Question

Part A: Which of the following captures how foreign residents, or xenoi, regarded their status or position in ancient Greek society?
A. While some city-states discouraged immigration, most ancient Greek societies allowed foreign residents partial citizenship, the most that foreigners could hope to attain.
B. The majority of foreign residents felt unsafe in ancient Greek society, as they were almost always expelled or killed if caught; this is because ancient Greeks considered themselves superior to many if not all other civilizations.
C. While their rights were limited and their relationship with locals shaky, metics had the opportunity of social mobility and full citizenship status, for either themselves or their children.
D. The xenoi saw themselves as advanced and providing new services to Greek society, as they often brought with them new skills, like pottery.

Part B: Which of the following quotes best supports the answer to Part A?
A. “Greeks persuaded themselves that it was they who had the best environment and characteristics and the purest blood line and were, therefore, born to rule.”
(Paragraph 11)
B. “Aside from slaves, most Greek poleis would have had a number of free foreigners (xenoi) who had chosen to re-locate from other areas of Greece, the Mediterranean, and the Near East, bringing with them skills such as pottery and metalworking.” (Paragraph 16)
C. “Despite the suspicions and prejudices against foreign “barbarians” which often crop up in literary sources, there were cases when metoikoi did manage to become full citizens after a suitable display of loyalty and contribution to the good of the host state.” (Paragraph 16)
D. “However, some states, notably Sparta, at times actively discouraged
immigration or periodically expelled xenoi.” (Paragraph 16)

Answer 1

Part A. The correct answer is C. While their rights were limited and their relationship with locals shaky, metics had the opportunity of social mobility and full citizenship status, for either themselves or their children.

Part B. The correct answer is C. “Despite the suspicions and prejudices against foreign “barbarians” which often crop up in literary sources, there were cases when metoikoi did manage to become full citizens after a suitable display of loyalty and contribution to the good of the host state.” (Paragraph 16)

Explanation: In "Greek Society" by Mark Cartwright, the author explains that while foreigners were mostly a recognized class, their residence granted them a lower status compared to local citizens. However, achieving full citizenship was possible for the xenoi.