SUMMARY OF TIMELINE GREEK

The Dark Archaic

Palaeolithic
Age Period

Mycenaean Classical
Neolithic
Age Period

Early Minoan Hellenistic

Bronze Age Age Period

Greek History
Greek history is an interesting look at a wonderful era of human invention,
philosophy, art and architecture. The earliest civilizations in Greece were in two
different areas: on the island of Crete and on the mainland of Greece.

Greek history is most easily understood by dividing it into time periods. The
region was already settled, and agriculture initiated, during the Paleolithic era as
evidenced by finds at Petralona and Franchthi caves (two of the oldest human
habitations in the world). The Neolithic Age (c. 6000 - c. 2900 BCE) is characterized
by permanent settlements (primarily in northern Greece), domestication of animals,
and the further development of agriculture. Archaeological finds in northern Greece
(Thessaly, Macedonia, and Sesklo, among others) suggest a migration from Anatolia
in that the ceramic cups and bowls and figures found there share qualities distinctive
to Neolithic finds in Anatolia. These inland settlers were primarily farmers, as
northern Greece was more conducive to agriculture than elsewhere in the region,
and lived in one-room stone houses with a roof of timber and clay daubing.
PRE-GREEK CIVILIZATIONS

The civilization on Crete was called the Minoan civilization. Even though the people
from Crete were not Greek, they had an important impact on Greek civilization and
culture. Crete was a powerful and wealthy empire, and Greeks on the mainland
absorbed much of their culture and products, like myths, pottery, writing, and
painting styles.

The civilization based on the mainland is called the Mycenaean civilization.

The people on the Greek mainland began settling there around 2000 BC. Because
the geography of Greece is made up of small valleys, many independent
communities developed, rather than one unified state.

THE DARK AGES OF GREECE

Historians arent sure why, but in from 1100 to

800 BC, the Mycenaean (or Greek) culture went
into a period where we have little evidence of
culture, art, reading, and writing. This period is
referred to as the Dark Ages of Greece. Some
historians think that the decline, or fall, in culture
was due to invaders called sea-people (like
pirates!) who made it impossible for the Greeks on the mainland to trade anything in
the Mediterranean Sea, and hurt the Greek economy.

THE GREEK RENAISSANCE

Even though the Greek economy was so weak during the dark ages, Greek
culture survived. Greeks were not able
to trade, but they still kept alive by
farming, weaving, and making pottery.

After the Dark Ages, Greek

culture revived and came back to life.
The time period after the Dark Ages is
called the Greek Renaissance. This was a time when Greek culture came back with
a vengeance. Greeks broke into new frontiers of culture and entered a period of
intellectual vibrancy, or a time when thinking and new ideas and inventions were all
over the place!

This was a time when Greek religion was important, and the beliefs of the
Olympian Gods and Goddesses and the building of temples and shrines dedicated to
these gods was important.

ARCHAIC PERIOD

During the Archaic Period (800 BC 480 BC) the Greek government began to form
with the rise of the city-states such as Athens and Sparta. This was also when the
Greeks began to explore philosophy and theatre.

776 BC - The first Olympic Games takes place. The games would take place
every 4 years in honor of the Greek god Zeus.
757 BC - First Messenian War begins. This is a war between Sparta and
Messenia that will last many years.
750 BC - Homer begins to write the Iliad and Odyssey. These epic poems
become two of the most famous literary works in Greek literature.
650 BC - The Greek Tyrants come into power. Cypselus is the first Tyrant of
Corinth.
621 BC - A lawyer named Draco introduces strict new laws in Athens that are
punishable by death. These are called Draconian laws. 600 BC - The first
Greek coins are introduced.
 570 BC - Pythagoras is born. He will make major advances in science, math,
and philosophy. We still use the Pythagorean Theorem today to help with
geometry.
508 BC - Democracy is introduced in Athens by Cleisthenes. He establishes a
constitution and is often called the "Father of Athenian Democracy". This is
one of the great accomplishments of the Greek culture.

