I'm wondering if there is a name for an alliance of city-states or a city-state that governed itself independant of outside/federal influences. For example, what would you call the rough alliance of Greek polis? Individually, most were oligarchies or tyrannies, but what is the group as a whole?
Close-knit city sates have existed through-out history, so I'm looking for a general term, not specific names.
So if anyone knows, please share

Personally, I'd call it a confederation of city-states.

The only example I can think of off the top of my head is the Delian League, but this was a little more centrally powerful than you're thinking, right?

Wasnt there a lombard league?

There was (in ancient Greece, that I can remember):
- The Amphictyonic League: An alliance of city-states and tribes to protect the Sanctuary of Delphi
- The Achæan League: Originally an alliance of the Achæan cities, during the Hellenistic Era it became one of the major players
- The Ætolian League: Originally an alliance of the Ætolian tribes, during the Hellenistic Era it became one of the major players
- The Peloponesian League: The Spartan dominated Alliance of the Hellenic Era
- The Delian League: The Athenian dominated Alliance of the Hellenic Era
- The Corinthian League: Established by the Macedonians to control Greece. All Greeks (except Sparta) were part of it
- The Island League: An alliance of the Cycladic Islands in the Hellenistic Era
- The Ionian League: An alliance of the Ionian city-states against Persia
- The Epirote League: After the Molossoi kings were overthrown in Epirus, the Epirote League was established in its' stead

As you can see, they are all known as Leagues. I hope that answers your question. I know you didn't want specific examples, but they serve to stress the point.

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@Nobody: The Lombard League was the alliance of the Italian cities, Venice and the Papacy against the Holy Roman Emperors during the Middle Ages.

There was also the trade-based Hausetic League in N/C Europe, which grew into a powerful political league of mercantile cities.

Leagues of city states seemed to peek during the hellenistic era and then again after the renaissance. And I just found out Signapore is considered a city state.
I'm looking to add a new government type to Civ, but as is often the case the most proper termanology doesn't fits. League of City-States just doesn't have a nice ring to it. City-Statedom is a little less coarse, but I doubt it's accurate.

"League" would be easiest. There are Civ 2 and 3 scenarios which have used that name for it.

If you want the actual greek (ancient and modern) word for the league, it is "sympoliteia", as in the "athenian sympoliteia" (athenian empire in reality).
Koinopoliteia is a similar word, but i am not sure if it was used for the ancient leagues, although it is possible. Sympoliteia means literrally co-operation of states (politeia=polis, syn= together, added). Koinopoliteia means commonwealth, koino=common, communal.

Ancient Babylon, Sumeria, plus other powers of the time and region operated such a city-state system also. Dunno what they called it though.

Rome at the begining had a league of city states called the Latin League, which later grew into the Roman Empire.

I think Mesopotamia was a little different. They weren't a league of cities, it was usually just the strongest city dominating those around them (the Akkadian Empire, the Babylonian Empire, etc). They were empires ruled from a central city that other cities were controlled and forced to pay tribute. The city name is usually given, with some kind of adjective. Another example would be the city-state of Carthage, which used the same system from its location in Africa.

Latin league actually fought against Rome.

Latin League was formed as an alliance of Latin-speaking peoples against the Etruscans and later served as protection against invading Celtic peoples.

Latin League (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latin_Leaguehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latin_League)

I'm wondering if there is a name for an alliance of city-states or a city-state that governed itself independant of outside/federal influences. For example, what would you call the rough alliance of Greek polis? Individually, most were oligarchies or tyrannies, but what is the group as a whole?
Close-knit city sates have existed through-out history, so I'm looking for a general term, not specific names.
So if anyone knows, please share

The usual translation of such alliances was a league.

Just the discussion I was looking for. Most gracious.

As all the othe government names (except facism, communism, and fuedalism) are derived from greek, I suppose using "Sympoliteia" would not be breaking any Civ traditions. Except that its damn hard to wrap your tongue around. "League" would be better in that aspect, but its kinda ambiguois. Is it the Justice League? A football league? Little league baseball?
Would City-Statedom be an accurate description?
Decisions, Decisions..
At least finding civilizations to favor this goverment will be no problem

City-Statedom isn't a word AFAIK :lol: The only problem you would have with the word "Sympoliteia" is that it is taken directly from Greek (so people would not know what it means, and it would look different), whereas most other government names ("Thalassocracy", "Democracy", "Monarchy", etc.) have been Anglicised.

let's invent a word on CFC.... how 'bout politocracy... "po-li-tó-cracy" ...or does already mean something else?

politocracy would be the same as democracy

The correct term is City League. However, this does not necessarily refer to government. It can also be e.g. a commercial league, like the Hanze cities.