Polis, plural poleis, means ‘city’ in ancient Greek. The modern Greek word πόλη (polē) is a direct descendant of the ancient word and roughly means "city" or an urban place. However, the Ancient Greek term that specifically meant the totality of urban buildings and spaces was asty (ἄστυ), rather than polis.
Cameo depiction of the ideal polis on the Gemma Augustea. The upper scene depicts the philosopher-king and other savants and warriors, while the lower scene depicts the people.
Monaco, a modern city-state on the south coast of France. Monaco bears no resemblance to any aspect of an ancient Greek polis.
Plaque over the door of Coulanges' last residence.
Romulus and Remus, descendants of Trojan Aeneas, having been cast away to die, being suckled by the wolf on the banks of the Tiber prior to their rescue by Evander, king of a polis, a colony from Arcadia, already on what became the Palatine Hill (site of the imperial "palace."). There are no Italic tribes in this story.
A city is a human settlement of a notable size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agreed definition of the lower boundary for their size. In a more narrow sense, a city can be defined as a permanent and densely settled place with administratively defined boundaries whose members work primarily on non-agricultural tasks. Cities generally have extensive systems for housing, transportation, sanitation, utilities, land use, production of goods, and communication. Their density facilitates interaction between people, government organizations, and businesses, sometimes benefiting different parties in the process, such as improving the efficiency of goods and service distribution.
Palitana represents the city's symbolic role of devotion to the Jain temples.[clarification needed]
Downtown Pittsburgh at the confluence of the Monongahela and Allegheny rivers, which flow into the Ohio River
Kluuvi, a city centre in Helsinki, Finland
Trafalgar Square, a public meeting place in central London