The Greek civilization is considered by historians as the first one in the history of mankind. A study of their archeological remains confirms that the ancient Greeks were a highly developed community. Their lifestyle and inventions indicate a high sense of order and aesthetics. The ancient Greeks built houses along the shores of the land. They were dependant on the Aegean seas for their food supplies and other trade. Traveling brought them in contact with other cultures. They gained exposure to various agricultural methods and different types of metal work. Different communities arose from the ancient Greece civilization. Some of them were the Aegean, Achaeans and the Pelasgians. Crete was the center of the Aegean civilization and was the dominant community in 2500 BC. The Achaeans made Mycenae their capital. A volcano caused the destruction of the Aegean community around 1400bc. The Mycenaeans absorbed the culture of the Aegean community. In course of time, Greek settlements were transformed into city-states or poleis and each city-state was ruled by a king. The government was usually unstable due to the tyranny of the aristocrats. Democracy was hardly ever practiced. The ancient Greeks were very keen on sports. The great athletic contest called the Olympic games began in 776 BC, which marked the beginning of the rise of the Greek civilization. At that point of time, Greek ideas were greatly influenced by many different foreign cultures. Artists were focusing on recreating human figures of mythology. The civilization saw its zenith around 500 BC. Excellence was seen in the fields of philosophy, art and literature. Wars with other civilizations began in 490 BC and the superior Greek armies overran their opponents to establish their supremacy. The ancient age of Greek civilization saw the birth of great philosophers like Pluto, Socrates, and the great emperor, Alexander. The ancient Greeks were pagan. They prayed to the various elements of nature. They believed that favorable climate and good crops occurred when the gods were pleased. When things turned bad, they attributed it to the wrath of the gods. They performed sacrifices to appease the enraged gods. Ancient Greeks were essentially simple-minded folks who left behind a beautiful legacy of art, philosophy and literature. |
