greek poleis

[PMBardunias]

PMBardunias wrote:
By the end of the 5th c the concept of polis is rapidly becoming obsolete in any case..

We see the polis as functional political and military unit being eroded by the rise of leagues- the Peloponnesean, Delian, Boeotian, and many others … In hellenistic times most of the old Poleis within Greece are joined into leagues such as the powerful Achean and Aetolian.

I would disagree strongly with the first. The concept of the polis and, a fortiori, that elusive eleutheria – even if mirage – was strong enough that, in 86 BC, Athens would take action that resulted in the following (Plut. Sulla 14.23):

Well, you cannot agree with the second and disagree with the first, since the second was to clarify my meaning in the first! I have repeatedly written in this thread that the the polis did not cease to exist, but its status as the primary "functional political and military unit" was eroded by leagues of poleis. The examples of countries in the EU or states in the USA should be clear.

As for the rest of your post, you have eloquently summarized all that I have written on this thread, perhaps more eloquently than myself, so I have no comments. This should now be clear to any interested. Especially the distinctions between fully autonomous poleis in short-term military alliances, tyrranical leagues such as the Peloponnesian and Delian, egalitarian leagues such as the Achean, and being subsumed within a Hegemony or later empire.