Ancient Greek History Articles and Information

Ancient Greek History

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The history of ancient Greece is one that is broad and historic. In this section you will find informative articles about ancient Greek history. Everything from how the ancient Greeks lived, evolved and contributed to modern society, culture, medicine and science.

About Byzantine Society in Greece

The Byzantine Empire extended throughout most parts of Europe and Asia and Greece was also a part of this. The empire had a distinct and unique culture, and the impa... Read More

Get to Know the Ancient Greek Colony of Syracuse

There was a time when much of present-day Italy was actually part of Ancient Greece. Syracuse was once an Ancient Greek colony that had a rich history. Here’s ... Read More

Learn About Cycladic Culture in Ancient Greece

The Cycladic islands were a large cluster of small islands scattered throughout the sea between mainland Greece and Crete. Their unusual geographic position resulted... Read More

Learn About the Byzantine Army

The Roman Empire divided into the western European conquests, and the eastern, or Byzantine, Empire which had Constantinople for its throne. The Byzantine Army pushe... Read More

Komnenian Restoration in the Greek Byzantine Empire

The Komnenian restoration was considered to be the recovery of the military, finances, and territories of the Byzantine Empire under the Komnenian dynasty. Recognize... Read More

Learn About the Byzantine City of Constantinople

The Turkish city of Istanbul has an intriguing history. Originally known as Lygos and later rechristened Byzantium, the city was renamed Constantinople in the year 3... Read More

What to Know About the Roman Conquest of Greece

Greece was one of the areas that dominated the ancient world. They fought off the Persian Empire and expanded their boundaries, especially during Alexander’s r... Read More

What to Know About Andronikos III Palaiologos

Andronikos III Palaiologos ruled the Byzantine Empire beginning in 1328 until his death in 1341. As emperor, he oversaw a brief period of resurgence for the empire. ... Read More

What Was the Ancient Greek Fire Weapon?

The Byzantine Empire used Greek fire as an incendiary weapon. This weapon was created in c. 672 and used in naval battles. The fire could burn while on the water. Th... Read More

Understand the Economy of Ancient Greece

Ancient Greece is one of the most notorious ancient civilizations. The Greeks displayed advanced knowledge of the world, and their culture was highly developed. To a... Read More

Franchthi Cave – Early History of Greece

Located along the southeastern coast of Greece, Franchthi Cave is a region with a fascinating history. The cave and area surrounding the cave attracts many researche... Read More

What to Know About Greece in the Roman Era

The Romans began ruling the Southern European Greek Peninsula and placed Macedonia under Roman rule after the 146 BC Battle of Corinth. Some cities in the region wer... Read More

What to Know About Constantine the Great

Constantine the Great ruled as emperor of various parts of the Roman Empire from 306 until his death in 337. While he occupies a substantial place in history, it is ... Read More

Praxiteles – Famous Sculptor of Ancient Greece

Although many of the historical figures in Ancient Greece may have been forgotten, their work still remains standing today. It is worth learning as much as we can ab... Read More

How Did Traditional Greek Folk Dancing Get Started?

Greek dances are well known throughout the world. The music is distinct, the dances are incredibly social, and there is a lot of pride associated with them. There ar... Read More

About Hippias a Tyrant of Ancient Athens

According to Webster’s Dictionary, a tyrant is “an absolute ruler unrestrained by law or constitution” or a “usurper of sovereignty.” ... Read More

About the Lamian War in Ancient Greece

The Lamian War, also known as the Hellenic War, was a conflict between 323 BC and 322 BC. Athens and the Aetolian Confederacy sought to free themselves from Macedoni... Read More

What Were Laws Like in Ancient Greece?

Ancient Greece is among the most misunderstood early civilizations in terms or laws and social regulations. Contrary to the “eye for an eye” mentality held in ot... Read More

What to Know About the Hero Cult in Ancient Greece

The ancient Greeks glorified heroic figures. Their society strongly admired people who performed exceptional acts of bravery, or who displayed remarkable beauty, ski... Read More

Who Were the Top Ancient Greek Philosophers?

