Ancient Greece facts for kids
Ancient Greece was a civilization belonging to a period of Greek history that lasted from about 800 B.C. to 31 B.C., when Rome conquered Greece. Ancient Greece influenced cultures that came after it in philosophy, politics, and academics. Historians usually divide its history into three periods.
- The Archaic period began in about 800 B.C. The Olympic games began during this period. It was also during this time that Homer wrote the Iliad and the Odyssey.
- The Classical period began with the Greco-Persian Wars when Persia invaded Greece. The famous philosophers Plato, Aristotle, and Socrates lived during the time of Classical Greece. The wars between Sparta and Athens happened during this time as well. When Alexander the Great of Macedon died, this period ended. Classical Greece is generally considered to be the influencing culture which provided the foundation of modern Western culture.
- The Hellenistic period flourished from Central Asia to the western end of the Mediterranean Sea because of Alexander the Great. This period in Greece ended when the Roman Empire established the Roman province of Macedonia in Roman Greece. The Romans adopted many Greek ideas, especially philosophy.
Contents
Early history
Literacy
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The Greeks had lost literacy at the end of the Mycenaean culture, as the Mediterranean world fell into the Dark Ages. In the 8th century B.C., they learned to to read and write a second time. The Phoenicians had an alphabet, to which the Greeks made some adjustments. They introduced regular letters for vowels, which was necessary for their language. Their alphabet was, in turn, copied by the Romans, and much of the world now uses the Roman alphabet.
Political structure
Ancient Greece had one language and culture, but was not unified until 337 B.C., when Macedonia defeated Athens and Thebes. The conquered cities joined to Philip II of Macedon's Corinthian League and ruled themselves.
City states
Ancient Greece consisted of several hundred more-or-less independent city states. This was different from other societies, which were either tribes or kingdoms ruling over large territories.
On one hand, the ancient Greeks knew that they were "one people," with the same religion, the same basic culture, and the same language. However, each city state or "polis" was independent. Some cities were democratic, some were aristocratic, and some were monarchies.
Greece was divided and sub-divided by hills, mountains, and rivers, and city states existed within these natural boundaries. One famous Greek kingdom is Macedon. For a short time, they became the largest kingdom in the known world because they conquered Persian empire including ancient Egypt and reaching into modern-day India. Other famous kingdoms are Epirus and Thessaly.
The Greeks established many cities along the coastline when their civilization grew so much that they could not grow enough food for all the people. When this happened, a city would send people off to start a new city. By the 6th century B.C., some cities became much more important than the others. They were Corinth, Thebes, Sparta, and Athens.
Athens became a democracy in 510 B.C. The men came to a place in the center of the city and decided what to do. They would talk and then vote on what to do at the Boule (the parliament). Athens was the first place to run their government this way. Every year, Athenian citizens elected eight generals who led them in war.
Daily life
When the men were not working, fighting, or discussing politics, they could go to Ancient Greek theater to watch dramas, comedies, or tragedies during festival times. The plays were often about politics and the gods of Greek mythology. Men played both the male and female roles in the plays.
Women did domestic work, such as spinning, weaving, cleaning and cooking. Women from rich families however, had slaves to do their domestic work for them. They were not involved in public life or politics.
Ancient Greek games
The famous Olympic games were held at Olympia every four years. The sports included running, javelin throwing, discus throwing, and wrestling. The games were for men only, who could come from any Greek city.
Another competition, the Heraean Games, was held for women. It was held at Olympus at a different time from the men's event. The rules for girls in Sparta were different from other cities. They were trained in the same events as boys, because Spartans believed that strong women would produce babies that would become strong future warriors.
Later, in the Classical period, girls could compete in the same festivals as males.
Interesting facts about Ancient Greece
- Mainland Greece was almost completely surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea and had about 1,400 islands.
- Greek cities were founded around the Black Sea, North Africa, and near modern-day Spain, Sicily, and France.
- Early city-state economy was based on agriculture, not trade.
- Philip II of Macedon united warring city-states. After his assassination, Alexander the Great, his son assumed the throne and grew the empire.
- Athens and Sparta, two of the most famous city states in Greece, were different. Athens focused on the arts and philosophy, while Sparta trained for the military.
- On top of the tallest hill in each city-state, the Greeks built a collection of buildings called an acropolis. The acropolis was used for three things: religious festivals, banks, and a fortress.
- The first Olympic games were held in Olympus in 776 B.C.
- Greece's many gods were known as Olympians.
- Greek myths are all that are left of the Ancient Greek religion.
- The conquering Romans adopted many of the Greek ideas.
Images for kids
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Dipylon Vase of the late Geometric period, or the beginning of the Archaic period, c. 750 B.C.
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Alexander Mosaic, National Archaeological Museum, Naples
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Map showing the major regions of mainland ancient Greece and adjacent "barbarian" lands
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Greek cities & colonies c. 550 B.C. (in red color)
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The carved busts of four ancient Greek philosophers, on display in the British Museum: from left to right: Socrates, Antisthenes, Chrysippus, and Epicurus
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The Antikythera mechanism was an analog computer from 150 to 100 B.C. designed to calculate the positions of astronomical objects.
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Mount Olympus, home of the Twelve Olympians
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See also
In Spanish: Antigua Grecia para niños
