Greeks are world-renowned for their Gods, insightful philosophies, and wars that rattled the earth. Here are some questions that would help you to understand Greek better:
Who were the ‘ancient Greeks’?
Ancient Greece describes the time from around 1500 BC to about 200 years after the birth of Christ. This culture is known for its great philosophers, scientists, and democracy. Greeks had a common language and worshiped a common God, Zeus. But they did not have a common king. There were many cities like Sparta and Athens which fought among themselves. The Greeks established trade centers all around the Mediterranean Sea. They were the competitors of the Phoenicians, who settled down in North America.
Where did the Greeks come from?
It is wrong to say Greeks came from the same place. Different races mixed together with the immigrants from North East and current Turkey to establish a new ‘Greek’ culture. City-states with powerful castles arose on the Greek mainland. At around 1200 BC, however, warring races from the northeast conquered one of the powerful city-states with their superior iron weapons. We know very little about the period after this- the ‘Greek’ medieval age- till the city-states became powerful once again around 8000 BC.
Who was Zeus?
Zeus was the supreme God of the Greeks. He lived on Mount Olympus, a Greek castle hill, with many gods and goddesses. Even though he was a god, he had human qualities. The jealousy of Hera, Zeus’ sister, and wife are well-known. Zeus also had a lot of girlfriends. According to a legend, he fell in love with beautiful Europa, abducted her in the form of a bull, and took her to Crete.
How were the city-states governed?
Across all cities, only the noble, known as polis, were allowed to decide on the matters relating to the state. In 594 BC, a statesman named Solon ruled that everyone who was over 20 years of age could participate in the people’s assembly. All except women and slaves were given this right. These were the first steps toward a democratic form of government. The system was improved in 450 BC when Pericles decided to pay daily allowance to the participants of the assembly. With this, the poor people could also afford to take part in politics.
Why did Athens and Sparta fight?
The reason for the long wars between Athens and Sparta was that they both wanted to rule over Greece. When the Persians wanted to acquire Athens in the 5th century BC, the city-state formed an alliance with the other city-states, which was known as the Delian League. Sparta challenged the supremacy of this league. It formed the Peloponnesian League. Both the states finally got the victory in 404 BC with the help of the Persians.
Who were the Phoenicians?
Seagoing traders lived in the city-states like Sidon or Tyros along the eastern coast of present-day Lebanon till Turkey. The Greeks called the traders Phoenicians, and the Romans called them Puners. These people established the city of Carthage in the 9th century BC on the North African coast near Tunis, the capital city of present-day Tunisia, and thus got excellent access for trading via sea. Carthage soon became the largest and the richest trading city in the Mediterranean Sea. However, the city was embattled very strongly and was destroyed by the Romans in 146 BC.
| Did you know that…
● The Italian city of Naples was named by the Greeks, who built a trade center here? Greek nea polis means ‘new city’. ● The Spartan boys were never allowed to eat full, had to take bath in the river in winters too, and were whipped once a year so much that their blood came out, in order to make them strong soldiers. ● During the Olympic Games that were held in the honor of Zeus, all wars between the states were suspended. ● In the people’s assembly, every citizen could talk till a water clock signaled them to end.
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