University “Mayor de San Andrés”

Faculty of Humanities and Educational Sciences

Ancient Greece civilization

Students: Gutiérrez Chura Erika Mariju
Mejia Aguilar Eliana Brigida
Alcón zelada Luz Aleida
Cortez Aruquipa Noelia
Department: Linguistics and Languages
Subject: Culture and Civilization
Professor: Dra. Elizabeth Viñolas
Date: February 21, 2022

La Paz - Bolivia
 Ancient Greece civilization

The Ancient Greece civilization involves art, philosophy, democracy, and heroes. These
are just some of the achievements of the legendary civilization known as ancient
Greece. Ancient Greece was born on the shores of the Aegean Sea some 4,000 years
ago. In more than a millennium, it expanded to lands as far west as Spain and as far
east as India.

Throughout this time of the empire, the ancient Greeks achieved political, military, and
cultural accomplishments that resonated long after the fall of their empire. Part of the
legacy of the ancient Greeks had to do with politics, one of which was Greece's
political system. Unlike many nations that were under a unified government, Greece
was a collection of more than 1,500 territories that acted as sovereign nations.

The history of ancient Greece is conventionally divided into three periods: archaic,
classical, and Hellenistic. By calling one period of history "classical," scholars imply that
the other two periods are inferior, simplifying the archaic period as a mere precursor
and the Hellenistic period as a minor descendant of the classical period.

Independent scholar and translator Robin Waterfield argues that each of these three
periods should have equal importance within the study of Ancient Greece. The
following excerpt from Creators, Conquerors and Citizens presents the key
components of each period.

The Archaic Period (750- 480 B.C.)

The two and a half centuries that make up the Archaic period, from approximately 750
to 480 B.C., witnessed radical changes in Greek life. Above all, there was a gradual
development of state and civilized life from primitive, hierarchical beginnings to much
greater collectivism, equality before the law, and general participation in public life.
For hundreds of years, the main form of political and social organization in the Near
East and the Mediterranean had been the hierarchically organized kingdom. However,
the Greeks developed a different form, which became dominant in the Mediterranean
world for several centuries. Politically, it was more egalitarian; economically, the
property belonged to individuals, not just to the king or a temple.

The Archaic period also saw the reintroduction of the art of writing, lost since the
collapse of the Mycenaean palaces. Creative geniuses such as Homer, Hesiod, the lyric
poets, and the pre-Socratic natural scientists demonstrated what could be done with
words and ideas. Temple architecture evolved from modest to monumental, and
sanctuaries were filled with buildings. The Greeks founded cities and trading posts all
over the Mediterranean, driven by the quest for wealth.
The colonial migrations of the Archaic period had an important effect on their art and
literature: They spread Greek styles far and wide and encouraged people to participate
in the creative revolutions of the time.

The epic poet Homer, originally from Ionia, produced his "Iliad" and his "Odyssey"
during the Archaic period. Sculptors created kouroi and korai, carefully proportioned
human figures that served as monuments to the dead. Scientists and mathematicians
also progressed: 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 evolution of the Archaic period
prepared the Greek city-states for the monumental changes of the following centuries.

The Classical Period (479- 323 B.C.)

The Classical period falls between two world-changing invasions: the Persian invasions
of Greece and Alexander the Great's invasion of Asia, the latter presented as
retaliation for the former. Alexander's invasion put an end to the Achaemenid Empire
and the possibility of further Persian interference in Greek affairs. Immediately after
the Persian Wars, the Greeks could still have unified against the threat from the east,
but that did not happen. Speakers expressed Panhellenic sentiments, but the ideals
were not sufficiently entrenched to overcome the ancient particularism of the Greeks;
Panhellenism was propaganda rather than practical politics. It is ironic that Athens and
Sparta, the two states that were primarily responsible for repulsing the Persians, were
also primarily to blame for keeping the Greek states disunited and weak and thus
ultimately vulnerable to a second invasion by the Macedonians. The mainland Greeks
had avoided becoming part of the Persian Empire, but in 338 they fell under what
would become the Macedonian Empire.

The Hellenistic period (323-30 B.C.)

The Hellenistic period, and independent Greek or Greco-Macedonian history, ended in

the year 30 with the fall into the hands of Rome of the last successor kingdom, that of
the Ptolemies in Egypt. It is said that when Octavian, the future Roman Emperor
Augustus, entered the Egyptian capital, Alexandria, he honored the tomb of Alexander
the Great with the offering of a wreath of gold and flowers. When asked if he also
wanted to see the tombs of the Ptolemies, he refused and said he "wanted to see a
king, not corpses." The new ruler of the world was extravagantly honoring the world's
first ruler, but he was right. In a sense, Alexander lived on, while others died. The
Greeks of the Hellenistic period continued to live in Alexander's shadow. It was his
ambitions that laid the foundations of the new world.
As a result of Alexander's conquests, the Greeks and Macedonians came to rule and
inhabit vast new territories. They lived, in effect, in a new world, which made the
Hellenistic period one of the most exciting in history, as all levels of society, from the
potentates to the peasants, adapted to their new situations. The period pulsated with
fresh energy and a sense, reminiscent of the excitement of the archaic period, that
anything was possible.

