Discovering Ancient Greece

Discovering Ancient Greece — page 3 — CHAPTER ONE DAILY LIFE ike most cultures of the ancient world Greece had a class system that grouped people into distinct social rankings The hierarchy of priv ilege and authority placed naturally born Greeks particularly men at the top Beneath them were residents who had relocated from other countries called metics They shared many of the obligations of native Greeks but they were denied certain ben efits of citizenship The class of metics also included freed slaves Slaves formed the lowest class They possessed no rights and like metics and freedmen were not considered citizens The Only True Citizens Greek Men Because adult male citizens formed the upper class they dominated public life in ancient Greece In the

Discovering Ancient Greece — page 4 — DAILY LIFE city states with a democratic form of gov ernment only adult males could take part in politics These men represented just a small portion of the population In Athens the best known city state and the birthplace of democracy they made up only 12 percent of the people Athenian men spent their time talking politics and philosophy in the agora or marketplace They exercised in the athletic fields performed military duty and took part in state festivals Some took part in the Assembly which made the city state's laws and policies Despite their high social standing even men were not allowed to publicly criticize their government or the gods In the mili tary men were trained to think and act tactically Athens developed a powerful navy This illustration shows the layout of the agora of Athens In ancient Greek cities the agora was an open space that served as a meeting ground for various activities of the

Discovering Ancient Greece — page 5 — DISCOVERING ANCIENT GREECE е ро ON 0 0 0 A ceramic plate depicts a battle between Menelaus king of Sparta and the Trojan hero Hector In the legendary conflict known as the Trojan War the early Greeks defeated the people of Troy and became a strong sea power But the most powerful military city state was Sparta with its superior army All male Spartan citizens between the ages of twenty and sixty served in the army IO

Discovering Ancient Greece — page 6 — DAILY LIFE Life at Home Women and Children Women in ancient Greece spent their days at home They spun wove and performed other household chores The houses were made of sun dried brick and stood on narrow winding streets There were usu ally several rooms surrounding a private courtyard The rooms included separate apartments for men and women as well as tiny bedrooms Homes in ancient Greece were designed around a courtyard that provided a place for women to enjoy fresh air and for chil dren to play They also included separate living quarters for men and women II

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