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
HOW DO WE KNOW ABOUT THE ANCIENT GREEKS GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGE This Greek sculpture is one of a number that survive It may represent the god Apollo he ancient Greeks have left us many clues that tell us about their daily life We know about them from reading their writings from the impressive buildings still standing today and from the evidence of archaeological excavations You can see Greek objects especially vases and sculptures in museums worldwide to STANDING STRUCTURES Some of the temples theaters athletics tracks and other public buildings built by the ancient Greeks survive today To see some of the best temples visit the Acropolis a high rocky area in Athens Another important site is Delphi Archaeologists have discovered roads temples and a stadium for sporting competitions here He All these buildings have survived earthquakes wind and rain for thousands of years showing the skill of the architects and sculptors who built them The Acropolis Athens
BGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG ARCHAEOLOGY Archaeologists continue to excavate many ancient Greek sites The objects they find such as pottery metalwork jewelry and the foundations of many buildings tell us about life in Greece Clothes and furniture do not usually Survive POTTERY We know a great deal about life in ancient Greece from the pictures painted on Greek pots These show clothes furniture and people going about their everyday lives Many pots were found in tombs that had been left as offerings to the gods LITERATURE This is a sculpture right of the poet Homer lived 8 BC who authored the Iliad and the Odyssey Few original Greek writings survive However the Romans who made Greece part of their empire created many copies of Greek books In turn these were copied by monks in medieval
