COLEGIO PURSIMA CONCEPCIN Y STA.

M MICAELA 1 ESO

1. THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT Ancient Greece was composed of the Balkan peninsulas, the Peloponnese and many island in the Eastern Mediterranean such as Crete, the Cyclades, Paros, Delos, Mykonos, etc. The coasts of Asia Menor (now Turkey) were also part of Ancient Greece. Greece had a privileged position between Asia (Mesopotamia), Africa (Egypt) and the rest of Europe.

Many Greeks were poor. Life was hard because farmland, water and timber for building were all scarce. That's why many Greeks sailed off to find new lands to settle. Greek culture spread along the Mediterranean coast (Europe, Africa and Asia) and many people consider it to be the origin of Western civilization. The close proximity of the sea and mountains had a decisive influence on its history. On the one hand, it contributed to the isolation and independence of Greek cities, which never united in one state. On the other hand, because it was easier for the Greeks to get the products they needed from other places on the Mediterranean, they made many sea voyages.

2. THE HISTORY OF ANCIENT GREECE 2.1. The origins of Greek civilization The origins of Greek civilization go back to Prehistoric Age. During the Metal Age in Greece, there were two stages:

Bronze Age: Cretan and Minoan civilization (3000 1450 BC) on the island of Crete. It reached its peak under the rule of King Minos in the city of Knossos. Later, the Mycenaen civilization emerged (1600-1200 BC) centred on the Peloponnese Peninsula around the city of Mycenae. Iron Age: the Greek Dark Age (1200 750 BC). During this time, the Dorians subjugated the people who lived on the Peloponnese Peninsula. At the end of the period, communities began to join together to form poleis.

2.2. Archaic Age: colonization. During this age (5th-6th centuries BC), the poleis were governed by chiefs or kings, but they gradually lost power to the aristocracy, who began to hold public positions. The population grew and there was not enough farmland to grow crops. Merchants and artisans wanted to expand their trade. So the Ancient Greeks started to establish colonies around the Mediterranean Sea. 2.3. Classical Age In this period (5th century and part of the 4th century), Greece consisted of many different poleis, the most important being Athens and Sparta. After a long process, democracy (government of the people) was established in Athens. The citizens held power through the Assembly, which elected the magistrates. The political system of Sparta was oligarchy: power was held by a small group of people. The Sparta polis was ruled by two kings, twenty eight elders and five officials.

In the Classical Age, the Greeks took part in several wars. In the Persian Wars (494-479 BC), they fought the Persians and in the Peloponnesian Wars (431-404 BC), the Greek city states fought each other: Sparta won and imposed and oligarchy on Athens.

2.4. Hellenistic Age In the 4th century BC, King Phillip II of Macedonia conquered Greece. His son Alexander the Great created the largest empire the Ancient World had ever seen. After Alexanders death, the generals shared out his empire. It was divided into three large Hellenistic kingdoms, governed by their respective dynasties: Macedonia and Greece, Asia Minor, Syria, Mesopotamia and the old Persian Empire; and Egypt.

Between the 2nd and 1st centuries BC, Rome, which formed a huge new empire, took control of the Greek territories.

3. LIFE IN ANCIENT GREEK CITY STATES In the centre of Ancient Greek cities was an acropolis (a religious space, at the highest part of the city, which was fortified to shelter the people in times of danger) and the agora (public square in Ancient Greek cities). 3.1. The economy Agriculture was very important, although there wasnt a lot of cultivated land. Vines and olives were the main crops. People also kept livestock (sheep, goats, pigs, donkeys) and many Greeks made crafts (metalwork and leather work, pottery, textiles and perfume). Farmers and artisans usually sold their products directly in the market. There was a sea trade with the colonies. The city states received a large income because they charged a tax for the goods that went through their ports. They used silver coins for payment.

3.2. Society Citizens were aristocrats, merchants and farmers. They could vote, be elected to hold public office and take part in political life. They had to pay some taxes. Foreigners were non-citizens and had no political rights. They paid special taxes and they could go to the public gymnasium, serve in the army and buy goods. Most of them were artisans or traders. Slaves were not free and belonged to other people. They were non-citizens. They were the main workforce in agriculture, crafts and domestic service. In Ancient Greece, you could become a slave because you hadnt paid your debts (money you owned), because your father decided to sell you as a slave; because you were a peasant with no work and you sold yourself as a slave. Women could not either be citizens. Greek women couldnt hold political positions. In Athens, they couldnt choose their own husbands. In Sparta, women had more freedom and were allowed to take part in public sporting events. Most girls were only 13-16 years old when they married. Often their fathers chose husbands for them. A girl's husband was often older, in his 30s. The day before she married, a girl sacrificed her toys to the goddess Artemis, to show she was grown-up. 3.3. Growing up in Greece Many Greek parents wanted boy children. A son would look after his parents in old age. A daughter went away when she married, and had to take a wedding gift or dowry. This could be expensive, if a family had lots of daughters. A father could decide whether or not the family kept a new baby. Unwanted or weak babies were sometimes left to die outdoors. Anyone finding an abandoned baby could adopt it and take it home, perhaps to raise it as a slave. If a couple were rich, they might hire a poor neighbour or a slave to nurse a new baby.