Western philosophy begins with Greek philosophy. The ancient Greeks were the first civilization that began to ponder the big questions of life. Without the Greek phi... Read More

Ancient Greek Historical Battle of Pydna Rome Vs. Macedon Explained

The Battle of Pydna in 168 BCE is perhaps one of the most important events of antiquity. In many ways it can be seen as the confrontation that Greece and Rome were b... Read More

What to Know About the Treasury of Atreus (Tomb of Agamemnon)

The Treasury of Atreus, also known as the Tomb of Agamemnon, is the best-preserved and most well-known of nine beehive tombs, referred to as “tholos” in ... Read More

About the Heraean Games

As many athletes and historians know, the Olympics were initially organized in honor of the 12 Olympian gods of Greece. Yet, in the middle of the 6th century BC, the... Read More

Carneades – Ancient Philosopher of Skepticism

Philosophy was an important pursuit to the Ancient Greeks. It seems as if they were always questioning the world around them, and they possessed a desire how the wor... Read More

What is the Peace of Antalcidas?

The Corinthian War paired two sides of Ancient Greece against each other, and the two main players were Sparta and Athens. After eight years of fighting, the war fin... Read More

Who Were the Hoplite Soldiers of Ancient Greece?

The hoplite soldiers of Ancient Greece served as infantry for the most part, but they also had some characteristics that make them unique. Those who have studied the... Read More

What to Know About the Peace of Callias

From 499 to 449 BC, several major plays in the ancient world was engaged in a conflict known as the Greco-Persian Wars. The crux of the conflict involved the Archaem... Read More

What to Know About the Fall of Sparta in Ancient Greece

Sparta was a society of warriors that existed in ancient Greece. At just the age of seven, boys would enter a rigorous military training program. Although the Sparta... Read More

About the Battle of Artemesium

While the Spartans and their allies made a heroic stand at Thermopylae, the Persian armada collected near the coast of Euboea. In 480 B.C., King Xerxes had assembled... Read More

Strabo – Famous Geographer from Pontus

Strabo was a scholar from Ancient Greece who made a big contribution to many fields of study. His work as a geographer impressed many people in the Roman Empire aft... Read More

What Was Agriculture Like in Ancient Greece?

In order to truly understand the lives of the people in Ancient Greece, it is important to consider the economy. We know that because of the sea, there was a time wh... Read More

What to Know About Trade in Ancient Greece

When looking at some of the major Ancient civilizations of the world, such as the Egyptians and Persians, they had the benefit of fertile land and a reliable water s... Read More

History of Thessaly in Ancient Greece

At its largest, Thessaly, one of the regions of ancient Greece, covered the area between Mount Olympus and the Spercheios Valley. The region consists of a number of ... Read More

Do You Know About Plato?

Plato is considered to be one of the great philosophers of the world. He was alive nearly 2000 years ago, but despite that, he clearly had an impact on philosophical... Read More

What is the Classical Era of Greece?

The period of the Classical Era of Ancient Greece is defined as the time that occurred from the 5th to the 4th century BC in Greek culture, taking place over about a... Read More

History of the Battle of Actium in Ancient Greece

It’s true that the Battle of Actium is usually considered from a Roman perspective, especially since many view it as one of the most important battles in Roman... Read More

What to Know About the Peloponnesian League

One thing that the city-state of Sparta is known for is its formidable military. Over time, it developed itself into one of the strongest and most powerful of all th... Read More

Do You Know About the History of the Acropolis?

Athens is a large metropolis that is still thriving today, but it didn’t always look like this. When it had its first inhabitants, it was just a hill with very lit... Read More

Do You Know About Socrates?

