Polis Inventory

Name: Polis Inventory
Rating: 4.9 (8 reviews)
Author: Jess Taylor

Archaic and Classical Poleis

Free · In‑App Purchases

8 Ratings
Ages

4+
Years
Category

Education
Developer

Jess Taylor
Language

EN
English
Size

3.9
MB

Polis-Inventory maps the ancient Greek settlements from the Archaic and Classical periods (c. 650–325 BCE) as identified in the pioneering work published by the Copenhagen Polis Centre, An Inventory of Archaic and Classical Poleis by M. H. Hansen and T. Nielsen (Oxford, 2005; here referred to as the “HN Inventory”). The digital dataset in Polis-Inventory, based on the HN Inventory, comes primarily from the website polis.stanford.edu, managed by Stanford University’s Department of Classics. The dataset reflects ongoing digitization and enhancement of the original print work by the Stanford team and subsequent classical scholars. We continue to advance the data, improving locations and correcting errors as they are encountered. Polis-Inventory is an informative, interactive companion to the HN Inventory, allowing visualization, search, and filtering of the poleis using a set of physical and historical parameters. Parameter definitions are available in context as you browse. Further detail and attribution can be found at odysseymaps.io, polis.stanford.edu, and in the HN Inventory itself. If you would like a copy of the data in this app, you can copy it to your clipboard in GeoJSON format from the About page. Privacy: No user data is tracked or stored by Polis-Inventory. Support: An optional Tip Jar is available to support ongoing development (tips are voluntary and don’t unlock features). Independence: Polis-Inventory is an independent companion and is not affiliated with, sponsored, or endorsed by Stanford University or Oxford University Press.

Ratings & Reviews

4.9

out of 5

8 Ratings

A Charming Resource
05/08/2024

Fffdfffffff
I'm very happy this exists! I have been poking through the data and having fun.

Developer Response
Super - that's what it is for! Thank you for the review!
A Charming Resource
05/08/2024

Fffdfffffff

I'm very happy this exists! I have been poking through the data and having fun.
Developer Response 12/12/2025
Super - that's what it is for! Thank you for the review!
Useful, clean, but a couple of gaps...
12/27/2020

D Patrick
If you're into Classics, particularly the history of th Greek city-state, this is the app for you. A simple visualization of the location of all identified historical Greek city-states, spanning the historical period of their existence and the length of the Mediterranean and the Black Sea. While it has a good deal of data on the city-states, it lacks a data dictionary. So while there's a "polisity" score, you can't find how that score is constructed.

Developer Response
Thank you for your detailed review, it's much appreciated! It's true only a concise key of terms is provided. Users are invited to consult the references provided for complete details. Update 2025 - The data dictionary gap mentioned is narrowed with the latest release. Parameter definitions are more readily accessed and explanations have been deepened. Thanks again for your review!
Useful, clean, but a couple of gaps...
12/27/2020

D Patrick

If you're into Classics, particularly the history of th Greek city-state, this is the app for you. A simple visualization of the location of all identified historical Greek city-states, spanning the historical period of their existence and the length of the Mediterranean and the Black Sea. While it has a good deal of data on the city-states, it lacks a data dictionary. So while there's a "polisity" score, you can't find how that score is constructed.
Developer Response 12/12/2025
Thank you for your detailed review, it's much appreciated! It's true only a concise key of terms is provided. Users are invited to consult the references provided for complete details. Update 2025 - The data dictionary gap mentioned is narrowed with the latest release. Parameter definitions are more readily accessed and explanations have been deepened. Thanks again for your review!
Nice concept. Here are some suggestions
09/02/2020

DiggerOfHistory
Hello. This app is really interesting and helpful for my studies. However there is some missing information on the polis. First thing that can be added is additional leagues for the polis. There were more then the Athenian and Koine league. You can also change the pin marks to be different colour to represent what league they belong to. Also, some further information on how you determine the level of ‘barbarian’ in these polis would be nice. What do you consider Greek and ‘barbarian’ in this case? Where do you draw the line? Thank you.

Developer Response
Glad you like the app and thank you for your suggestions, I will take note of them. Regarding the content itself, to date I have stayed true to what is reported in "An Inventory of Archaic and Classical Poleis" by Hansen & Nielsen. Detailed definitions for each of the parameters presented in the app may be found there.
Nice concept. Here are some suggestions
09/02/2020

DiggerOfHistory

Hello. This app is really interesting and helpful for my studies. However there is some missing information on the polis. First thing that can be added is additional leagues for the polis. There were more then the Athenian and Koine league. You can also change the pin marks to be different colour to represent what league they belong to. Also, some further information on how you determine the level of ‘barbarian’ in these polis would be nice. What do you consider Greek and ‘barbarian’ in this case? Where do you draw the line? Thank you.
Developer Response 09/04/2020
Glad you like the app and thank you for your suggestions, I will take note of them. Regarding the content itself, to date I have stayed true to what is reported in "An Inventory of Archaic and Classical Poleis" by Hansen & Nielsen. Detailed definitions for each of the parameters presented in the app may be found there.
Smooth and informative
08/18/2020

Tac Leung
Filters and search are intuitive. Easy to drill and pan.
Smooth and informative
08/18/2020

Tac Leung

Filters and search are intuitive. Easy to drill and pan.

Small Update: * Improved the location of ancient Methone, Macedonia based on information provided in a recent publication of Hesperia Vol. 94, Num. 3 July-September 2025 * Maintenance update for iOS26.1