In Ancient Greece , a metic ( Greek : metoikos ) was a foreigner living in a Greek city-state ( polis ) . The metic did not have the same citizen rights as a citizen who was born in the state he was living in . In ancient Greece , the term metic ( Greek mÃ toikos : from metÃ , indicating change , and oÃ kos `` dwelling '' ) referred to a resident alien , one who did not have citizen rights in his or her Greek city-state ( polis ) of residence .