CLASSICAL PERIOD

The Classical Period (480 323 BC) began with the introduction of democracy in
Athens. Athens also rose to new heights in art and philosophy. It was during this
period that Athens and Sparta fought in the Peloponnesian Wars. Near the end of
the Classical Period Alexander the Great rose to power conquering much of Europe
and Western Asia.

490 BC - The Greeks fight the Persians in the Greek/Persian Wars. Two
famous battles are the Battle of Marathon in 490 BC and the Battle of
Salamis in 480 BC. The Greeks win and the Persians retreat
468 BC - Sophocles begins to write plays for the theatre. Soon the theater
becomes a very popular form of entertainment in Greece.
440 BC - Famous playwright Euripides wins first prize for the best play in
Athens.
432 BC - The temple to Athena, the Parthenon, is completed in Athens on
the Acropolis. Today this is the most famous surviving building of Ancient
Greece.
 431 BC - The wars between Sparta and Athens begin. They are called the
Peloponnesian Wars. The wars will last 27 years with Sparta eventually
conquering Athens in 404 BC.
399 BC - The famous Greek philosopher Socrates is put to death for
corrupting the youth of Athens with his teachings.
386 BC - Greek philosopher and student of Socrates, Plato, founds the first
institution of higher learning in the western world. It's called the Academy.
342 BC - The great philosopher, scientist, and mathematician, Aristotle,
begins to tutor Alexander (later to be called Alexander the Great).
336 BC - Alexander the Great becomes king when his father, Philip of
Macedon is assassinated.
333 BC - Alexander begins his conquests and defeats the Persians.
332 BC - Alexander conquers Egypt. He establishes the new capital of
Egypt at Alexandria. Over the next several years Alexander would greatly
expand his empire, conquering much of Persia on the way to India

HELLENISTIC PERIOD

The death of Alexander the Great ushered in the Hellenistic Period (323 146 BC).
Greece declined in power until it was finally conquered by Rome.

323 BC - The Hellenistic period begins when Alexander the Great dies. The
Ancient Greek civilization begins its decline and the Ancient Romans start to
gain power.
300 BC - Euclid, a Greek mathematician, writes Elements. This famous
writing will have an impact on mathematics for years to come.
146 BC - Rome conquers Greece making it part of the Roman Empire.
EDUCATION
In Greeces very early history, only wealthy men were educated. Young boys
usually had their own tutors who taught them math, writing, and military training. The
things children were taught also depended on where they lived in Greece. If a boy
grew up in Sparta, for example, his entire education was spent preparing him for the
military. In Athens, which was less focused on the military, students learned several
subjects. As boys grew older, they were also taught music, literature, astronomy, and
rhetoric.

As Greece became more democratic, rhetoric became an important subject

for children to study. Greeks believed that in a democracy, a person should be able
to speak well! They learned rhetoric by memorizing famous speeches from the past.
They were also taught poetry by memorizing entire poems.

Greek girls were not taught the same

subjects as boys. They were usually
taught reading and writing, but were
not taught other subjects. Instead,
they were taught skills that would
help them be good homemakers.
They were taught to cook, sew, and
care for children. Like boys, girls were sometimes given a different education
depending on where they lived. In Sparta, even girls were given light military duties.
They were also expected to do a lot of exercise so that they would have healthy
babies who could serve in the army. In Sparta, girls were usually given more
education that girls in Athens. But it was almost all physical training.
There were two kinds of education in Greece:

INFORMAL
FORMAL This was usually done in
This was done in a school the home, by an unpaid
or was provided by a teacher, sometimes a
private tutor. slave.

ANCIENT GREEK ARCHITECTURE

Architecture is the art of designing and creating buildings. Greek architecture

is a very specific and influential type of design, which was based off of the post-and-
lintel system. The post-and-lintel system is made up of columns, which are large
upright posts, with a roof, or architrave, over the top. This type of architecture began
with the Greeks, but has persisted throughout the ages to live on today.

