First published in 2006. The Polis or City-State was the most striking feature of Ancient Greece, and its evolved form is one of the most important contributions of the Greeks to Western civilisation. In this classic study of the Greek city which combines history and sociology, Glotz traces the evolution of the Greek institutions, their essential characteristics, details of their construction and the underlying concepts that created and sustained them, mixing description and analytical insight, always remembering that human societies are not theoretical abstractions, but are comprised of living beings. Glotz's unique sensitivity to the many aspects of the Polis have made this volume required reading for all those interested in classical civilisation and ancient history and politics for over seventy years and there are many thought-provoking parallels with the politics of today.