"The development of the Greek polis--whether a military oligarchy in Sparta or democracy in Athens--allowed citizens to participate in political issues. This concept of the "rule by the people," mainly in Athens, gave the citizens a sense of freedom and harmony. Greeks applied the label "polis" to all of the states, regardless of their political distinctions, because each was a koinonia, a community Early Archaic Period * weak public authority * large families were the strongest in society * every city-state consisted of a king, a council and an assembly of adult male citizens * tyrants held no office After the Early Archaic Period After this period, the concept of the polis began to change. The regulation of power changed, along with the rights and duties of the people. The Greeks located the source of authority in the polis. Policy was decided in open discussions. In order to function, the society needed "a sense of community and a genuine willingness on the part of its members to live according to certain traditional rules, . . . to make changes only by open debate and further consensus". In order to be a citizen in the polis, one had to be an adult whose ancestors were Greek and from that particular polis. Children, foreigners, and slaves could not be citizens. Citizens had many exclusive rights, including: * the right to vote * the right to own real property * the right to contract a legal marriage with another citizen * the right to participate in major cult activities * a full share in the decision making process, which meant the full right to influence decisions by speaking in the sovereign body as well as by voting . ... The city-states differed in different regions of ancient Greece. Even though the states kept the concept of the polis, the way in which each was governed differed. Two of the most important city-states were Sparta and Athens. Sparta developed as a war-like polis, while Athens developed as a democratic one." Source: http://www.richeast.org/htwm/Greeks/Polis/GREECE.html