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About Greece

Ancient Greece

An Inspiring Overview of the place that influenced the Western Civilization more than any other.

THE BEGINNING: FROM MYTHOS TO EXISTENCE

The view of Ancient Greece during the Mythology era starts with Hesiod’s Theogony. In this mythical tradition we can locate Chaos (Χάος), Gaia (Γαία) and Eros (Έρως), three self-existent entities. Gaia (meaning earth) was leaning on Tartara (Τάρταρα), which was a big dark void, and through Chaos, Erebus (Έρεβος) [meaning darkness] and Night (Νύχτα) were born. Erebus and Night, created Imera (Ημέρα)[the day] and Ether(Αιθέρας). Through Gaia there were created Mountains (Όρη), Sea (Θάλασσα) and Uranus (Ουρανός). The last one was the father of Titans (Τιτάνες) and Cyclops (Κύκλωπες) and Gaia was their mother.

Uranus hid his children from the daylight, feeling ashamed of their form, until one of his sons, titan Kronos (Κρόνος) beat him and freed his brothers and sisters from the depths of earth and the dark caves their father kept them hostage. But Kronos later on swallowed his own children, Gods (Θεοί), because he was fearful of the fact that he would have the same ending as his father Uranus had, something that happened at last, since he lost to Zeus (Δίας), with help from Gaia and the Titans.
As we can see in the first case, competing for power was evident and then the Clash of Titans (Τιτανομαχία), happened, between the Gods of Olympus and the Titans. Gods emerged victorious. Since then, the twelve Olympians were the main religion for ancient Greeks.
Prometheus (Προμηθέας) later on, stole the fire from Gods and gifted it to humankind. That very choice of him enraged Zeus and Prometheus was punished himself along with humans. He was bound to a rock and an eagle was eating his liver day by day. On the other side, humankind received Pandora’s Box from Zeus. Pandora’s Box hid inside it the world’s greatest disasters and its opening led all those disasters to humankind.

«Ή τοι μέν πρώτιστα Χάος γένετο.» Ησίοδος, Θεογονία, στίχος 116.

POLIS: THE LONGEST FORM OF POLITICAL ORGANIZATION

Polis (Πόλις) appears to be the main formation of Ancient Greece’s society both in political and sociological meaning, during the Archaic (800 BC-80 BC), Classical (510 BC-323 BC) and Hellenic times (323 BC- 30 BC). It means city in Ancient Greek language. The most-known Polis were Athens (Αθήνα)
and Sparta (Σπάρτη), which were also the most powerful and kept contesting for expansion until all ancient Greeks were unified under Alexander the Great and the Greek Macedonian Empire.

The structure of Polis was the same through all cities. Polis was divided between ἄστυ (which meant the urban center of polis), a place where civilians were socializing, living, and spending most of their times during peace and khora (χώρα), which meant the countryside. The borders of each ancient Polis appeared to be temples, dedicated to the twelve Gods of Olympus. For example, the border of Athens was the temple of Artemis Argotera located in Agra, mostly at times where a Polis was at war, ancient Greeks used to hold ceremonies and sacrifices in those temples to win the favor of Gods. Inside the ancient Greek polis, the highest height (Acropolis) was used as a fortress during war and there was the temple of the polis protector (Parthenon for example, a temple dedicated to Athena, the Goddess of Wisdom and daughter of the mighty Zeus). Mediterranean’s natural environment was a key factor regarding Polis evolution, the weather conditions and geography, consisting of numerous mountains was a great match for the rise of a big civilization
(considering the fact that the successor of Ancient Greece was the Roman Empire). Many city-states
started building all across the Greek territory, reaching the number of 1.000-1.500, around the Archaic
and Classical periods.

«Άνδρες πόλις και ου τείχη, ουδέ νήες ανδρών κεναί.» Θουκυδίδης, Ιστορίαι 7.78.1
acropolis

ATHENS: THE CRADLE OF DEMOCRACY

Since Polis is discussed and Thucydides (460 BC-400 BC) is quoted above, an Athenian himself, (considered as the father of History) let’s talk about Athens, homeland of Democracy and Philosophy. Athens is the peak of the Ancient Greek civilization. Established around 3000 BC-700 BC, with worldwide influential figures such as Pericles (495 BC-429 BC), Plato (428/427 BC-348/347 BC), Socrates (470 BC- 399 BC), Aristophanes (446 BC- 386 BC), Herodotus (484 BC-425 BC), Aeschylus (525/524 BC- 456/455 BC), Themistocles (524 BC- 459 BC).
Alexander the Great

Alexander the Great (356 BC- 323 BC): Alexander the Great was one of the greatest, if not the greatest, emperor the world has ever witnessed.

