Greece

Greece — page 3

Greece — page 4 — INTRODUCTION he roots of the ancient Greek civilization go back more than 3 500 years when ancestors of the Greeks known as the Mycenaeans first settled in Greece The Mycenaean culture flourished until about 1200 B c when it was wiped out from inter nal conflict invasion or a disaster such drought as Greece then entered a period known as the Dark Age Greek speaking peoples from the north moved south across the Greek mainland The surviving Mycenaeans joined these newcomers in many areas forming a new Greek culture Soon the Greeks began to expand their reach They settled on neighboring islands such as Crete the Cycladic Islands and Sicily The Greek civilization The entrance to the Mycenaeans fortress called the Lion Gate st UL stands

Greece — page 5 — BLACK SEA eventually reached Italy Southern France competitions led to the development of a com mon Greek culture the western coast of Asia Minor pres shared by the people of ent day Turkey and nearly every city state Africa Everywhere Most city states also the Greeks went they MEDITERRANEAN SEA observed similar social spread their culture divisions At the top including their lan were a small number guage arts religion of wealthy landowning and ideas aristocrats Aristocrats ANCIENT GREECE Although today we made up the best armed speak of ancient Greece as a single culture by warriors in the military and often served as priests about 750 B C Greece was divided into a num in the temples of various gods Commoners on ber of separate political regions known as city the other hand worked small farms made states Each city state consisted of a city along crafts or participated in trade At the bottom of the with the villages and farmland that surrounded social scale were foreigners and slaves it Scholars estimate that ancient Greece mayDespite such social distinctions Greeks of all have been made up of as many as 1 500 separate classes came together for special events such as city states Among the largest and most power religious festivals or athletic contests Although ful city states were Athens and Sparta These two people of various classes might interact to some have supplied most of the information modern degree it was rare for a Greek of a lower social scholars have about the ancient Greek culture class to improve his standing in society In gen Each city state had its own government and eral a Greek born to one social class remained in city states spent much of their time warring with that class his entire life one another Even so trade religion and athletic Spartan legend told of a boy who hid a stolen for under his tun rather than

Greece — page 6 — Did you knowl EVEN AS SMALL CHILDREN SPARTAN BOYS WERE TRAINED NOT TO CRY NOT TO FEAR THE DARK AND NOT TO BE PICKY

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