At first the villages were dispersed (‘as was the manner in ancient times’), but then they formed denser associations for the sake of complete self-sufficiency. The city-state – the polis – was born. The ability, desire and need to live in a state are among the marks of humanity. Any man who, by nature, cannot live in the state is either a ‘tribeless, lawless, hearthless’ monster – he quotes Homer on the Cyclopes – or a god.
