Brief Overview of Ancient Greek Culture

Greek Geography

Greek History Bronze Age (~3000 – 1200 BC) Epic Age (1200 – 700 BC) Archaic Period (700 – 500 BC) Classical Period (500 – 300 BC) Hellenistic Period (300 – 30 BC)

Bronze Age Greece Inhabitation by Indo-Europeans Minoan civilization on Crete Rise of the Mycenaeans on mainland Greece

Epic Age Greece Loss of written technology Composition of epic poetry

Archaic Period Reinvention of writing using Phoenician alphabet Development of the polis Growth in seaborne commerce Rise of Persian Empire

Classical Period Foundation of the Athenian Democracy (508) Persian invasion of Greece Battle of Marathon (490) Battle of Salamis (480) Growth of Athenian culture and empire Peloponnesian War (431-404)

Hellenistic Period Rise of Macedon under Philip Conquests of Alexander the Great Fracturing of Alexander’s empire Rise of Rome

Greek Society Political and social life dominated by male citizens Important elements: War Symposia Athletics Politics

Women in Greek Society Lack of sources hinders full appreciation Responsible for maintaining household Monogamy increased importance of bearing children Several women only festivals

Religion and Beliefs Gods had personalities like humans Main method of worship was sacrifice Could consult oracles Supernatural world interacts with natural world: Magic Spirits and ghosts of the dead Dreams

Greece and Rome Greek and Roman cultures begin to meld (Greece becomes a Roman province in 146 BC)