1. CHARACTERISTICS OF THE CLASSICAL CIVILIZATION POLITICAL LIFE  The Delian League was formed  Under Pericles, Athens became the leader of this league  Democratic system of government  All male citizens were the members of the General Assembly  Laws were carried out by the Council of Five Hundred, elected by the people.  Courts were set up and were tried by the jury

2. PHILOSOPHY  Socrates lived and taught during the Periclean Age  He taught that men must think freely  His teachings were spread by his pupil Plato  Plato had an equally brilliant pupil called Aristotle  Alexander the Great was educated by Aristotle

3. Religion All Greeks believed in the family of gods that lived on Mount Olympus Zeus was the king of gods His wife Hera was the goddess of home Zeus’s Children- Athena-goddess of wisdom Apollo- god of music Aphrodite-goddess of love Ares- god of war Hermes-messenger of gods

4. SOCIAL LIFE Olympic games originated in ancient Greece. These were held near Mount Olympus in the sacred city of Olympia It became a national festival and were held every year

5. ART AND CULTURE LITERATURE A number of fine plays were written A number of epics were composed Homer-the greatest Greek poet wrote the famous epics-Iliad and Odyssey The great Greek historian Herodotus –father of history

6. ART AND ARCHITECTURE The Parthenon, a temple built in honour of Athena(the guardian goddess of Athens) on the Acropolis hill in Athens is one of the most beautiful buildings

7. SCIENTIFIC DEVELOPMENT  Pythagoras (geometry)  Democrites (atomic theory)  Hippocrates (medicine)-father of medicine

8. DECLINE