1. Greece Today
Greece is a small country (smaller than the United Kingdom), and you can set from the map that
part of it is made up of little islands. Many people who live in the UK go to these islands for their
holidays.
Aegina is one of the most popular Greek islands for holidays. To get to Aegina you can fly to
Athens Airport, go by bus to the port at Piraeus and then take a ferry to the island.
2. When did the Ancient
Greeks live?
The term Ancient, or Archaic, Greece refers to the years 700-480
B.C., not the Classical Age (480-323 B.C.) known for its art,
architecture and philosophy. Archaic Greece saw advances in art,
poetry and technology, but is known as the age in which the
polis, or city-state, was invented.
3.How do we know about the
Ancient Greeks?
We know much about the Ancient Greeks from objects which have survived for thousands of
years. Archaeologists have dug up Ancient Greek artifacts and buildings and marine
archaeologists have found wrecks of Ancient Greek ships and their cargoes.
Pottery has been the most useful find because it was often decorated with
scenes of everyday life. We could work out what life was like by studying
the pictures on the pots.
The Romans liked the buildings, statues and paintings of the Ancient
Greeks and copied them. Some of these have survived.
4.Who were
the Ancient
Greeks?
The earliest Greek civilizations thrived nearly 4,000 years ago. The Ancient
Greeks lived in Greece and the countries that we now call Bulgaria and
Turkey.
The Ancient Greece empire spread over Europe as far as France in the East.
The Greek Empire was most powerful between 2000 BC and 146 BC
The ancient Greeks developed new ideas for government, science,
philosophy, religion, and art.
Ancient Greece was split into many different states, each one was ruled in its
own way. Each state had its own laws, government and money but they
shared the same language and religion. The two most important city states
were Athens and Sparta.
Legacy of the Ancient Greeks - (How Ancient Greece influenced modern
day culture.)
The influence of the Ancient Greeks are still felt by us today. The major
impact in our lives today are in the arts, in philosophy, and in science, math,
literature and politics.
. Trial by Jury
. Greek Myths
•Democracy
The word 'democracy' is Greek. It means 'government by the people. We have a form of
democracy in Britain, and this is a legacy of the Athenians and their assemblies and councils.
•Tragedy and Comedy
•Theatre
The word 'theatre' is Greek. Most modern theatres follow the Greek plan.
•The Olympics
The first Olympic Games were held in 776 BC at the Greek city of Olympia.
•Marathon
Pheidippides ran from Athens to Sparta to ask for help against the Persians just before the
Battle of the Marathon (490 BC).
•Building styles (Architecture)
Throughout the world, buildings have been constructed in the style of Ancient Greece. The
British Museum is an example of this.
•The first alphabet with vowels
The Ancient Greeks played an important part in the development of the alphabet. The first
two letters of the Greek alphabet - alpha and beta - have given us the word 'alphabet'.
5.Foods
The Greek diet was very healthy. Food in Ancient Greece consisted of grains, wheat,
barley, fruit, vegetables, breads, and cake.
The Ancient Greeks grew olives, grapes, figs and wheat and kept goats, for milk and cheese.
They ate lots of bread, beans and olives.
In the Summer months there were plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables to eat and in the
winter they ate dried fruit and food they had stored like apples and lentils. As most of the
Greeks lived very near the sea, they also ate a lot of fish, squid and shellfish.
fish
The soil by the sea was not so rich as on the plains so the Greeks used irrigation and crop rotation to
keep the soil relatively fertile.
In some of the larger Greek city-states, meat could be purchased in cook shops. Meat was rarely eaten
as the Greeks felt that just killing and eating a domesticated animal (like goats) was wrong. The
Greeks would often sacrifice the meat to the gods first and then might eat some of the meat.
Meat
The Greeks loved their wine which was made
from the grapes they grew.
6.Ancient Greek Myths
In their effort to understand their environment and the forces of nature, the Ancient Greeks invented
stories to account for the things that went on in their lives. These tales, known as myths, were
spread around by travelers.
What were Myths about?
They were about gods who controlled the elements of nature. The myths told tales about powerful
Olympian gods, sea gods, woodland gods, sky gods, underwater gods, half-gods, human heroes,
courageous or romantic adventures, betrayals, battles, wanderings, and so on.
MythWeb
The heroes, gods and monsters of Greek
mythology
•Pandora's Box
•Narcissus
The story of a young Greek boy who
fell in love with his own reflection.
•Theseus and the Minotaur
•The Labours of Herakles
•King Midas
•The Trojan Horse
•Perseus and Medusa
•Orpheus and Eurydice
•Daedalus and Iccarus
•The Story of the Odyssey.
•Odyssey 2: Aeolus
•Odyssey 3: Circe
•Odyssey 4: The Sirens
•Odyssey 5: The Sun God's Cattle
•Odyssey 6: The Return
•Jason and the Golden Fleece 1
•Jason and the Golden Fleece 2
•The Pomegranate Seeds