Greek Poleis And The State Of The Early Greek Poleis

In assessing the transition of the nature of the state of the early Greek poleis it is imperative to engage with what factors directed the change to not only begin, but also to continue. A recurring theme emerges as a result of two psychologically internal factors that are shared through the behaviours of individuals and collectives alike. The first factor being the innate political nature of human beings and their desire for control and the second being the political and economic notion that a collective of people must progress in order to better satisfy their lives. These two factors, undoubtedly linked, contributed to the changes of the state and are perhaps best recognised by the aristocratic, tyrannic and democratic shifts of the early Greek city states.
Intrinsically, the pursuit of control is at the forefront of human existence and thus when the ramifications of this pursuit are experienced, the structure of living changes. In the early Greek city-states, the poleis were dependent territories founded over time by the core political structure of the ‘family’.1 The family is where the political desire for control is first identified. Figures based on hereditary lineage rise into positions of familial power that is based off of the individuals desire to assert their way of living. This localised concept extends through migrating groups, where the now military commander becomes a hereditary king once the group becomes sedentary.1 It is therefore evident, that these political transitions are a result of much smaller and more isolated beginnings, not even starting from the family structure but even before this, starting from an individual’s instinctive desire to command. The above situation only begins to tap into the mechanics ...

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...so the reasons behind how this concept shifts. Various forms of leadership and concurrently varying levels of support over time were a feature of the early Greek city-states as a whole. Regardless of this, the internal disposition of human existence is to have a viewpoint and to act on it. This is best observed on a political level, which is why this factor is so instrumental in changing the nature of the state. Without a position or a willingness to act, time and place would remain stationary and the concept of the state would remain constant. Extending this, the economic pursuit of progression and satisfaction of life is also paramount to the adaption of the state as it serves as the transport for the state to be shaped into exactly what individuals and collectives want it to be. Essentially, these psychological needs drive humans to act, changing the states form.