The birth of the city-state (polis)

Ancient Greece was made up of cities called polis, of which Sparta and Athens were
the most important. Each polis was independent of the others, as they had their rulers,
although they often declared war on each other or allied to go against a third. Another
feature was that women, slaves, and foreigners were not free citizens, since they could
not make any decisions. And they had to submit to the decisions of the men born in
the polis because they were considered free citizens and only they were the ones who
debated about laws, rules, and everything important for the city.

Important events in ancient Greece

One political event was the institution of the first large-scale democracy. Developed in
the city-state of Athens, democratic government was a way of giving representation
and political power to the Greek people. The Greeks also acquired a solid reputation
for their military.

The army contributed to the expansion of the Greek Empire by establishing colonies
abroad and protecting Greece from foreign invaders, such as the Persian Empire.
When such a threat occurred, the city-states united to defend their homeland. This
type of debate took place in the agora, a square in the polis.

Every decision they made was by vote, and that is why the ancient Greeks are said to
have invented democracy, that is, the system of government we have today in most
countries.

Many Greeks, especially in Sparta, were very proud of their army and regarded their
soldiers as heroes. Their heroism became legendary thanks to literary works such as
"The Iliad". The heroes of war also inspired the creation of the Olympic Games, which
celebrated physical competition. Of all the aspects of the ancient Greek civilization,
their cultural contributions left a considerable mark on the Western world, since the
Greeks questioned absolutely everything, which is why they were considered good
thinkers the Greeks developed philosophy, the art of thinking. Among them stand out
the most important philosophers in history such as Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle.
Characteristics of ancient Greece.

1. Social structure: Ancient Greek society was divided into two groups, free
people and slaves. Free people could participate in government, and slaves had
almost no rights.

2. Food: The ancient Greeks ate wheat, fruits, vegetables, and fish. They hardly
ate meat because they thought it was wrong to kill an animal for food.

3. Government: In Athens, there was a democracy, that is, everyone could

participate. In Sparta, there was an oligarchy, with a council of elders.

4. Religion: The Greeks believed in 12 main gods and goddesses. The different
city-states were dedicated to different gods. The Olympians were the most
worshipped, but others also received respect. Greek mythology is said to be full of
mysterious stories and legends. Some of these gods were The most powerful god who
was Zeus, lord of lightning, and next to him there were many others, such as Poseidon,
the god of the seas and there were also heroes like Hercules and Achilles and strange
beings like the Minotaur or the Sirens.

5. Art: The ancient Greeks had very elaborate art. They put as much effort as
possible into their temples and sculptures. Most of the art was done to honor their
gods and goddesses.

6. Technology: The ancient Greeks made amazing advances in architecture and

technology. They made the gear, the screw, the water clock, and many more creations.
In addition, some ancient Greeks created incredible sculptural works, such as standing
figures and reliefs. They also developed three types of columns and incorporated them
into structures such as the Parthenon. This art was imitated by other civilizations and
spread throughout the world for thousands of years.

7. Language and writing: Part of the Greek alphabet. The Greek language also had
a great impact. Ancient Greek, some 3,400 years old, provided the basis for many
modern languages. The English language alone has thousands of words with Greek
roots.

The Greek language was one of the oldest and most important languages in the world.
It is not only one of the most ancient languages but also one of great importance
because there are many scripts from ancient Greek That Are saved nowadays. These
scripts are evidence that ancient Greeks played an outstanding role in the progress of
European civilization and they were the source of timeless ideas like Democracy,
Humanism, Justice, and Socialization. Moreover, they greatly contributed to the
formalization of contemporary humanity and cultures, as a whole. It is a matter of fact,
that personalities like Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Pythagoras, and Herodotus were the
inventors of most if not all humanities and social sciences. The Greek language was the
mean for the ancient ideas to surpass the Roman ideology through the ages and
become the prerequisite for the Byzantine civilization. Also, Greek is the language of
the New Testament and all the Christian hymns and Byzantine literature. But, the most
important fact about Greek is its timeless and unstoppable existence through ages.
Today, the Greek language is the evolution of the same language that Homer and
Pericles spoke hundreds of centuries before. Nevertheless, Greek is one of the official
languages of Europe and one of the most interesting classes in curriculums of lower
and higher educational institutions around the world

8. Greek philosophy: this explored questions of reason, ethics, and natural law,
which influenced the achievements of politics and science in later civilizations.

Ancient Greek art, respect for heroes, and democratic government left a considerable
mark on world history. With contributions that lasted for millennia, the civilization of
ancient Greece is nothing short of legendary.

In conclusion, the Greece civilization gave us one of the bases of the culture and
history that built the modern civilization. Important things were created in ancient
Greece that we still use today, such as democracy, politics, philosophy, theater, or the
Olympic Games. Nowadays it’s involved even in our knowledge, because of the history
that this civilization has and how this has helped us in many areas. In resume, it’s
impossible to take a look at history without recognizing all the work and influence of
Greek civilization.
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