Ancient Greece was divided into small areas called city-states. Only Athens and Sparta were big. Each city-state had its own loaws. Sometimes it had its own coins and army. At its centre was a town with a fortified hill called an acropolis.

Athen was a democracy This means that every man born in Athens, unless he was a slave, could vote on how things were run.

In the middle of the town was the agora. The main buildings were here and it was a meeting place. There were bankers' stall, market stalls and law courts. People would walk round and chat. There were slaves for sale, boys being taught, and acrobats and musicians. Around the agora were the town houses. Craftsmen lived here. The fronts of their houses were their workshops.