Ancient Greece

By: Sajid Hassan

(Archeologist)

IntroductionAncient Greece was an interesting civilization that existed 3000 years ago. It covered a large piece of land and a group of islands near the Mediterranean Sea. The ancient Greeks were great inventors and many of their legacies are still used today.

LegaciesThe Greeks left many great legacies for future civilizations. They created a kind of government called democracy, which allowed citizens to vote for the people who ruled. Lots of countries still use democracy, such as the United States of America and Japan. The Greeks also invented the first fire engine and were the first people to make coins and use maps. They held the first Olympics in ancient Greece in 776 B.C.E. The Greeks also created sundial to tell the time and made many discoveries in the fields of geometry and science. They created algebra, the alarm clock, and even the catapult. As you can see, the Ancient Greeks’ inventions were important legacies that are still used in modern society.

Beliefs & ReligionThe Ancient Greeks believed there were 12 gods. They thought the gods controlled everything. They thought the gods lived on the top of Mount Olympus. The group got its name from Mount Olympus. They thought the gods were immortal because they had a kind of golden blood called ichor. They also thought the gods fought the older gods called titans. According to the stories, they chained the titans to the underworld but Zeus made the titan Atlas carry the world on his back. The Greeks thought the gods looked like normal humans but were braver, more clever and stronger. The gods watched everything all the time. The Greeks built many temples to worship the different gods & goddesses. They built the Parthenon in honor of the goddess Athena. Some people took gifts with them to give to the god. If it was an animal, the priest take the animal and sacrificed it. A sheep was the most common gift. A bull was the best gift. In the temple of Apollo, there was an oracle who could speak with the god Apollo. A male pilgrim would ask a priest or priestess for permission. Then he/she would get into a trance and speak mysterious language which often had to be translated by a priest or priestess. The Greeks thought that after their death they would go to the underworld. Thus, The ancient Greeks thought the gods had great power over their lives so they worshiped them in many ways.

Writing & LanguageA great deal of what we know about ancient Greece comes from their writing. They invented their own alphabet and many of our English letters are based on this first alphabet. The word alphabet even comes from the first two letters of the ancient Greek’s alphabet (alpha + beta). Some English words start and end in Greek words. For example, -metry(measuring), -logy(studying) and - graphy(writing). The ancient Greeks wrote everything by hand. They scratched their writing on wax tablets. Some people wrote on papyrus but papyrus was very expensive. Only boys could learn to read, write and spell. In Ancient Greece, famous writers wrote many poems, plays and stories. Some famous writers were Homer and Sappho. Herodotus was a writer who wrote about the past. Sophocles wrote many plays. Homer wrote a poem called about the Trojan War. In summary, the ancient Greeks were the first to create an alphabet and their stories and plays are still read today.

Leisure The ancient Greeks enjoyed a variety of leisure activities. They went to theatres to watch plays. And also did sports. They thought sport was fun and good training for war. The Ancient Greeks developed the first Olympic Games. They held the Olympics in honor of the Greek god Zeus. The Olympics first began in 776B.C . They celebrated it for five days every four years. Originally, there was only one kind of event, which was a 170 meter one-foot race. Later, there were more sports such as running, horse-racing, chariot-racing, boxing, wrestling, discus, javelin and long jump. There also was a sport that was racing in armor. The winner would be called the Best Greek. The winner would be awarded a garland of olive leaves. Poems were written about the winner. In Athens, only men could participate in sports but in Sparta women could also play sports. During the Olympics, 100 oxen were burned as a sacrifice then given to the spectators to eat. As you can see, the ancient Greeks thought sports was an important and enjoyable leisure activity.

ConclusionIn conclusion, the Greeks left many great legacies and famous buildings for the modern world. It is interesting to learn about the knowledge and lifestyles of these ancient people.

Reference ListAuthor Date Title

Anita Ganeri 1993 Focus on Ancient Greeks

Pat Taylor 1998 The Ancient Greeks

John Malam 1998 Ancient Greeks at a Glance

Nick Legget 1992 Ancient Greece

Date Accessed Website

25/10/2012 http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/primaryhistory/ancient_greeks/