Ancient Greece

By about 800 BC, Greece saw the rise of a new civilization that transformed the ancient world. Its influence has lasted to the present day. Ancient Greece was divided into small, independent city-states, each with its own government and laws. The two most important were mighty Athens and Sparta.

Most city-states were ruled by a group of wealthy nobles (an oligarchy). Resentment led to revolts, and absolute rulers (tyrants) were appointed to restore law and order. Then, in about 508 BC, a new type of government was introduced in Athens. It was called democracy, meaning ‘rule by the people’, and gave every free man a say in how the city should be run. Many countries today are democracies, but with votes for all.

The Classical Period (when Greek culture was at its height) lasted from about 500 BC to 336 BC. During that time, Greece was involved in two long-running wars. In 490 BC the Persians invaded. The Greek city-states joined forces and eventually defeated them in 449 BC. One of the most famous battles took place at Marathon in 490 BC. A messenger named Pheidippides ran the 40 kilometres back to Athens carrying news of the Greek victory. His run is immortalized in the modern marathon race.

But peace did not last. In 431 BC war broke out between Athens and Sparta (the Peloponnesian Wars). After laying siege to Athens, the Spartans starved the Athenians into submission. In 404 BC, Athens was forced to surrender.

The ancient Greeks were great scholars, thinkers and teachers. At first, they answered questions about life and nature with stories about the gods. Later, they started to look for practical and scientific ways of making sense of the world about them. Their scholars were called philosophers, which means ‘lovers of knowledge’. They included Scorates, Plato and Aristotle.

Drama and sport played a very important part in the lives of the ancient Greeks. Greek theatre grew from the performance of songs and dances at an annual festival dedicated to Dionysus, the god of wine. These performances were acted out by a group of men called a chorus.

Sport was important not only as a form of entertainment, but also as a way of keeping men fit and healthy for war. There were many competitions for athletes. The oldest and most famous was the Olympic Games, held every four years at Olympia. For the five days of the games, a truce was called between the city-states to allow the athletes safe passage to Olmpia. Athletes trained hard for months before the games. The prize for the winners was a simple olive crown cut from a sacred tree, and a hero’s welcome, fame and fortune when they arrived back home.