THE ANCIENT GREEKS

WHO WERE THE ANCIENT GREEKS?

Around 2500 years ago Greece was one of the most important places in the world.

There were many famous philosophers, warriors, athletes, writers and actors.

The ancient Greeks were one of the biggest civilisations in the world.The Minoans were the first Greek civilisation.They lived on Crete, an island of mainland Greece.After the Minoans were the Mycenaean's.The Mycenaean's were great soldiers and famously fought in the great battle of Troy.After the Mycenaean's period which ended around 1100 BC Greece entered a Dark Age. It was named this because no one knows much about what happened.All written language and art disappeared.In 800 BC nearly 300 years after the dark age, the Greek civilisation slowly emerged.The Greeks started to trade more with the outer world and the first Olympic games were hosted in Olympia.This period was known as the Archaic period and they fought of the Persian army.In 480 BC the Greeks entered the golden age.It lasted for around 200 years.During this period they made amazing temples and made amazing scientific discoveries, wrote many plays and founded the democracy we know today.To historians this is known as Classical Greece.after the golden age was the Hellenistic period which lasted between 320 BC and 30 BC.In this period the Romans took control of Greece. The Romans respected Greece and didn't destroy their culture.

THE OLYMPICS

The Greeks hosted the first Olympics in Olympia.The fist one was held in 776 BC and only contained a 200m footrace won by a baker called Fastius Popodoptholus. The Olympics was held every four years and still is today.The purpose of the games were for young men to show their physical qualities and enforce the relationship between various Greek cities.Only Greek men were allowed to compete,women were not.Some of the events in the ancient Olympics were,running, jumping, discus throw, wrestling and boxing. An olive wreath known as the kotinos was given to the winner of the Olympic games.

THE GREEK GODS

Zeus - King of the gods, lightning god, carries a lightning bolt

Hera - Zeus's wife. Goddess of marriage, mothers and families.

Poseidon - God of the sea, Zeus's brother carries a three pointed trident

Demeter - Goddess of agriculture,

Aires - God of war

Athena - Goddess of wisdom, war, and useful arts

Apollo - God of Archery, music, poetry, prophecy, medicine and the sun

Artemis - Goddess of the moon, hunt and young maidens

Hephaestus - God of blacksmith and fire

Hermes - God of the roadways, travellers, merchants and thieves

Aphrodite - Goddess of love and beauty

Hades - God of the underworld

Dionysus - God of wine