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THE THREE PHILOSOPHERS: THE CORNERSTONE OF WESTERN
CIVILIZATION

Socrates

Socrates (470 BC- 399 BC): Socrates is considered as the father of Western Philosophy.

Born in Athens, founder of the Socratic Method, an argumentative form of dialogue based in short answers and questions that force the speaker to agree with him in the end. The most famous writings referring to Socrates were The Apology and Protagoras (dialogue) between him and Protagoras, a sophist. Socrates was sentenced to death by Heliaia, he accepted the penalty.

«Τους μεν κενούς ασκούς η πνοή διίστησι, τους δ’ ανοήτους, το οίημα.», Σωκράτης.
Plato

Plato (428/427 BC- 348/347 BC): He founded The Academy in 387 BC, considered to be the first institution of higher learning.

The exact date of birth of Plato is unknown. The ages written before are accepted as the most common. Plato was born in Athens during the Golden Age of Athens. He founded The Academy in 387 BC, considered to be the first institution of higher learning with classes of philosophy, mathematics and ethics. His most famous writings were Republic (Πολιτεία), a view about how an ideal society and Polis has to be structured and governed by the philosopher-kings, Symposium (Συμπόσιο), where he analyzes the nature of Love (έρως).

«Ου το ζην περί πλείστου ποιητέον, αλλά το ευ ζην.» Πλάτων, Κριτίας, 47d-49a.
Aristotle

Aristotle (384 BC- 322 BC): He is considered as the Father of Western Science.

An important figure of Classical times himself, Aristotle was a student of Plato. He was born in Stagira, a village in the eastern area of Khalkidhiki He is often referred as “The Stagirite”, due to Stagira being his place of birth. He served as the teacher of Alexander the Great (356 BC- 323 BC) He became the tutor of Alexander the Great in 343 BC and influenced the latter in numerous ways. He is considered as the Father of Western Science, because of his influence in scientific methods. Some of his most famous works were Nicomachean Ethics (Ηθικά Νικομάχεια), where he speaks about moral philosophy. Politics (Πολιτικά) was also one of his greatest works.

«Η φύσις μηδέν μήτε ατελές ποιεί μήτε μάτην.», Αριστοτέλης.

THE THREE HISTORIANS: CONNECTING PAST WITH FUTURE

Thucydides

Thucydides (460 BC- 400 BC): Thucydides, the Father of History. Born in Athens, Halimous (today Alimos) is the main information provider for the Peloponnesian War (431 BC- 404 BC), between Athens and Sparta,

the two most important city-states in Ancient Greek history. Besides being a historian, he served as a general in the Peloponnesian War. His work covers the events between 431 BC- 411 BC. His writings were based on gathering evidence, speeches and personal experience.
Herodotus

Herodotus (485 BC- 424 BC): Herodotus, born in Halicarnassus, Asia Minor is the writer of Histories (Ιστορίαι) a work about the Greco-Persian Wars (499- BC- 449 BC).

His work contains the famous battles of Marathon (490 BC), where Athenians under General Miltiades (550 BC-489 BC) won against the Persians, the battle of Thermopylae (480 BC), where the heroics of Leonidas I, The King of Spartans (540 BC- 480 BC) and his 300-man army of Spartans held back and did serious damage to the Persian forces.
Xenophon

Xenophon (430 BC- 354 BC): Xenophon, like Thucydides was not only a historian, but a soldier as well.

He served as a soldier in the Persian army of Cyrus the Younger, a Persian prince. That’s what his most known writing deals with. His main work Anabasis (Ανάβασις) is focused on the return of 10.000 Greek mercenaries of the Persian army in their way back home. His other major writing, Hellenica(Ελληνικά), a continuation of Thucydides history of the Ancient Greek conflicts and events that covers the years between 411 BC- 362 BC).

