The village had institutionalized all human functions in 
forms of low intensity. In this mild form everyone could play 
many roles. Participation was high, and organization was low. 
This is the formula for stability in any type of organization. 
Nevertheless, the enlargement of village forms in the city-state 
called for greater intensity and the inevitable separation of 
functions to cope with this intensity and competition. The 
villagers had all participated in the seasonal rituals that in the 
city became the specialized Greek drama. Mumford feels that 
“The village measure prevailed in the development of the Greek 
cities, down to the fourth century . . .” (The City in History ). It is 
this extension and translation of the human organs into the 
village model without loss of corporal unity that Mumford uses 
as a criterion of excellence for city forms in any time or locale. 
This biological approach to the man-made environment is 
sought today once more in the electric age. How strange that