CITY STATES:  Athens and Sparta were the two most important city-states in ancient Greece, or so they believed. But they were not the only city-states. There were many city-states in the ancient Greek world. Each was important in its own way. The Greeks who lived in each city-state were proud of their hometown. They were also proud to be Greek. All Greeks, wherever they made their home, had things in common.  TO BE GREEK:  The ancient Greeks spoke the same language. They believed in the same gods. They shared a common heritage. They perceived themselves as Greeks. TO BE A CITIZEN OF A CITY-STATE:  The ancient Greeks referred to themselves, however, as citizens of their hometown - their city-state.  Each city-state (polis) had its own personality, goals, laws and customs. Ancient Greeks were very loyal to their city-state.  There were three main forms of government in ancient Greece: Monarchy: Rule by a king. One city-state whose government was a monarchy was the city-state of Corinth. Oligarchy: Rule by a small group. One city-state whose government was an oligarchy was the city-state of Sparta. Democracy: Rule by the citizens, voting in an assembly. One city-state whose government experimented for about a hundred years with democracy was the ancient city-state of Athens.  Roots of Democracy in Athens Athens Justice System Government and the Idea of Citizenship      Explore Ancient Greece Ancient Greek Gods & Goddesses Greek Myths  Greek Games  Greek Powerpoints  Greek Video Clips  Ancient Greece Clipart Ancient Greece for Kids  Lesson Plans for Teachers  All Rights Reserved    Clip Art Credit: Phillip Martin Have a great year!