\paperw5100 \margr0\margl0 \plain \fs20 \pard\tx1440\tx2880\tx4320\tx5760\tx7200\ATXts240\ATXbrdr0 \f1 \fs22 \ATXul1024 THE BIRTH OF THE POLIS\ATXul0 \par
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Duri
ng the twelfth century BC Greece was invaded by the Dorians, a population of Indo-European origin who destroyed the preexisting Mycenean strongholds but assimilated the principles and forms of local organization. In particular, the leaders of the Mycenea
n communities, the \i basileis\i0 , were gradually able to reestablish their guiding role, succeeding in re-creating a unified political center inside the old Mycenean palace. This process was the premise for the formation of the ½\i polis╗\i0 , the new
Greek city, in which the power of the \i basileus\i0 gradually weakened and was replaced by councils of noblemen. The birth of the \i polis\i0 in Greece can be dated to around 800 BC, and coincides with the construction of walled cities with close ties
to the surrounding countryside. In fact the city drew its sustenance from the country, with the result that only landowners were able to participate in the city's social life, while other city dwellers, such as craftsmen, merchants, and foreigners, were
