Discuss the ways in which the values of the Greek polis shaped Greek culture.

The polis is in many
ways a result of geography. Greece consists of many disparate arable valleys surrounded by
mountains, making communication and travel between different poleis
difficult. This led to Greeks not really having a sense of identity as a nation. Their political
culture, as suggested by the root "polis," was grounded in the city-state while their
cultural identity was bound up in the Greek language, as opposed to the language of
"barbarians." Thus there was a Hellenic or Greek language paideia
and patriotic loyalty to the polis, but nationalism in the modern sense did
not exist. Sparta and Athens, for example, were very different in culture.

Each polis had a unique culture. It was not until the Hellenistic period, after the
conquests of Alexander and the loss of independence of Greek city-states that
"cosmopolitan" (Greek for "universal polis") culture evolved. The major
commonality in culture in the period before Alexander was a shared set of myths and epic,
especially Homer and Hesiod, although myth and ritual had many local variations.

Culture, in the form especially of the arts and architecture, was a matter of local
pride. Wealthy individuals would often donate money for monumental works such as temples,
monumental sculptures, theaters, or gymnasia to show civic pride, and even
under Roman rule, these were visible signs of Greek cultural pride as opposed to the
"barbarian" Romans.