The Ancient Greeks
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About
The time of the Ancient Greeks could also be known as "The Birthplace of Western Civilization" because this time period was admired and copied by many. In fact, the Romans copied their ways of living after they conquered them. The Greeks were around for hundreds of years. For most of this time they were divided into small city states. Each of these city states had their own kind of government which is explained in more detail in the Government Section of this site. Despite their differences in political opinions, they had quite a few similarities. For example, they spoke the same language and believed in the same gods (see Mythology section for more).
The Ancient Greeks not only had an impact on the Romans, but on us as well. You can see aspects of their lives in ours; from government, philosophy, maths and science to literature, art and even sports. Now, historians often divide the Ancient Greek time period into three: the Archaic Period (800 BC-508 BC), the Classical Period (508 BC-323 BC) and the Hellenistic Period (323 BC to 146 BC).
The word archaic means relating to a primitive period and is derived from the Greek word archaikos. During the Archair Period, the city states or polis became dominant. This period also saw the beginnings of classical philosophy and theatre. The population of Greece increased in this period, leading to the founding of new towns and colonization in the Mediterranean area. Between these years, the Olympic Games began and Homer wrote about Odyssey and the Iliad.
For more information click on of the following links:
This site gives a general overview of the Archaic Period.
This site has information on politics and law; art and architecture; the Panhellenic Games; and the Persian wars. It also has a useful timeline for the period.
This well referenced site is particularly useful for information on city states on colonization. There is also information on the role of slaves and women.
The Classical period was the beginning of democracy (see Governments section for more information) and included the rise of great philosophers such as Socrates and Plato and the Athenian and Spartan wars. It had a profound influence on the modern Western world.
For more information, visit the following sites:
Brief information on the Classical Period.
Brief information on the wars and conflicts of this period.
Easy to read site, gives a brief overview of the events of the classical period.
Detailed timeline of the Classical Period with numerous links to important events.
Finally, the Hellenistic Period lasted from the death of Alexander the Great to when the Romans conquered. The name of this period originated from the word "hellens", which is the names the Greeks gave themselves.
This site has useful maps illustrating the events of the Hellenistic Period.
This site has detailed information on the art of this period, with links to PDF articles on Greek art.
For visual learners, this site has videos relating to this period.
Did you know...
The Ancient Greeks invented the yo-yo, which is considered to be the second oldest toy in the world after the doll.
(Source of image: http://www.zeemoshows.com/yo_yo_story_p2.html)