Ancient Greece is the time of Greek history that stretches from the 20th century to the 4th century BC
When we speak of Ancient Greece, we are not referring to a unified country, but to a set of cities that shared language, customs and some laws.
Many of them were even enemies with each other, as was the case with Athens and Sparta.
Policy
In the Classical Period, the Greeks sought to cultivate beauty and virtue by developing the arts of music, painting, architecture, sculpture, etc.
With that, they believed that citizens would be able to contribute to the common good. Thus, democracy was launched.
Democracy was the government exercised by the people, unlike the empires that were led by leaders who were considered gods, as was the case with Egypt of the Pharaohs.
Democracy developed mainly in Athens, where free men had the opportunity to discuss political issues in the public square.
Society
Each polis had its own social organization, and some, like Athens, admitted slavery, through debt or wars. In turn, Sparta had few slaves, but they owned state servants, who belonged to the Spartan government.
Both cities had a rural oligarchy that governed them.
Also in Athens we see the figure of foreigners called metics . It was only a citizen who was born in the city and therefore, foreigners could not participate in the political decisions of the polis.
economy
The Greek economy was based on artisanal products, agriculture and trade.
The Greeks made products in choir, metal and fabrics. These were a lot of work, as all stages of production – from spinning to dyeing – were time consuming.
The crops were dedicated to vineyards, olive trees and wheat. Added to this was the creation of small animals.
Trade took place between Greek cities on the shores of the Mediterranean and affected all Greek society. To carry out commercial exchanges, the ” drachma ” currency was used .
There was both the small farmer’s trade, which took his harvest to the local market, and the large trader, who owned boats that made the entire route from the Mediterranean.
Religion
Ancient Greek religion was polytheistic. Upon receiving the influence of various peoples, the Greeks were adopting gods from other places until they formed the pantheon of gods, nymphs, demigods and heroes who were worshiped both at home and publicly.
The stories of the gods served as a moral teaching to society, and also to justify acts of war and peace. The gods also interfered in everyday life, and there was practically a deity for each function.
If a Greek had a doubt as to which action to take, he could consult the Delphic oracle. There, a pythoness would go into a trance in order to make contact with the gods and answer the question. As this was given in an enigmatic way, a priest would take charge of interpreting it to the client.
Culture
Greek culture is closely linked to religion, as literature, music and theater recounted the achievements of heroes and their relationship with the gods who lived on Olympus.
Theater plays were very popular and all cities had their scenic space (called an orchestra) where tragedies and comedies were staged.
Music was important for cheering civil banquets and accompanying religious acts. The main instruments were the flute, drums and harps. The latter was used to help poets recite their works.
Likewise, sports were part of Greek daily life. Therefore, to celebrate the alliance between the different polis, competitions were organized in times of peace.
The first one was held in 776 BC, in the city of Olímpia and from there it would be known as the Olympic Games, or simply, the Olympics .
At that time, only free men who could speak Greek could take part in the competition.
Summary of Ancient Greek History
Ancient Greek history is divided into four periods :
- Pre-Homeric (20th – 12th century BC)
- Homeric (12th – 8th centuries BC)
- Archaic (8th – 6th centuries BC)
- Classic (5th centuries – IV BC)
Pre-Homeric Period (20th – 12th century BC)
The first period of formation in Greece is called prehomeric.
Ancient Greece was formed from the miscegenation of the Indo-European or Aryan peoples ( Achaeans , Ions , Aeolians, Dorians ). They migrated to the region located in the south of the Balkan peninsula, between the Ionian, Mediterranean and Aegean seas.
It is believed that around 2000 BC the Achaeans arrived, who lived in a primitive community regime.
After establishing contact with the Cretans, from whom they adopted writing, they developed, built palaces and fortified cities.
They were organized in several kingdoms led by the city of Mycenae and hence the name Aqueia Civilization of Mycenae. After annihilating Cretan civilization, they dominated several islands in the Aegean Sea and destroyed Troia, a rival city.
However, in the 12th century BC, the Mycenaean civilization was destroyed by the Dorians, who imposed a violent dominion over the entire region, devastated the cities of Hellas and caused the dispersion of the population, which favored the formation of several colonies. This fact is known as the 1st Greek diaspora.
Homeric Period (12th – 8th centuries BC)
Doric invasions brought about a setback in social and commercial relations among the Greeks.
In some regions, genos emerged – a community formed by numerous families, descendants of the same ancestor. In these communities, goods were common to all, work was collective, they raised cattle and cultivated the land.
Everything was divided between them, who depended on the orders of the community leader , called Pater , who exercised religious, administrative and legal functions.
With the increase in population and the imbalance between population and consumption, the genos began to disintegrate.
Many began to leave the genos and look for better conditions of survival, initiating the colonizing movement for much of the Mediterranean. This movement that marks the disintegration of the gentile system is called the 2nd Greek diaspora.
The process resulted in the foundation of several colonies, including:
- Byzantium, later Constantinople, and today Istanbul;
- Marseille and Nice, today in France;
- Naples, Tarento, Síbaris, Crotona and Siracusa, known together as Magna Grecia, in the south of present-day Italy and in Sicily.
Archaic Period (8th – 6th centuries BC)
The Archaic Period begins with the decline of the Gentile community. At this time, the aristocrats solve join creating fratrias (brotherhoods formed by several individuals genos).
These came together to form tribes that built, on high ground, fortified cities called acropolis. Greek cities – states (polis) were being born.
Athens and Sparta served as a model for the other Greek polis . Sparta was an aristocratic city, closed to foreign influences and an agrarian city.
The Spartans valued authority, order and discipline and thus it became a militaristic state, where there was no room for intellectual achievement.
In turn, Athens dominated for a long time the trade between Greeks and, in its political evolution, it knew several forms of government: monarchy, oligarchy, tyranny and democracy. Athens symbolized the cultural splendor of Ancient Greece.
Classical Period (5th – 4th century BC)
The beginning of the Classic Period was marked by the Medical Wars , between Greek and Persian cities, which threatened trade and the security of the polis.
After the wars, Athens became the leader of the Confederation of Delos, an organization composed of several city-states. These were to contribute ships and money to maintain naval resistance against possible foreign invasion.
The period of Athenian hegemony coincided with Athens’ economic prosperity and cultural splendor. At this time, philosophy, theater, sculpture and architecture reached their greatest grandeur.
Intending also to impose its hegemony on the Greek world, Sparta composed the Peloponnesian League with other city-states and declared war on Athens in 431 BC After 27 years of struggle, Athens was defeated.
Years later, Sparta lost the hegemony to Thebes and during that period, Greece was conquered by the armies of Macedonia and was incorporated into the Macedonian Empire. This era became known as the Hellenistic period.
Greece was ruled by Emperor Philip II and then by his son Alexander the Great , who conquered a great empire. The fusion of Greek and Eastern culture was called the Hellenistic Culture.