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How would the life of a resident of a polis, around 350 B.C.E., compare to the life of a cosmopolitan Greek of the year 250 B.C.E.? A) The cosmopolitan Greek had more political rights. B) The resident of a polis had greater access to education. C) The cosmopolitan Greek had a more diverse cultural experience. D) The resident of a polis had access to more advanced technology.

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User Sparik
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Final answer:

A cosmopolitan Greek in 250 B.C.E. would likely have had a more diverse cultural experience compared to a resident of a polis in 350 B.C.E., due to the exposure to blended cultures and ideas in the Hellenistic period.

Step-by-step explanation:

Comparing the life of a resident of a polis in 350 B.C.E. with that of a cosmopolitan Greek in 250 B.C.E., the most accurate difference would be that the cosmopolitan Greek had a more diverse cultural experience. While residents of a polis had significant political involvement and rights within their city-states, the cosmopolitan Greeks of 250 B.C.E., living in an era dominated by the Hellenistic kingdoms, often under the rule of a monarch, had their political activities reduced. However, due to the blended cultures and the influences of various empires, they would have been privy to a multitude of cultural, philosophical, and religious ideas compared to their predecessors during the classical period of Greek city-states.

Greek city-states or polii often had varying forms of government, from democracies to oligarchies, and were distinct entities with their own institutions and social hierarchies. Citizens might have had political rights and opportunities to engage in legislative activities, but their cultural experiences would have been relatively limited to their own city-state's practices and traditions.

By contrast, after the conquests of Alexander the Great, Greek culture spread across the Mediterranean and Near East, leading to a blend of Greek and indigenous customs. This cosmopolitan era exposed Greeks to different ideas, practices, and forms of worship. Hence, while political rights were curtailed under monarchic rule, a cosmopolitan Greek had access to a much broader spectrum of cultural and philosophical thought.

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User Ruifeng
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Final answer:

A cosmopolitan Greek in 250 B.C.E. would have had a C) more diverse cultural experience than a resident of a polis around 350 B.C.E., due to the blending of Greek culture with others during the Hellenistic period.

Step-by-step explanation:

The life of a resident of a polis around 350 B.C.E. would have been centered around their specific city-state, with strong participation in local politics, education, and military service for citizens, which was limited to free-born men. In contrast, a cosmopolitan Greek of 250 B.C.E., living in the Hellenistic period, would have experienced a more diverse cultural environment, due to the expansion and blending of Greek culture with that of Egypt, the Near East, and other regions conquered by Alexander the Great and subsequently ruled by his successors, the Hellenistic kings. Therefore, the most accurate answer would be (C) The cosmopolitan Greek had a more diverse cultural experience.

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User Swistak
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