Ancient Greece

By Dave Ow(Archeologist)

IntroductionAncient Greece is a civilization which existed near the Mediterranean sea over 2000 years ago. The ancient Greeks built great architecture, ate a variety of foods and passed down many legacies to future societies.

ArchitectureGreek architecture has inspired our architecture today. Their architecture included houses made from solid stone and mud bricks. Country farmhouses were big and had large spaces for goats and donkeys to graze. Poor citizens lived in simple single-story houses. Houses in Greek cities where all packed together. The number of rooms depended on rich the family was. In every house, there was an alter for sacrifices to the gods. Inside were tiny windows up in the walls. Children played in courtyard and adults worked and gossiped in the sun. Walls were covered in colorful hangings. The rooms were arranged around the central courtyard which was the heart of the household. There was a room for women to keep their looms and baskets of wool . Inside the house, it was full of couches , pillows and oil lamp . Another room , the Andron, was where the men of the house entertained their guest. The house was protected from dirt and bustle by strong gates and thick walls. The Greeks also built great temples for the gods. The most famous temple is the Parthenon, which was built in honor of Athena. Even today, most of it are still standing for people to visit.

Structure of SocietyIn Ancient Greece, your lifestyle depended on whether you were a citizen or not. There were two groups of people in society: male citizens who got to vote and everyone else (women , slaves and foreigners!). Women married young (at 14 or 15) and the only time Athenian women went out was for funerals and religious festivals or to visit relatives and close friends. Athenian families usually had one or two slaves who did household work . Well-educated slaves might tutor the family’s children. Slaves also worked in the family business or on the family farm. Non-citizens might come from outside of Greece, be captured from other lands, or be children. Foreigners could become merchants, run businesses and become quite rich. They could never become citizens, though, no matter how long they stayed. Women spent their lives at home running their households . Men voted at a meeting called an assembly. Men voted for what they wanted by raising their hands or dropping stones into pots. As you can see, citizens had the most power in society in ancient Athens.

Food

There was a lot of variety in the foods of Ancient Greece. The people ate a lot of fish, which were caught with boats, nets and fishing spears in the Mediterranean Sea. The land was too dry for grazing cattle or sheep so they ate small birds, such as thrushes and swallows for meat. They also ate shellfish, squid and octopus. Other common foods included sausages, celery, lentils, radishes, beans, cakes, fruit, cheese, grapes, figs, bread, lettuce, cabbage, dates, walnuts, olives, carrots, pine nuts, parsnips, vine leaves and fennel . Wine was drunk at the festivals for Dionysus, the god of wine. Pomegranates were the symbol of death. The ancient Greeks used honey instead of sugar to sweet their food. They ground corn to make flour and bread. They flavored fish with herbs , oregano and bay. The greatest feasts were called symposia, which were parties just for men.

LegaciesA Legacy is something that is passed down from the past. For example, Theseus , the hero , who killed the minotaur is a famous Greek myth. In Greece the government was ruled by a democracy and one of the greatest leaders was Pericles. The Olympic Games is also an important legacy which began for Zeus around 776 B.C .The first Olympic games was in the green valley of Olympia. The participants in the Olympic games were all naked. Our alphabet today evolved from the Greek alphabet. Most of the planets in our solar system are named after the Greek gods and goddess. There are still buildings standing today in ancient Greece . The buildings in the USA are influenced by the Greek architecture, particularly their columns. Philosophy , the law of knowledge , was also first developed in Athens. People who lived in Athens searched for answers. The Greeks were very good at sailing . They used a ship called a Trireme to navigate the waters of the Mediterranean sea . They sent out people to build colonies along the shores of the lands near the trade routes. They drew great maps to help them navigate. As you can see, the Greeks left many important legacies for the future.

Conclusion

As now you can see the Ancient Greeks ate a lot of foods , they builded many buildings , had man different levels of society and had many legacies .

Reference listAuthor Date Title

Dorling Kindersley 1992 Ancient Greece

Loverance And wood 1992 Ancient Greece

Macdonald Fiona 1995 How Would you Survive In Greece?

Linday Bailey 1948 Adventures in Ancient Greece

Date accessed Website

25/10/12 www.bbc.uk/school/primaryhistory/ancient_greeks