Firstly, the development of the Greek polis as a political unit resulted mainly from the individualistic nature of Grecian geography. Its isolated valleys and naturally divided lands caused its inhabitants to look inward instead of outward, keeping to themselves and relying on their own communities. Consequently, in the center of these lands, individual societies flourished self-sufficiently and became the preferred organization of Greek society. The formation of the polis also led to a …show more content…
This led to the rise of the most powerful, and most famous, poleis: Sparta and Athens. Although both of these city-states had an extensive influence, I believe that Athens was more successful. While Sparta is known for a skilled military and striving to create the ideal society, Athens left a lasting, unprecedented cultural impact on civilization. Its contributions of a stable democratic system, philosophical principles from famous thinkers such as Pericles, and sciences from Euclid, also known as the "Father of Geometry" (Spielvogel