'An Essay on the Characteristics and Development of Ancient City-States Essay\r'

'A metropolis- nominate is delineate as an independent or autonomous entity whose territory consists of a metropolis which is not administered as p subterfuge of a local anaesthetic government. Through reading the articles of Larson, Westenholz, and Neihmer it be germs app atomic number 18nt that metropolis-states differ depending on the region and time they are in, and the purpose they deal. The tether specific examples that come to mind are the Phoenicians, Assyrians, and the Sumerians. All three of these had unique characteristics that define each corporation; however, totally three societies divulgeed enough similarities to lead them definable as old-fashi aned urban center-states.\r\n iodine of the defining characteristics of a city-state is the fact that it is a self-governing and self- qualified entity. Ancient city-states provided the for the first time clear certainty for social stratification and nigh city-states contained a ruling family or dynasty, which controlled the city-state and it’s surrounding hinterlands by managing the land, water, and different natural resources. Each city state withal contained a council of elders which helped the ruling family make out as a controlling dust of local policy.\r\nHowever in Assyrian city-states there besides existed a social class-eponymy, which was a psyche who was elected for a single year to serve as the head of the city hall. He acted as the head of the city and carried out the executive assembles form the higher(prenominal) officials such(prenominal)as the king and the elders. In Sumerian city states, kings were referred to as â€Å"ensi” or â€Å"lugal” which were names that were meant to display to citizens his power and importance, and made his rule incontestible within society.\r\nKings were relied upon to build not plainly(prenominal) monumental structures and tabernacles for their respective deities, plainly also to maintain a functional infras tructure. In Phoenician city states, The king was landlord of highfalutin places and sacrificial buildings. This display exists in galore(postnominal) city- states and not only in Phoenician culture. The king demonstrated his power done buildings such as tombs and temples, but however, he was also the leading figure in charge of maintenance of public places, and in most cities, the defensive wall.\r\nThere is sufficient evidence of city-walls consistently across all old-fashioned city-states, but the reason these walls existed remains unclear. There is no archaeological evidence of warfare, or conflict between city- states. unrivalled of the most logical reasons for these walls to exist was to serve a symbolic purpose because the inner(a) area would be posses a more(prenominal) clear semipolitical identity. The Assyrians, in dealings with enemies, took a unique and strict political regime that limited trade and dealings with opposite city-states, and as evidenced by the a rchaeological record, in a letter.\r\nTheir crabbed rule stated that if any merchandiser traded with a Akkadian Amorite or a Subariean, thus the merchant would be put to death. Laws such as this one established a clear political stance that umpteen cities held on many issues concerning interactions with outsiders. Though The city ruler acted as the city immortal’s human deputy and managed the assets of the city as a whole. there is also sufficient evidence for long- distance trade. City- states developed in Phoenician, Assyrian, and Sumerian society as important trade resources and had a probative impact on culture.\r\nProminent city-states were diagnose to cultural development because they were able to ache local artisans and were key centers of trade, which enabled different cultures to forge one another. Sumerian city-states were dictated in key trade locations because their own awkward opportunities were scarce, and they heavily relied on the trade of barley, beer and textiles to other places in order to obtain regimen resources form elsewhere in order to support their population. In Assyrian society, the economy was controlled by ruling families and therefore, trade was regulated depending on the ruling class.\r\nThese city-states productivity was dependent upon the weather for that year, so trade would fluctuate depending on the success of the season. For Phoenician city- states, there is sufficient archaeological evidence for long- distance trade, shown in the influence and presence of foreign art and style. Furthermore, archeological evidence is supplied in the discovery of cylinder seals, which were used to moderate the authenticity of the item being traded or shipped, and ensure its condition, if the seal remained unbroken.\r\nKey developments in ancient city- states are displayed in the changes of city image’s and architecture, as well as further developments in trade. In about cases, cities were set up in allowance t o a specific deity. These cities were mainly located on a hill, with a temple on the highest point, with the rest of the city make around the center temple. These temples not only served as places of religious worship and practice, but also served as cultural and economical centers.\r\nA distinguishing characteristic of many ancient city- states is, dominant palaces, temples…of sometimes monumental size and form…lie next to tightly knit living quarters traversed by an irregular network of streets, and in most cases these cities had irregular and unique city plans from one another. The proximity of the households to the temple showed the importance and the elaboration of the temple in the daily livelihood of the citizens. Furthermore, the layout of the city also demonstrates social stratification.\r\n'