Even though it may seem simple, the Greeks created a wonderful and lasting
legacy of architecture. The columns and architraves were carved with leaves and
flowers, scenes of battles, and mythological creatures. The columns were decorated
with lines and bases, and capitals, which topped off the columns and connected
them to the architraves.
Types of buildings:

TEMPLES
The purpose of a temple was to store a religious statue.
Perhaps one of the most famous of Greek temples is The Parthenon.

STOAS
Were a lot like temples, but were extra long, and sometimes they were even
two or three stories high
Were big because they were used as large gathering places for the public

THEATRES
Theatre performances and plays were a big part of Greek life
They were built into a hillside, where the public could sit along the hills and
watch the action

GYMNASIA
Parts of ancient Greek gymnasia were wrestling grounds.
Were lecture halls and other smaller rooms where Greek athletes and
warriors could train

ASSEMBLY HALL
Similar to a theatre, but was much smaller.
This building was used to have important town meetings

THE ANCIENT GREEK HOUSE

Most houses were made of mud and they crumbled away in a few years. They
were constantly being rebuilt. The houses were generally small with walled gardens
or courtyards in the centre. The roofs were made with clay tiles. The windows were
small and had no glass. They were covered in wood shutters to keep the scorching
sun.
There are two important part in their house. There are:

This part of the house reserved just for men.

Men used this room to entertain their friends
and business associates
Andron

The room set aside only for women.

This is where the women of the house
entertained their women friends and relatives,
did their weaving and spinning to create fabric
Gynaikon and looked after their children.

GREEK CLOTHING
Most clothing was made at home. The fabric used for clothing was also spun
and dyed at home.

Women wore a tunic called a peplos. The peplos was a full-length garment
that would be draped and pinned at the shoulder different ways. Women also wore a
garment called a chiton. This would be worn over the peplos. The chiton was usually
very long and very full, and could be pulled together or sewn at the shoulders. Both
of these garments were usually long enough to be pulled up over a belt. This created
a pouch called a kolpos. Greek women also sometimes wore an undergarment
around the middle of the body called a strophion.
 Women cloth
during
Greeks times.

Men also wore a chiton, but theirs was usually made from a lighter material.
This was because men often had to work outdoors. A mans chiton could be draped
over one or both shoulders. Greek men often wore a chiton draped over their left
shoulder for horseback riding or other vigorous activity.

Man cloth
during
Greeks times.

Both men and women wore a garment called a himation. The himation was a
cloak which was worn in colder weather. Like other Greek garments, the himation
could be used for other things

Both women
and men
cloth during
Greeks times.
Greek Games
Children in ancient Greece enjoyed playing a variety of games. One common
childrens game in ancient Greece was Ephedrismos, which was a kind of piggyback
game. Artifacts such as vases often show children playing this game.

Another popular game was Ostrakinda, a game in which a shell was painted
black one side. The black side was night, and the unpainted side was day.
Children divided into two teams, one for night and one for day. The shell was
thrown and the team whose color came up had to chase the other team. Juggling
was also encouraged among children as a way to improve their motor skills.

Next popular game was Morra. In this game, two players made a fist behind
their backs, and then, when a signal was given, they extend their hands, showing a
certain number of fingers. The first player to call out the correct number of fingers
was the winner.

EPHEDRISMOS OSTRAKINDA MORRA

The Ancient Greek Olympics

In 776 B.C.E, about three thousand years ago, the first Olympic Games took place.
Originally, the games were part of a religious festival to honor Zeus. He was the god
of the sky and the leader of the Greek gods who lived on Mount Olympus, the
highest mountain in Greece. The Olympics was one of four all-Greek (Pan Hellenic)
games. Even though the games were named after Mount Olympus they werent
played there. Instead they were held in the religious sanctuary of Olympia near
Greeces southwest coast. The land there was beautiful and rich with olive trees.

Ancient Greeks Olympics

Greek Daily Life

The daily life of an ancient Greek was very similar to our lives today.
They did live in highly organized cities, where they could go see a play or a
sporting event, or attend a number of different schools, or could join the
army and become a soldier.

