<P> Polis ( / ˈpɒlɪs / ; Greek : πόλις pronounced ( pólis ) ) , plural poleis ( / ˈpɒleɪz / , πόλεις ( póleːs ) ) , 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 ( chlora ) . </P>
<P> Polis ( / ˈpɒlɪs / ; Greek : πόλις pronounced ( pólis ) ) , plural poleis ( / ˈpɒleɪz / , πόλεις ( póleːs ) ) , 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 ( chlora ) . </P>
what is the greek word for city state
what is the greek word for city state
Polis
Polis