How did the classical Greek city come into being? What role did religion playin its formation? Athens with its ancient citadel and central religious culthas tra... » 

How did the classical Greek city come into being? What role did religion playin its formation? Athens with its ancient citadel and central religious culthas traditionally been the model for the emergence of the Greek citystate. Butin this original and controversial investigation Francois de Polignac suggeststhat the Athenian model was probably the exception not the rule in thedevelopment of the polis in ancient Greece.Combining archaeological and textual evidence de Polignac argues that theeighthcentury settlements that would become the citystates of classicalGreece were defined as much by the boundaries of civilized space as by itsurban centers. The city took shape through what de Polignac calls a religiousbipolarity the cults operating both to organize social space and toarticulate social relationships being not only at the heart of the inhabitedarea but on the edges of the territory. Together with the urban cults thesesanctuaries in the wild identified the polis and its sphere of influencegiving rise to the concept of the state as a territorial unit distinct from itsneighbors. Frontier sanctuaries were therefore often the focus of disputesbetween emerging communities. But in other instances in particular in Greecescolonizing expeditions these outer sanctuaries may have facilitated therelations between the indigenous populations and the settlers of the newlyfounded cities.Featuring extensive revisions from the original French publication and anupdated bibliography this book is essential for anyone interested in thehistory and culture of ancient Greece. «