Today, we know Socrates as one of the most recognized and influential philosophers in history. He had some unique ideas that were unlike any that the society had hea... Read More

All About Ibycus – Poet of Ancient Greece

The Ancient Greeks were known for their artistic and literary abilities. Among the talents that many Ancient Greeks possessed, poetry was one of them. Ibycus is a po... Read More

Origins of the City of Athens

Athens is one of the oldest cities in Europe and there is evidence that it has been inhabited for over 5000 years. In fact, some consider it to be the second oldest ... Read More

Do You Know About the Battle of Thermopylae?

These days, the story of the Battle of Thermopylae has taken on a mythical quality. We envision a group of 300 brave Spartan soldiers facing off against the Persians... Read More

Aristarchus of Samos – Ancient Greek Astronomer

There was a time when people thought that the earth was the center of the universe. Although Nicolaus Copernicus and Galileo Galilei got credit for this idea in the... Read More

Eupatridae: Nobility of Attica in Ancient Greece

While Ancient Greece is mostly remembered as the cradle of democracy, this isn’t all that happened here. In fact, democracy was developed out of a political si... Read More

Do You Know That Greeks Invented the Catapult?

For as long as history as been recorded, there has been the need for weapons. Weapons can be used to keep people safe, defend your lands, and to wage war. Weapons ha... Read More

Alcmaeonid Family – Aristocrats of Ancient Greece

When most people think of Ancient Athens, they no doubt think of the city-state that invented democracy. However, few realize that Athens only enjoyed a democracy fo... Read More

What to Know About the Battle of Himera

The Battle of Himera took place in Sicily, a Greek colony, in 480 B.C. It was actually a part of the Sicilian Wars. This is one of the most famous battles of the Si... Read More

How Theater in Ancient Greece Evolved

Did you know that the Ancient Greeks invented theater? This means that if it weren’t for the Ancient Greeks, theater as we know it wouldn’t exist. Not on... Read More

Do You Know About the Peloponnesian War?

Ancient Greece wasn’t structured as a whole country the way it is today. There was a time when the area we think of as Ancient Greece was broken up by a series... Read More

Nea Nikomedeia – Early Settlement in Ancient Greece

It is true that Greece is one of the oldest countries in Europe. This means that there were several important time periods in Ancient Greece, and each of them played... Read More

Do You Know About Thucydides?

It is fairly well known that Athens and Sparta were often bitter rivals. In fact, history shows that these two major parts of Ancient Greece were driven to fight for... Read More

Do You Know How the Athenian Navy Was Formed?

Everything changed for the Ancient Athenian city-state after the Persian Empire tried to conquer Ancient Greece. The empire had its sites set on conquering Ancient G... Read More

About the Army of the Mycenaean Civilization

After the Minoan Civilization crumbled, the Mycenaeans took over as the successful civilization of Ancient Greece. There is some debate as to why the Minoans collaps... Read More

Demosthenes – Great Orator of Ancient Greece

The Ancient Athenians have a reputation for valuing a good debate. As a result of this, people would study how to give effective speeches. Some people were better at... Read More

Do You Know About Alexander the Great?

Most people have heard about Alexander the Great since he is one of the most popular historical figures to have come from Ancient Greece. He is known for what he acc... Read More

What to Know About the Second Messanian War

The Second Messenian War was a conflict between the ancient Greek city-states of Sparta and Messenia, which attempted to regain its independence after having been co... Read More

All About Solon of Ancient Greece

Solon was an Ancient Greek poet and lawmaker. Solon is primarily known for his fight against the overall decline in Athens during the Archaic Period. Most records of... Read More

All About Cynisca – First Female Olympic Champion of Ancient Greece

Back in the early days of the Olympic Games in Ancient Greece, it was rare for women to compete, never mind win. However, there are a few well documented examples of... Read More

Know the Origins of the Ancient Greek People

Are you curious as to how Ancient Greece was founded? Well, in order to understand the origins of Ancient Greece, it helps to take a step back and look at the beginn... Read More

Pankration – Combat Martial Arts from Ancient Greece

Although Pankration was introduced as a sport during the Ancient Olympic Games, it had been around for much longer than the games themselves. This was looked at as o... Read More

Do You Know About the Library of Alexandria?

