What dictated the division of ancient Greece into many small, independent city states
Geography.
The many islands and mountainous terrain kept people isolated in independent settlements.
The division of ancient Greece into many small, independent city-states was primarily influenced by geographical and historical factors. To understand this, let's break down the key factors that led to the division:
1. Geography: Greece is a mountainous region with scattered islands and a rugged coastline. These natural barriers created distinct and isolated pockets of land, making communication and transportation difficult. As a result, communities developed independently and often formed around a central city or polis.
2. Historical Development: Ancient Greece was not always divided into city-states. In the early Bronze Age, Mycenaean civilization flourished, having a centralized government ruled by kings. However, during the late Bronze Age collapse (around 1200 BCE), many Mycenaean cities were destroyed, leading to a decentralized power structure.
3. Iron Age Migration: Following the Bronze Age collapse, several waves of migrations occurred in which Greeks settled in different regions. These migrations contributed to the establishment of new city-states as settlers acquired land and formed their own communities.
4. Political Organization: Each city-state, known as a polis, had its own unique government, laws, and institutions. They were self-governing and autonomous, with their own military forces, legal systems, and political processes. Some famous city-states include Athens, Sparta, Corinth, and Thebes.
5. Competition and Conflict: The division of Greece into city-states led to an intense sense of competition and rivalry between them. City-states often vied for more territory, resources, and influence, which frequently resulted in conflicts and wars, such as the Peloponnesian War between Athens and Sparta.
To summarize, the division of ancient Greece into many small, independent city-states was influenced by geographical barriers, historical events like the Bronze Age collapse, migrations of different Greek tribes, and the resulting development of self-governing polis systems. The competition and conflict between these city-states shaped the course of Greek history and laid the foundation for the flourishing of Greek culture, philosophy, and democracy.