THE GREAT LEADERS: CLASSICAL AND HELLENISTIC TIMES

Pericles

Pericles (495 BC- 429 BC): One of the greatest politicians of the Ancient Greek times, Pericles was the Archon (ruler) of Athens during its Golden Age.

He became the ruler of Athens in 461 BC. His first big challenge was the First Peloponnesian War. He is responsible for the building of Parthenon and other masterpiece buildings in Ancient Athens. Being a formidable public speaker was one his main characteristics, after his death in 429 BC, due to plague Athens started collapsing and eventually lost the Peloponnesian War against Sparta in 404 BC.
Agiselaus

Agesilaus II (445/445 BC- 360/359 BC): Agesilaus II is probably the most important king of Sparta. Ruling the city during the era of the Spartan hegemony, after the victory against Athens in the Peloponnesian War,

he was the king of Spartans for 40 years. He is mostly known for the Asia Minor Campaign (396 BC- 394 BC) during which he set free plenty Greek cities who were under the Persian rule. The main source of information about Agesilaus II is the book Hellenica, written by Xenophon
Philip

Philipp II of Macedon (382 BC- 336 BC): He was the father of Alexander the great and the youngest son of King Amyntas III. During his reign the Macedonian Kingdom expanded all over Greece and southern Balkans and developed new fighting tactics

as the Macedonian Phalanx, a form of fighting that each soldier has to defend the one next to him, like the classic Greek Phalanx, but with the import of Sarissa a 6-meter long pike, that was spread all over the Greek territory and played a key role in Alexander the Great defeating the Persian some years later. During his times, Macedonians conquered Thrace, Illyria and Thessaly. He was assassinated in 336 BC by Pausanias and was succeeded by his 20 year old son Alexander the Great. His tomb is located in the Archaeological site of Vergina in Pella, Greece.

SCIENCE, POETRY AND ARTS: ANCIENT GREECE VIEWED THROUGH
CULTURE AND HUMANITARIAN EVOLUTION

Hippocrates

Hippocrates (460 BC- 370 BC): Known as the Father of Medicine, he is well-known for the Hippocratic Oath a vow that doctors take. Hippocrates born in the island of Kos, near the Asia Minor.

He studied under the famous pre-Socratic philosopher Democritus (460 BC- 370 BC). He wrote (not all of it) the Hippocratic Corpus consisting of 60 medical texts. Hippocrates inserted the theories of diagnosis, prognosis and methods, such as clinical observation, all of them really important until the 21 st century. He is well-known for the Hippocratic Oath a vow that doctors take, connected to an ethical code they are bound to respect.

Pythagoras of Samos (570 BC- 495 BC): The famous founder of the Pythagorean Theorem (a2+b2=c2) in Geometry.

He is also the founder of Pythagorianism (A philosophical and religious school that mixed mathematics, ethics, music and metaphysics). He was born in Samos and founded the Pythagorean School in Croton (Italy). He is known especially for his contribution to Mathematics. He influenced Plato, who is also the main information provider for him, since no writings of Pythagoras have been found.

Aristophanes (446 BC- 386 BC): Aristophanes was an Athenian comic playwright and the main representor of Satire (Σάτιρα) a form of irony and comedy towards the state.

He wrote plays about real life people of his age such as the infamous Alcibiades. He commented people of his time with comedy standards and is considered one of the greats of art of Theater.

Homer (8 th Century BC- Unknown): Homer’s epic poems remain some of the most important artistic works of the Archaic Ages. Iliad (the campaign of Greeks known by the name of Trojan War) and Odyssey (the adventures of Odysseus, King of Ithaca during the return from Troy).

Not many details are known about his exact date of birth or his origin. It is claimed that he was Ionian, but none can tell if this information is valid. For many researchers he was the biggest influence of Ancient Greek art and Mythology. His techniques and texts were inspiring for the likes of people like Dantes too.

Aeschylus (525/524 BC- 456/455 BC): Carrying the title of the Father of Tragedy, Aeschylus is responsible for the expansion of the number of characters in a theatre play, according to Aristotle.

