versy. As the translation of
the Greek [Greek: polis] or Latin _civitas_ it involves the ancient
conception of the state or "city-state," i.e. of the state as not too
large to prevent its government through the body of the citizens
assembled in the _agora_, and is applied not to the place but to the
whole body politic. From this conception both the word and its dignified
connotation are without doubt historically derived. On the occupation of
Gaul the Gallic states and tribes were called _civitates_ by the Romans,
and subsequently the name was confined to the chief towns of the
various administrative districts. These were also the seats of the
bishops. It is thus affirmed that in France from the 5th to the 15th
century the name _civitas_ or _cite_ was confined to such towns as were
episcopal sees, and Du Cange (_Gloss._ s.v. _civitas_) defines that word
as _urbs episcopalis_, and states that other towns were termed _castra_
or _oppida_. How far any such distinction can be sharply drawn may be
doubted. With regard to England no definite line can be drawn between
those towns to which the name _civitas_ or _cite_ is given in medieval
documents and those called _burgi_ or boroughs (see J.H. Round, _Feudal
England_, p. 338; F.W. Maitland, _Domesday Book and After_, p. 183). It
was, however, maintained by Coke and Blackstone that a city is a town
incorporate which is or has been the see of a bishop. It is true,
indeed, that the actual sees in England all have a formal right to the
title; the boroughs erected into episcopal sees by Henry VIII. thereby
became "cities"; but towns such as Thetford, Sherborne and Dorchester
are never so designated, though they are regularly incorporated and were
once episcopal sees. On the other hand, it has only been since the
latter part of the 19th century that the official style of "city" has,
in the United Kingdom, been conferred by royal authority on certain
important towns which were not episcopal sees, Birmingham in 1889 being
the first to be so distinguished. It is interesting to note that London,
besides 27 boroughs, now contains two cities, one (the City of London)
outside, the other (the City of Westminster) included in the
administrative county.

For the history of the origin and development of modern city
government see BOROUGH and COMMUNE: _Medieval_.

CIUDAD BOLIVAR, an inland city and river port of Venezuela, capital of
the state of Bolivar, on the right bank of the Ori