What kept the ancient Greek city states from forming one big city state?

Question

My history Homework.
I don't get it
why didn't they???

Answer 1

The Greek city states wanted to remain separate and free to run their respective cities without outside influences. The Greeks would only unite when an outside force aka Persia was strong enough to conquer all of them. If the Greeks had united in a some ancient version of the United States, it is possible they would have defeated the Persians, Macedonians, and Romans.

Answer 2

This is an excerpt from an old book I have called, The History of the Pelopnnesian War by the greek historian Thucydides and has been translated and edited by Sir Richard Livingstone(1943).This is what he says- For though they were bound together by ties of blood and civilization, ... yet they were anything but united. Each little state was sovereign and independent; they were divided by race, by political constitution, and often, by class war between rich and poor.

In the fifth century, the states were: Athens, known for art, literature, seapower, and trade.
Sparta, was militarist though not war-loving, superb organization but no civilization.
Corinth, was a commercial rival to Athens and had access to 2 seas.
Boeotia, which was centered around Thebes; Argos, the rival of Sparta with ambitions beyond her capacities.
Athens was Ionian; Sparta, Corinth, Boeotia, and Argos were Dorian.

These so called states were not much more than cities witha hinterland of country.

It probably comes down to jealousy between them and the battle for land and money.

Hope this helps!

Answer 3

Two reasons. First, they were extremely political, and often disdained each other. The Spartans thought all the others were weak, the Athenians thought all the others were stupid, etc. etc. etc.

Second, the geography. Take a look at a topographical map of Greece some time. All those little lines close together mean steep slopes on mountains. It took a long time for people and messages to get from one place to another, and only a few cities (like Corinth) had large navies.

Answer 4

The Greek cities had different political systems, different heritages, and different social systems. The poleis were very protective of their own histories and their own freedom. They would not willingly surrender that to a conquering polis, and the concept of uniting willingly into a modern-style nation-state did not yet exist. There were no nation-states in the 4th Century BC!

Answer 5

I read my art history text book and it said "Greece is divided by mountains valleys and the sea this made it difficult to communicate
Social barriers of local pride and jealousy also divided the Greek city states from uniting a nation."

Answer 6

that's not exactly true, even before they were united the city states DID come to one another's aid during wars from foreign contries or among each other. it was only after they saw that their survival depended on uniting that they swallowed their pride and developed the system of democracy that we use today. this illiminated the need of kings so and kept each other on equal footing.

Answer 7

it would give less democratic power to each individual and also the geography of greek made it that communications between city states was difficult sometimes impossible

Answer 8

The greeks may have been democratic but they were still territorial

Answer 9

Wach 300 and go based on that

Ps : ture story

Answer 10

they disliked each other and competed. each of them used their architects, artists, and other people to created stuff and the city-states competed to see who had the most beautiful stuff.