During the Hellenistic period, the cities were autonomous or organized into koina, or dependent on rulers. Earlier Greek cities, and more recent ones founded by Alexander the Great and the Hellenistic kings, belonged to the latter category, thus explaining their dependence.

The autonomous cities were relatively few, especially in central Greece and the islands of the Aegean with Rhodes being more important. They continued to maintain their basic state institutions, such as the ekklesia tou demou (citizens' assembly), the boule (council) and the archons.

The cities that belonged to the koina renounced some of their dominant rights for it. Whilst their citizens -who were considered citizens of those as well- had rights to every other.

The founding of new cities in the areas that Alexander conquered was typical of his policy. Most of these cities were developed into remarkable trade and cultural centres, although many remained simply military settlements designated for the protection of the newly acquired areas. The political-religious traditions were absent from the new cities and their autonomy was limited, since they were strictly controlled by the local representatives of the rulers, who were also honoured as their founders.

The Ptolemies built new cities outside of Egypt, mostly in Caria, in Coele Syria, in Cyprus and Cyrenaica. In Egypt they focused their attentions onAlexandria, which they transformed into one of the most important centres of the Hellenistic world. Furthermore, they recognized as "cities" Naucratis -an old Greek colony in the Egyptian land- and Ptolemais, which was founded by the ruler of the dynasty, Ptolemy I. However, the Seleucids were considered as the basic founders of cities, since they built many cities on the Aegean coastline, Syria, Mesopotamia and Babylonia. In 293 BC, Demetrius Poliorcetes founded Demetrias in the Pagasitic bay. This town was, at the same time as Pella, the Greek capital of the Macedonian kings until the end of the Antigonids' dynasty in 168 BC.