The sum of his plays was 70-90, although only 7 survived through the years. His most praised work was The Oresteia (458 BC) a trilogy consisted of 3 plays Agamemnon, The Libation Bearers and The Eumenides. He also fought in the Battle of Marathon in 490 BC against the Persians. He was born in Eleusis, near Athens and died in Gela, Sicily, Italy.

Euripides (480 BC- 406 BC): Born probably in Salamis, but spent most of his life in Athens, he influenced tragedy theatre in numerous ways.

He wrote over 90 plays, but only 18-19 survived through the years. The most important of them were Medea (a tragic woman figure taking revenge of her husband, because he was unfaithful towards her) and The Bacchae (exploring the
culture of God Dionysus). He died in Macedonia, where he stayed in the court of Archelaus, King of Macedonia then. His contributions to drama were about the role of women and their stories and the fact that his scripts emphasize in human emotion and internal conflict. He was credited after his death more than the time he was alive.
Thales

Thales of Miletus (626/623 BC- 548/545 BC): Thales, a pre-Socratic philosopher, is considered one of the Seven Sages(Οι 7 Σοφοί) that were core influencers of the Ancient Greek culture.

He was born in Miletus, part of the Ionian League in Asia Minor. He appears to be a founding figure for the inheritance of Greeks during the centuries. He travelled in Egypt, Babylon and was the first Ancient Greek that introduced philosophy and began exploring the natural world, cutting the ties of Greeks with Mythology. He engaged with Mathematics and it is said that he was the first to form a circle and a triangle. His interests contained Astrology too. The main sources for his life was Aristotle and Herodotus and no writings of him survived through the years. He is considered as an elite-status figure for Ancient Greece and its development overall.
Archimedes

Archimedes (287 BC- 212 BC): He was born in Syracuse, Sicily, a Greek state back then.

He was one of the greatest mathematicians humanity has ever seen, responsible for the Archimedes’ Principle, his advances in Geometry and building weapons, such as catapults. He died in 212 BC during the Roman siege of Syracuse.

Sappho (630/610 BC- 570 BC): Sappho was a lyric poet, born in the island of Lesbos.

She wrote poems about love, beauty, desire and relationships. None of her works survived through the years and her lyrics are known because of quotations from other important figures, such as Plato.

Solon of Athens (638 BC- 558 BC): Solon of Athens is also one of the Seven Sages, like Thales of Miletus.

He is known for being a major law giver in Athens, mostly known for Seisachtheia, which freed many indebted and enslaved Athenian citizens. He is also considered the Father of Athenian Democracy, because his changes in laws led to the new political system. He is admired for his leadership skills.

Lycurgus of Sparta (900/700 BC): Often compared to Solon he was a legendary law giver in Sparta, known for establishing the famous military lifestyle of Spartans.

He promoted economic equality and discouraged luxury. He also introduced syssitia, where men ate all together in public. There are not many information about him and his life and he is considered a mythical figure by some.
Sophocles

Sophocles (497/496 BC- 406/405 BC): Sophocles was a tragic playwright and statesman known for his works Oedipus Rex (Oedipus the King), Antigone and Electra.

He is considered to be the one that elevated the Ancient Greek Tragedy to its peak era.

FAMOUS GENERALS AND STRATEGISTS: MILITARY LEADERS

Themistocles

Themistocles (524 BC- 459 BC): He is an Athenian born general that is responsible for defeating the Persian navy in the Battle of Salamis (480 BC).

He also fought in the Battle of Marathon (490 BC), despite not being a general yet. His great victories though weren’t enough for him to remain in Athens. He was ostracized in 471 BC.
Miltiades

Miltiades the Younger (550 BC- 489 BC): He was an Athenian general and head of the Greeks during the Battle of Marathon.

Although he was praised for his strategies against the Persians, he was later accused of misplacing public funds. His son Cimon, became a general too and a statesman for Athens.
Alcibiades

Alcibiades (450 BC- 404 BC): Alcibiades was a statesman, public figure and general for the Athenians. He is considered as one of the most controversial personalities of the Ancient Greek times,

because he constantly switched sides during the Peloponnesian Wars, between Athens and Sparta. He was the leader of Sicilian Expedition military campaign (415 BC), which ended to a failure for Athens. Pericles was a father figure to him raising him.
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