Ancient Greece Architecture and Cities
Ancient Greece is an ancient civilization that was rich in culture, art, and literature. It was the birthplace of Homer, who wrote the Iliad and the Odyssey. It was also home to sculptors who created memorials for the dead called kouroi. The ancient Greeks also had discoveries in the sciences, including the discovery of fossils by Xenophanes. These discoveries as well as economic, political, and technological developments would eventually prepare the Greek city-states for monumental change in the next few centuries.
Homer
Homer is a legendary author, credited with the Iliad and Odyssey. Today, he is considered one of the greatest writers of all time. His works are the basis for a number of popular movies, television series, and other media.
Athens
The cult of Athena Polias was a major religious tradition in Ancient Athens. The goddess was revered as the protector of the city and was the focus of a central religious structure. The goddess was represented by a priestess, who held political power. In addition to worshipping Athena, these women controlled the political life of Athens.
Sparta
Sparta in Ancient Greece was a city-state in Greece. It was governed by a society of groups, called the gerousia. The gerousia had limited power and made decisions for the community. Generals accompanied the kings on military campaigns and carried out orders from the gerousia. The gerousia were elected by the free adult males of Sparta.
Mycenae
Mycenae was a city in Ancient Greece that was the site of the Trojan War. The city was devastated by the war, which was nominally won by the Greeks. After the war, the Greek fleet went to Troy and was welcomed with a red carpet. But before the Greeks could return, their king Agamemnon was killed. Clytemnestra, who had hated him for the murder of her daughter Iphigenia, had aided the Trojans in the war and had him killed.
Anatolia
Anatolia was an important part of the Hellenistic world, and its inhabitants largely contributed to its civilization. Large Greek-style cities, such as Ephesus and Pergamum, dotted the region. The people of Anatolia were part of the Hellenistic culture, and their kings were Greek or Macedonian by blood.
Minoa
The Minoans were a culture that celebrated fertility and bullfighting. The bull was worshipped as a symbol of vision and power. They used sacred bull horns and a double ax to worship the gods. They also wrote with hieroglyphs, an ancient form of writing that evolved into Greek. Some of the Minoan religion is preserved in their religious song, known as Phaistos.
Mycenaean civilization
The Mycenaean civilization spanned a large area of Greece. Their centres were specialized in the production and storage of luxury goods. They also had complex bureaucratic systems.
Greek philosophers
Greek philosophers studied a wide range of topics. They are divided into three groups based on the types of ideas they pursued. The Pre-Socratic philosophers studied natural phenomena and the origins of the world. One such philosopher was Pythagoras, who developed the famous Pythagorean Theorem.
Greek architecture
Greek architecture is an ancient style of construction originating from the Greek-speaking people of the ancient world. It flourished not only on the Greek mainland but also in its Aegean islands and colonies in Anatolia and Italy. The earliest surviving examples date back to around 600 BC.
Greek political system
In ancient Greece, there were several types of government. In the capital Athens, the political system was based on the principle of democracy. A parliament of several hundred elected members was in charge of various aspects of the government. Each of these representatives held a fixed term. The assembly had the power to put the king on trial or exile him.
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