Who were the Ancient Greeks? The earliest Greek civilizations thrived nearly 4,000 years ago. Yet, their culture still impacts our lives today, in the arts, in philosophy, and in science, math, literature and politics. When Did They Live? The Greeks lived in Ancient Greece from 750 BC to 146 BC. Who Was Most Famous and Why? ZEUS was the god of the sky and weather and his image appears on most Greek coins. The people of Greece worshipped him as their main god. He was the supreme god and ruler of Olympus... where the gods all lived. He was known by many names... God of the Sky, the Cloud- gatherer, the Rain-god and Zeus the Thundered. What Was Life Like In Ancient Greece and Why? Greek schools were small. They had only one teacher and about ten or twenty boys. Men and women lived in different parts of the house. Women had the back and upstairs part