METROPOLIS (Gr. piir17Pi

See also:

• MOTHER

mother, srGXis,

See also:

• CITY (through Fr. cite, from Lat. civitas)

city)  , properly a mother-city, and so the name of the parent state from which colonies were founded in ancient Greece (see GREECE, sect . History, Ancient) . The word was used in post-classical Latin for the chief city of a province, the seat of the government, and in particular ecclesiastically for the seat or see of a metropolitan bishop (see METROPOLITAN) . It is thus used now for the capful of a country, which contains the various official buildings of the administrative departments, the Houses of Parliament, &c . In the case of London, the term " metropolitan " is sometimes applied to the whole area including the " City of London," e.g . " Metropolitan Asylums Board "; and sometimes, as in " Metropolitan Police," excludes the City, which has its own police force (see LONDON) .