This document provides a 3-part summary of Ancient Greek civilization:
1. Ancient Greece was never a unified country, but was made up of independent city-states along the Mediterranean coast. Despite political divisions, they shared a common culture and heritage.
2. The city-states, or poleis, were the basic political units, with forms of government ranging from aristocracies to democracies. Athens and Sparta emerged as the most powerful and influential poleis after defeating the Persians.
3. From the 8th-6th centuries BC, population growth and land shortage led many Greeks to establish colonies around the Mediterranean, spreading Greek culture and trade. Athens and Sparta then vied for