EVERY DAY HISTORY GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG MININIE CI D LIFE IN GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG GGGGGGGGGGG AN GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG SARAH RIDLEY Smart Apple Media
WHO WERE THE ANCIENT GREEKS he land of Greece was divided by mountains and included many islands In ancient times this made it difficult to rule as one country Most ancient Greeks lived in independent city states Each state governed itself from the main town in the area and controlled the surrounding land The city states were often at war with each other This book looks at life in the city states from around 800 to 350 BC This gold mask was found by archaeologists at Mycenae on the Greek mainland It dates from around 1550 1500 BC Before this time two earlier civilizations lived in Greece the Minoans and the Mycenaeans The Minoans built their center on the island of Crete Later the Mycenaeans who had lived on the Greek mainland became rich and powerful by trading in the Mediterranean After the Mycenaean period the area had no powerful rulers for a few hundred years This period of time is sometimes known as the Dark Ages which ended ca 800 BC IMPORTANT DATES FROM THE TIME OF THE ANCIENT GREEKS 2000 1500 BC 1500 1100 BC 1100 800 BC 800 600 BC Homer writes the Iliad and The Minoan civilization rises and falls It is replaced by the Mycenaeans The Dark Age The rise of city states The rise of the Mycenaeans The invasion of Crete the Trojan War and the collapse of the Mycenaean civilization the Odyssey Colonies are founded in Asia Minor and around the Mediterranean Coins are introduced 776 First Olympic
THE GREEK WORLD On this map you can see the most important places in ancient Greece including Greek settlements in Asia Minor modern Turkey MOUNT OLYMPUS iLiu TROY AEG EAN SEA THERMOPYLA DELPHI THEBE MARATHON COR EPHESUS ATHENS OLYMPIA h MYCENAE EPIDAURUS CCCA D to SPARTA MEDITERRANEAN SEA ot 600 480 BC 480 400 BC 400 300 BC The beginnings of democracy in Athens 490 479 Persian wars The age of Pericles 447 432 The Parthenon is built at Athens The Classical period 431 404 War between Athens and Sparta The rise of Philip of Macedon 336 The death of Philip and succession of Alexander the Great of Macedon 336 323 Alexander the Great wins an empire stretching from Egypt to northern India 323 The death of Alexander the Great III
