Around 2,500 years ago, Ancint Greece was one of the most important civilisations in the world. At that time, Greece wasn't just one country. It was divided up into small 'city-states', including Athens, Sparta and Olympia. Each state had their own ruler, their own laws, and their own army, and often fought against each other. For a long time, no-one ruled the whole of Greece. But one man, Alexander the Great, did. He led his army to conquer an empire that stretched as far as India and Afghanistan.

The Greek Gods

The greeks believed in many different gods. They would visit temples to ask for the gods' guidance, bringing money, flowers, food and drink as gifts to please them. Zeus was the king of the gods. He carried thunderbolts which he threw when he was angry. He also had many children: Apollo, Artemis, Athena, Aphrodite, Ares, Dionysus, Hermes, Hercules, Helen and Hephaestus. The gods lived above Mount Olympus, in a palace in the clouds. They would look down on the earth, and sometimes intefere with life on earth. They were very similar to humans, and felt human emotions such as happiness, anger, love and jealousy.

Ancient Greek Culture

The Ancient Greeks had many different aspects of their culture. Their red and black pottery was bought and sold all over the mediterranean, and even in some parts of Asia. They also built grand temples and massive statues to worship their gods. One of their most important architectural innovations was the theatre. These theatres were built in the open air, and were a semi-circular shape with rows of tiered stone seats. In the center of the theatre would be a circular dancing floor, with an altar for sacrifices. Suprisingly, all the actors were men, even if they were playing a female part. They wore large masks with exaggurated facial features. Greek plays were either comedy or tragedy, comedians dressed in bright colours and tragedians dressed in dark.

Zoe W