Why is greece important

The new poleis were self-governing and self-sufficient. As time passed and their populations grew, many of these agricultural city-states began to produce consumer goods such as pottery, cloth, wine and metalwork. Trade in these goods made some people—usually not members of the old aristocracy—very wealthy. These people resented the unchecked power of the oligarchs and banded together, sometimes with the aid of heavily-armed soldiers called hoplites, to put new leaders in charge.

These leaders were known as tyrants. Some tyrants turned out to be just as autocratic as the oligarchs they replaced, while others proved to be enlightened leaders. Pheidon of Argos established an orderly system of weights and measures, for instance, while Theagenes of Megara brought running water to his city.

Sculptors created kouroi and korai, carefully proportioned human figures that served as memorials to the dead. Scientists and mathematicians made progress too: Anaximandros devised a theory of gravity; Xenophanes wrote about his discovery of fossils and Pythagoras of Kroton discovered his famous Pythagorean Theorem. The economic, political, technological and artistic developments of the Archaic period readied the Greek city-states for the monumental changes of the next few centuries.

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The Acropolis of Athens is one of the most famous ancient archaeological sites in the world. Located on a limestone hill high above Athens, Greece, the Acropolis has been inhabited since prehistoric times. Over the centuries, the Acropolis was many things: a home to kings, a Few monuments in the world are more recognizable than the Parthenon. Sitting atop a limestone hill rising some feet above the Ilissos Valley in Athens, this soaring marble temple built in tribute to the goddess Athena brings the glory of ancient Greece into the modern world.

Many feel that only Shakespeare merits inclusion in their company. Each won numerous prizes and critical acclaim and each added innovations to the field of drama. The lyric poet Pindar ushered in the era and became famous in his lifetime for victory odes written to celebrate athletic success. The writers of prose also flourished. Herodotus, regarded as the father of history, wrote several illuminating books on the Persian wars and is still a often consulted source on ancient Egypt.

Another war historian, Thucydides, is still admired as a lucid and evocative writer. Plato, whose writings largely survive, is said to have penned the most poetical prose since the Bible. The Rights Holder for media is the person or group credited.

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If no button appears, you cannot download or save the media. Text on this page is printable and can be used according to our Terms of Service. Any interactives on this page can only be played while you are visiting our website. You cannot download interactives. Ancient Greek politics, philosophy, art and scientific achievements greatly influenced Western civilizations today.

One example of their legacy is the Olympic Games. It was a powerful body, as it could even ostracize people for up to ten years. Alongside the Assembly, there was also a public body of people called the Boule Parliament. Although people in the Boule were supposed to be chosen at random on an annual basis, there are indications that they were often prominent Athenian citizens and their relatives.

Look here for more interesting facts about Athens. Did you know that thousands of words in English come from Greek? Think about philosophy, democracy and history, but also photography, psychology, school, problem, method, type, music, idea, episode, program, apologize, irony, practice, phrase.

This is not Greek to you… or is it? The predecessor languages of Ancient Greek might have developed as early as BC, though evidence is scarce. The New Testament was written in Koine Greek.

Modern Greek is not too far-off Koine Greek. These days, a Greek person could more or less read texts written in Koine Greek, almost 2, years ago! This article should help. You might know that the first modern Olympic Games took place in Athens in — but did you know that the first Olympic Games ever were held in Ancient Greece in BC?

They were held to honour the King of gods, Zeus, and matches and sports were added at later stages. The Games took place every four years in Ancient Olympia , and people from all city-states in Greece travelled in order to participate or attend. During that time, the Olympic Truce came into effect, in order to enable people and athletes to travel and participate safely — this was very important, as the city-states were often at war with each other.

The only people allowed to participate in the Ancient Olympic Games were men of Greek origin who were not slaves. Women were not allowed to participate or even attend the Games, though they were allowed to own chariots that were used for chariot racing. They were reestablished in , with male participants competing against each other. The Games were held again in Athens in This interesting stadium was rebuilt for the first modern Olympic Games. It also has a couple of interesting rooms containing memorabilia from various Olympic Games around the world.

Visiting with your family? Race along the track and see who is the Olympic champion in your family! For many visitors, Greek food is one of the reasons they come to Greece. Dishes like mousaka and souvlaki are quite famous around the world. However, if you want to experience some real Greek food, you absolutely have to come to Greece, preferably outside the main tourist hubs.

Greek cuisine is fairly rich and very diverse. Vegetables and pulses are used liberally, but meat, poultry and fish are also abundant. Flavours are generally subtle, with onions, garlic, tomato or lemon and olive oil appearing in most traditional recipes.

Some of the staples on the Greek table are bread, served with every meal, olives and feta cheese. Greek food is best enjoyed in large groups. This way, you can order multiple dishes and get to try many different things. Greeks eat late, and meals can go on for several hours. Do you want a piece of friendly advice? Greeks are super proud of their olives and olive oil, and consider every other olive oil of lesser quality. To be fair, though, Greek olives are pretty amazing.

There are many different varieties, ranging in color, size and flavor. They can be found in the Peloponnese and Crete, two of the main areas in Greece where great olive oil is produced. It won't matter where you go in Greece, there will be an olive oil or olive tasting tour somewhere!

Check out Get Your Guide for tours wherever in Greece you plan to visit.