Ancient Greece
1000 BCE – 200BCE
Overview
Ancient Greece culture had a powerful influence on the
Roman Empire, which carried a version of it to many
parts of the Mediterranean Sea and Europe, for which
reason Classical Greece is generally considered to be the
most important ancient culture because it provided the
foundations of modern Western Civilization.
Geography
The territory of Greece is mountainous, and as a
result, ancient Greece consisted of many smaller
regions each with its own language, culture, and
identity. City-states tended to be located in valleys
between mountains, or on coastal plains, and
dominated a certain area around them. There was
constant conflict and fighting among city-states.
As the Greece civilization grew, the population of
Greece grew beyond the capacity of its limited
peninsula. From about 750 BC the Greeks began 250 years of expansion, settling colonies in all
directions.
Eventually Greek colonization reached as far northeast as present day Ukraine and Russia. To the West
the coasts of Illyria, Sicily and Southern Italy were settled, followed by Southern France, Corsica, and
even northeastern Spain. Greek colonies were also founded in Egypt and Libya.
Culture
Art and Architecture
The art
of
ancient
Greece has had an enormous
influence on the culture of many
countries from ancient times
until the present, particularly in
the areas of sculpture and
architecture. In the West, the art
of the Roman Empire was largely
influenced from Greek models. In the East, Alexander the Great's conquests initiated several centuries
of Greek culture in many other cities and cultures in the Mediterranean, Europe, northern Africa, and
much of Asia.
Science and Technology
Ancient Greek mathematics included the
basic rules of geometry, the idea of formal
mathematical proofs, and discoveries in
number theory and applied mathematics.
The discoveries of several Greek
mathematicians, including Pythagoras,
Euclid, and Archimedes, are still used in
mathematical teaching today.
The Greeks also
developed
astronomy, which
they treated as a
branch of
mathematics. The
first geometrical,
three-dimensional
models to explain
the motion of the
planets were
developed by the
ancient Greeks. The
Greek astronomer
Heraclides Ponticus
proposed that the Earth rotated around an axis. The ancient
Greeks also made important discoveries in the medical field.
Hippocrates was a physician and is considered one of the
most outstanding figures in the history of medicine.
Religion
Greek mythology is the
body of myths and
legends belonging to the
ancient Greeks
concerning their gods and
heroes, the nature of the
world, and the origins and
significance of their
culture. Modern scholars
study ancient Greek
mythology in order to
learn more about their
religion, political beliefs,
and their daily life.
Myths were written and used by Greeks to explain the origins
of the world. They usually included adventures of a wide
variety of gods, goddesses, heroes and heroines, and
mythological creatures, like Medusa, who had the upper body
of a woman, but the lower half of a serpent and snakes instead
of hair.
Olympics
The Olympic Games were a series of athletic competitions between ancient Greek city-states in honor of
Zeus. The exact origins of the Games are shrouded in myth and legend but records indicate that they
began in 776 BC in Olympia in Greece. The ancient Olympics were
rather different from the modern Games. There were fewer
events, and only free men who spoke Greek could compete. The
winner of an Olympic event was awarded an olive wreath and
often was received with much honor throughout Greece,
especially in his home town, where he was often granted large
sums of money.
Sculptors would create statues of Olympic victors, and poets would
sing odes in their praise for money. Some of the most popular
events were wrestling and the foot race. Only men could
compete, and they often competed completely naked!
Education
For most of Greek history, education
was private, except in Sparta. Some
city-states established public
schools. Only wealthy families could
afford a teacher. Boys learned how
to read, write and quote literature.
They also learned to sing and play
one musical instrument and were
trained as athletes for military
service. They studied not for a job,
but to become an effective and loyal
citizen. Girls also learned to read,
write and do simple arithmetic so
they could manage the household.
The Greek alphabet is still used
today, especially in college and
university fraternities and sororities.
Social Structure
Only free, land owning, native-born men could be citizens entitled to the full protection of the law in a
city-state. In Athens, the population was divided into four social classes based on wealth. People could
change classes if they made more money. In Sparta, all male citizens were given the title of equal if they
finished their education. However, Spartan Kings, who served as the city-state's military and religious
leaders, came from only two families.
Politics
Ancient Greece consisted of several hundred independent city-states. The geography of Greece, which
was divided and sub-divided by hills, mountains and rivers, contributed to the fragmentary nature of
ancient Greece. The ancient Greeks had no doubt that they were 'one people'; they had the same
religion, same basic culture, and same language. Yet, the city-states were fiercely loyal and often had
very different government systems.
The domination of politics by
small groups of families caused
problems in many city-states.
Sometimes, a tyrant would at
some point seize control and
govern according to their own
will. In a system filled with class
conflict, government by a dictator
was often the best solution.
The rise of Ancient Greek democracy came about after Athens fell under the tyranny of many evil
dictators. When this tyranny ended, the Athenians founded the world's first democracy as a solution to
prevent the aristocracy from regaining power. After the rise of the democracy in Athens, other citystates in Greece developed democracies. Sparta did not. Sparta continued to rule under an oligarchy.
This meant that a small group of warriors ran the government. This small group was made up of
members of the same two families, generation after generation. Spartan Kings could only be hereditary.
Warfare
Sparta and Athens were always at war with
each other. They viewed life differently and
Sparta, being the smaller city-state, often
feared the growing population of Athens.
They fought each other over hundreds of
years.
Legacy
The civilization of ancient Greece has been immensely influential on language, politics, educational
systems, philosophy, science, and the arts. Mankind owes a lot to the ancient Greece civilization, and
can still see their influences around the world, especially in the USA!