LIFE, SOCIETY & CULTURE IN ANCIENT GREECE

LIFE, SOCIETY & CULTURE IN ANCIENT GREECE

GOVERNMENT (MALE CITIZENS - DEMOCRACY)

MALE CITIZENS

MALE CHILDREN

WOMEN, FOREIGNERS & FEMALE CHILDREN

SLAVES

Native free men were the only citizens.

SOCIAL PYRAMID

LIFE, SOCIETY & CULTURE IN ANCIENT GREECEMen could go to the

theatre.Theatres were built outside, usually on a hillside. All of the actors were men - they even played the female roles. Each actor played several parts in the play by wearing a different mask for each part. Greeks invented theatre.Women couldn’t go to the theatre. They used

to be at home. They learned spinning, weaving, sewing,… Women didn't participate in politics or public life. Serving as a priestess in one of the temples was one of the only public duties that a woman might perform.

In the home, the women's rooms were in the back. The front rooms were sometimes used by the men for "symposia" (banquets). The only women who attended these parties were the entertainers who played music and danced for the guests.

Greek houses were made up of two or three rooms, built around an open air courtyard or patio, made of stone, wood or clay bricks.

ANCIENT GREEK HOUSE

Courtyard or patio

Larger homes might also have a kitchen, a bathroom, a men's dining room (Andron), and perhaps a woman's sitting area (Gynaeceum).

Symposium, social events with food and wine, were held in the andron.

LIFE, SOCIETY & CULTURE IN ANCIENT GREECE

CLOTHING

LIFE, SOCIETY & CULTURE IN ANCIENT GREECE

Men and women used to wear simple tunics and warm cloaks, made of linen or wool, dyed a bright color, or white; a belt

and sandals.

The ancient Greeks could buy clothes in the agora, the marketplace, but that was expensive.

Only rich people could wear much jewellery: rings, earrings, bracelets, necklaces,…

They used perfume, made by boiling flowers and herbs.

The first real hat, called petasos, was invented by the ancient Greeks.

FOOD

LIFE, SOCIETY & CULTURE IN ANCIENT GREECE

•The soil was not very fertile along the coastline. But the ancient Greeks used systems of irrigation to help solve that problem.

• People in the countryside worked in agriculture and were very poor. Many farms were very small.

• All over Greece, the people grew olives, grapes, and figs. They kept goats, for milk and cheese. They also grew wheat to make bread. Fish, seafood, and home-made wine were very popular.

Greeks didn’t use to eat it meat.

GREEK ECONOMY

LIFE, SOCIETY & CULTURE IN ANCIENT GREECE

ECONOMY IN ANCIENT GREECE

TRADEIt consists of exchanging or buying products like fish, fruits,

vegetables, pots, jewellery, clothes,…

LONG DISTANCE TRADE

Rich merchants had ships and sailed across the Mediterranean Sea.

Products from Greek polis were sold

and imported.

They used silver coins (each polis had its own currency)

LOCAL TRADEThere were small shops in Greek

polis.

Peasants went to the polis to sell their products (crops).

Craftsmen sold their products in their workshops.

The place where they used to do this was a market called Agora.

ECONOMY IN ANCIENT GREECE

CRAFTSIt consists of making pottery,

clothes (made of fabric: leather, linen,…), furniture (made of wood),

… by hand.

Greeks made excellent pottery which they

exported to other places by boat or wagons.

MEANS OF TRANSPORT

CHARIOTS

FOOT (mainly)

BOAT

CARTS (TO CARRY PEOPLE OR PRODUCTS)

.

ANIMALS: HORSES, MULES

AND DONKEYS.

MEANS OF COMMUNI

CATION

STENTOROPHONIC

HORN (TO DELIVER

MESSAGES TO

THOUSANDS OF

PEOPLE) COMMUNICATING TO THE GODS

SPEAKINGWRITTEN

MESSAGES (GREEK

ALPHABET)

SIGNS (Ex. Raising the

torch)

THE GREEK ALPHABET

ECONOMY IN ANCIENT GREECE

MINING / METALLURGYMining consists of removing minerals and stones from nature.

Minerals can be on the surface or underground. Examples: gold, iron, bronze, silver, copper,…

Metallurgy consists of extracting metals from minerals and mix them.

JOBS IN ANCIENT GREECESOLDIER / WARRIOR SAILOR

FISHERMANARCHITECT

JOBS IN ANCIENT GREECESCULPTOR

ACTOR

CRAFTSMAN

DOCTOR

JOBS IN ANCIENT GREECEPHILOSOPHER

MATHEMATICIAN / SCIENTIST

SLAVE

ASTRONOMER

JOBS IN ANCIENT GREECE

MUSICIAN

POLITICIAN / LEADER

DANCER / PERFORMER

PEASANT

JOBS IN ANCIENT GREECE

WRITER

MINER

CARPENTER

PRIEST / PRIESTESS

JOBS IN ANCIENT GREECE

BAKER

SMITH MERCHANT / TRADER

FARMER

RELIGION IN ANCIENT GREECE

POLYTHEISTICIt consists of believing in many gods. Ancient Greeks were polytheistic.

In the past, people used to believe in different gods or goddesses to understand the life events. For instance, Egyptians were polytheistic too.

Monotheistic means that people believe in the existence of one god. Nowadays, most religions are monotheistic, like ours.