ANCIENT GREECE
THE GREEK EMPIRE
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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 Greek Empire spread over Europe as far as France in the
East. It was most powerful between 2000 BC and 146 BC.
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 religion and language. The two most important city states
were Athens and Sparta.
DAILY LIFE
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Clothes – tunics/sandals
Houses – built round a courtyard
Food – wheat/fruit /vegetables
Schools – only boys/different states own education
Slaves - very important to ancient Greek daily life
THE GREEK LEGACY
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The Ancient Greeks developed new ideas for government, science,
philosophy, religion and art.
DEMOCRACY
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They introduced democracy and the idea of Trial by Jury.
The word 'democracy' is Greek. It means government by the people. Our
democracy is a legacy of the Athenians and their assemblies and councils.
THE ALPHABET
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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'.
THEATRES
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The word 'theatre' is Greek. Most modern theatres follow the Greek plan.
Almost every Greek city had a theatre because plays were part of many
religious festivals. The Greeks enjoyed singing and dancing. The theatres
were built on hillsides in the open air and could often hold more than
18,000 spectators.
SPORT
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The first Olympic Games were held in 776 BC at the Greek city of
Olympia.
The Marathon - Pheidippides ran from Athens to Sparta to ask for help
against the Persians just before the Battle of the Marathon (490 BC).
ARCHITECTURE
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Throughout the world, buildings have been constructed in the style of
Ancient Greece. The British Museum is an example of this.
Famous Greek buildings include The Parthenon
They were also famous for their statues
MYTHOLOGY
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In their efforts 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 were known as myths e.g. King Midas,
Pandora’s Box