Government and Citizenship

Greek society was also governed much like ours is today. Most early cities
were called city-states, which kind of had their own government. The head
of the government (called the polis) was located in the centre of the city,
which usually surrounded the acropolis, which was a high area that held a
temple and religious shrines.
 Head
government
Polis-

Greek cities also had an agora, which was a central marketplace

where people could go to shop, perform business transactions, or meet
other people and socialize.

AGORA
GREEKS

A major difference between ancient Greece and our world today is that they
had slaves, who were considered property of
other Greek citizens. Slaves could not vote,
hold property, or participate in civic life, and they had to do whatever their
owner told them to do.

Agriculture and Industry

Many people were farmers, who sold or traded their fruits and
vegetables at market in order to get what they needed to take care of their
family. There was also a wealthy class of Greeks, who didnt need to work
as much, and who could afford to send themselves or their children to
schools. Some of these schools were like Platos Academy, where they
could learn about philosophy and intellectual reasoning. Other schools
were specialized, like schools for painting or sculpture.

There was also a set of skilled craftsmen in ancient Greece. These

artisans were the ones who created beautiful sculptures, decorated the
inside walls of houses with elaborate paintings, or created mosaics with
thousands of small tiles. Other craftsmen made pottery, coins and
jewellery, and other items that were used on a daily basis in ancient
Greece.

Hellenistic Greece

In later Greek history, which is called Hellenistic Greece, the

economy expanded to areas in North Africa and Persia. Because of this,
Greek products were in higher demand than before. Greeks began planting
new crops and using new agricultural techniques. They also grew new and
different wines, and invented better irrigation techniques in order to water
their crops.

In the Hellenistic Age, Greeks also invented a new money system,

built more roads and canals, and cleared the seas of pirates.
A Day in the Life Of An Ancient Greek

A typical Greek would eat a lump of bread dipped in

olive oil for breakfast, and the rest of the day would eat
variations of grains and fish. Meat such as beef was
reserved for festivals and feasts, and sugar was
unknown. If the ancient Greeks ever ate anything sweet,
it was because of honey. In the winter time, fishing and
farming was suspended, or stopped, so most Greeks spent a lot of their
time outside meeting with friends and family or hanging out in public
places, which is still true today.

GREEK DANCE

For the ancient Greeks, dancing was often a part of religious ceremonies. The
Greeks had many public festivals through the year, and they almost always included
dancing.

Religoius dance
Were performed with instruments such as lyres, lutes, and kitharas

Apollonian These dances might also be performed at funerals

It was also one of the only ones in which boys and girls danced together
(but only children; not adults).

Geronos This dance uses snake-like movements.

This was a dance done by a bride and her mother at a wedding.

Imeneos
This was a cross between dancing and pantomime and was used in
theater.

Iporchima
More energetic dance
Dionysian
 GREEKS DANCE

Famous Greeks

Aristotle (382-322 BC) Alexander the

Plato (c.429-327 BC) -
- discovered many things Great
He was a brilliant student
in science and biology. He Alexander the Great was
of Socrates and later
wrote books about born in 356 B.C. in Pella,
carried on his work. He
physics, poetry, zoology, Macedonia, the son of
gathered Socrates' ideas
biology, politics, Philip of Macedon, who
and wrote them down in
governments, and more. was an excellent general
a book. Plato founded the
His father was the and organizer. He was
world's first university. He
personal physician of the called 'the Great' because
wrote down his teachings
King of Macedonia. When he conquered more lands
and people all over the
Aristotle turned 17, he than anyone before him
world, even today, study
went to Athens to study and became the overall
the Greek philosophers
with Plato. ruler of Greece.
 NAME: SHUATTEE VELOO

CLASS: YEAR 7 EDISON

TEACHERS NAME: MISS ROY

BIL TITLE PAGES
1 SUMMARY OF TIMELINE GREEK 1
2 THE GREEK EDUCATION 6
3 THE GREEK ARCHITECTURE 7
4 THE GREEK HOUSE 8
5 THE GREEK CLOTH 9
6 THE GREEK GAME 11
7 THE GREEK DAILY LIFE 12
8 THE GREEK DANCE 15
9 THE FAMOUSE GREEKS 16