As you saw in the Windows On (The Evolving Vase) box on page 61, the evolution of Hellenic civilization was paralleled by changes in the decorative arts. As the poleis of ancient Greece came into their own, their inhabitants inscribed their emerging civic, religious, and artistic sensibility on both ritual and everyday objects. Assess the evidence relating to life in a Greek polis below and then respond to the essay question that follows. Examine the map depicting the cities of the Greek homeland on page 59. Did the Greeks see themselves as belonging to a unified civilization? How did geography and trade contribute to the emergence of a common Greek culture? Explore the ancient fortified city of Mycenae. What can you infer about the purpose of the city from its organization and layout? How does it differ from the poleis that followed centuries later? Take a look at the objects and images of work in Greece on page 63. Would you describe the economy of Archaic Greece as primarily agricultural or commercial? The plan and model on page 65 show the Athenian agora and Acropolis as it existed during the Archaic age. As the plan and model make clear, this relatively small space served as a center for Athenian religion, law, and commerce. Why did the Athenians chose to locate their temples, courts, and market in such close proximity to each other? The map on page 66 shows the extent of Greek colonization and trade. How did contact with the Greeks change the other peoples of the Mediterranean? How did contact with the other peoples of the Mediterranean change the Greeks? Read the documents relating to law and justice on pages 67 and 70. What vision of the law informs them? What do the authors suggest should be done to ensure that the law is both just and obeyed? Read the excerpt from Pericles' "Funeral Oration" on page 73. What connection does Pericles make between Athenian democracy and the city's approach to war, education, and commerce? What do you think Pericles meant by "democracy"? How does his definition compare to your own? Examine the objects and texts relating to women's lives on pages 75-78. What role did women play, if any, in the public life of the polis? What virtues and vices did Greek men ascribe to Greek women? When you have finished reviewing the evidence, write a well-organized essay on life in the Greek polis. What rights and responsibilities came with membership in the polis? Use the evidence you have just examined to support your claims and observations.