At 3, children were given small jugs - a sign that babyhood was over. Boys went to school at age 7. Girls were taught at home by their mothers. A few girls learned to read and write, but many did not. School-teachers needed payment, so poor boys did not get much education. A wealthy family sent a slave to walk to school with the boys. The slave stayed at school to keep an eye on them during lessons. Most Greeks schools had fewer than 20 boys, and classes were often held outdoors. Girls learned housework, cooking and skills such as weaving at home. Boys at school learned reading, writing, arithmetic, music and poetry. They wrote on wooden tablets covered with soft wax, using a pointed stick called a stylus. They used an abacus, with beads strung on wires or wooden rods, to help with maths. Part of their lessons included learning stories and poems by heart. Boys did athletics, to keep fit and prepare them for war as soldiers. They ran, jumped, wrestled and practised throwing a spear and a discus. 4. RELIGION The Greeks believed in many gods. According to Greek mythology (collection of stories about gods and heroes from the ancient world), the gods lived on Mount Olympus and, like humans, had their virtues, defects and needs. But they were also immortal and had supernatural powers. The Greeks also believed in heroes (a strong brave man whose mother or father was a god). They made offerings (food, beverage or animals given to show gratitude, love or respect) and animal sacrifices to the gods to show their adoration and ensure their protection. The temple was the house of the gods and not a meeting place for the faithful. Religious ceremonies usually took place in the home.

The Olympic Games were held every four years in honour of the god Zeus. They were held in the Ancient Greek city of Olympia. In the beginning only Greek athletes took part; but later on participants (only men) from all over the Mediterranean region competed in the event. At the first one-day Olympic Games, the only event was a short sprint from one end of the stadium to the other. Gradually more events were added to make four days of competitions. They included wrestling, boxing, long jump, throwing the javelin and discus, and chariot racing. At the same time, there were religious ceremonies, and poetry and public speaking competitions. The winners received a crown of laurels and their statue was placed in Olympia. Cheating was punished. Anyone caught cheating, trying to bribe an athlete for instance, had to pay for a bronze statue of Zeus, as a punishment. Only men, boys and unmarried girls were allowed to attend the Olympic Games. Married women were not allowed into the Olympic Games. The revival of the Olympic Games began with Baron Pierre de Coubertin of France. Coubertin was greatly interested in education, and he firmly believed that the best way to develop the minds of young people was to develop their bodies as well; learning and athletics should go together. After he visited the ruins of ancient Olympia, it occurred to Coubertin that perhaps the best way to generate widespread acceptance of his theory was to resurrect the Olympic Games. The first modern Olympic Games were held in 1896 in Athens, Greece

The Greeks believed in oracles (messages of advance sent by the gods). They believed they could predict the future through them. The messages were transmitted via signs that only priests could interpret. The priests observed the flight of birds, animal intestines, and other phenomena and elements for potential messages from the gods. The messages expressed the will of the gods so, if you didnt follow their advice, you could lose their protection and bad things could happen to you. What the oracle said often had two or more meanings, so it was hard to say the Oracle was ever wrong. 5. CULTURE Ancient Greek culture is the basis of Western civilization. Philosophy: several Greek thinkers tried to explain the origin and nature of human beings and everything that surrounded them. Literature: the Greeks invented the theatre. Most Greek cities had a theatre. It was in the open air, and was usually a bowl-shaped arena on a hillside. Some theatres were very big, with room for more than 15,000 people in the audience. All the actors were men or boys. Dancers and singers, called the chorus, performed on a flat area called the orchestra. Over time, solo actors also took part, and a raised stage became part of the theatre. The actors changed costumes in a hut called the "skene". Painting the walls of the hut made the first scenery. The plays were comedies (funny, often poking fun at rulers) or tragedies (sad and serious, with a lesson about right and wrong).

Poetry: the Greeks also wrote epic poems (long narrative poems about the acts of heroic characters). The most famous author was Homer, who wrote the Iliad and the Odyssey. Mathematics: Pythagoras and Euclides. Physics: Archimedes. Medicine: Hippocrates

Astronomy: Aristarchus of Samos proved that the Earth was spherical and orbited the Sun. Eratosthenes calculated the volume and diameter of the Earth. Anaxagoras discovered that the Moon received light from the Sun and explained the phases of the Moon and eclipses.

6. ARCHITECTURE AND ART The main characteristics of Greek art are proportion (relationship between the parts of a whole) and visual balance. The Greeks believed that architecture (the art of making buildings) was based on mathematical principles The Greeks built many types of construction: temples, tombs, theatres, stadiums (for races and fights), hippodromes, gymnasiums (for physical exercise). They built beautiful temples. Temple roofs were held up by stone columns and decorated with friezes with carved stone figures.In Greek architecture, columns provided support for a building. The Greeks made columns in white stone. There are three styles of Greek architecture depending on the type of column used (Doric, Ionic and Corinthian). The Doric style is the simplest. The column has no base. The shaft is wider at the bottom than at the top and has 20 sides. The capital is smooth. The Ionic column has a base and the capital (the top) is decorated with scrolls (volutas). The shaft is taller than the Doric column and has more sides. The Corinthian column is more decorative than the others. The shaft is thinner than in the ionic and Doric styles, and has 24 sides. The capital is adorned with acanthus leaves.

Greek sculpture focuses on the human form and shows an ideal of beauty, proportion and balance. In the Archaic Age, figures had a rigid posture. The faces had very big eyes and a forced smile. Kouros (Greek stone sculpture representing a nude youth standing upright) were characteristic of Archaic architecture. In the Classical Age, sculptures depicted the human body and were usually of perfectly proportioned naked athletes. The faces were expressive and the figures showed movement. The main sculptors in the 5th century BC were Myron, Phidias and Polyclitus; in the 4th century BC they were Lysippus, Scopas and Praxiteles. In the Hellenistic Age, sculptures showed feelings: pain, effort, etc.

Ceramics from the time have survived. These are often decorated with geometrical patterns, imaginary animals, plants, figures (in red and black tones) representing scenes from mythology or daily life.