benefits for the citizens that helped to keep the polis strong. With the political structure, all citizens were equal before the law. This created a communal cohesion that said no man, supposedly, was better than the next. This would help to keep riots and jealousy down. Another benefit is the allegiance that the citizens had to the laws. The moral shame that was put on the Greek citizens made them obey the laws because it would be unbearable for your reputation to break any of the laws. This shame placed on the people kept civil obedience and developed a trusting relationship between neighbors. One of the most important things that the political structure provided was the allegiance to one's polis. The allegiance that the citizens had for their polis was very strong. This allegiance assured the protection of the polis. For without the polis, the citizens knew that their way of life would not endure.…