Most of us know that Alexander the Great built a great empire. However, when he headed east to add to his empire, however, he did more than just add to his borders. ... Read More

History of Venetian Rule in the Ionian Islands

Although the Ionian Islands are currently part of Greece, it wasn’t always this way. In fact, Greece as we know it is a relatively modern thing and it was only... Read More

Do You Know that the Greeks Held the First Olympics?

Most of us know all about the Olympic Games since they are held every four years and feature athletes from all over the world. However, we all may not realize that t... Read More

What to Know About the Battle of Corinth

The history of Greece is incredibly turbulent and over the course of its history, the Ancient Greeks experienced periods of independence as well as periods of occupa... Read More

Do You Know that the Greeks Invented Theater?

Most of us can’t even imagine a world without the theater and its offshoot, the cinema. Watching a play, musical, or movie is one of our main forms of entertai... Read More

What to Know About the Platonic Academy of Athens

It’s no secret that the Ancient Greeks valued the pursuit of knowledge and the ancient Athenians were certainly at the cutting edge. Well known philosophers es... Read More

Xenophon – Historian of Ancient Greece

Xenophon was born in Athens in approximately 430 BC. He was a noted philosopher and historian who studied under Socrates in his youth. He was also a mercenary and so... Read More

Do You Know that the Greeks Invented Democracy?

The principal of democracy is something that we often take for granted. Webster’s Dictionary defines democracy as, “a government in which the supreme p... Read More

Pindar – Ancient Greek Poet from Thebes

When we think of all the literature that has come out of Ancient Greece, certain people come to mind, such as Homer or Plato. There is, however, much more to the lit... Read More

All about the Panathenaic Games

Most of us know all about the legendary Olympic Games from Ancient Greece, especially since our modern Olympic Games were inspired by the tradition. However, the rea... Read More

About Religion in Ancient Greece

When we think about Greek mythology, we often assume that these are simply “just stories.” Maybe to us they are stories, but to the Ancient Greeks, this ... Read More

All About the Amphictyonic League

Most of us understand that Ancient Greece wasn’t one, cohesive nation. Rather, the geographical area that we refer to as Ancient Greece was actually made up of... Read More

Democritus – Greek Philosopher of Atomic Theory

The history of Ancient Greece is filled with renowned philosophers whose works are still inspiring readers. Democritus, a philosopher who specialized in the study of... Read More

What to Know About the Battle of Crocus Field

The Battle of Crocus field took place during the Third Sacred War, which took place between 356 and 346 BC. The war began when the Phocians were angered over a fine... Read More

About the Siren Painter of Ancient Greece

When we think of Ancient Greece, certain images come to mind. One of the most common things associated with this part of the ancient world are the many vases and pot... Read More

Tegea – Ancient Greek City-State in the Peloponnese

When most of us think of Ancient Greece, certain city-states come to mind, such as Athens and Sparta. Although these were certainly influential and well known, there... Read More

Lysander – Commander of the Spartan Naval Fleet

When people think of Sparta, they often fall back on stories of Leonidas and the 300, but perhaps Lysander is a bit of an unsung hero. Although he was brought up in ... Read More

Battle of Notium – A Spartan Naval Victory

The Battle of Notium is looked at as a successful naval victory for the city-state of Sparta during the Peloponnesian War, which occurred between Sparta and Athens. ... Read More

History of the League of Corinth (Hellenic League)

Greece wasn’t always a cohesive country. In Ancient Greece, the region was broken up into several city-states. In the 4th century BC, Persia was a large empir... Read More

Epicurus – Philosopher and Founder of Epicureanism

Epicurus is a pre-Socratic philosopher from Ancient Greece who was the founder of Epicureanism. According to Webster’s Dictionary, the word, epicure, is deriv... Read More

Macedonian Army of King Philip II and Alexander the Great

The accomplishments of both King Philip II and his son, Alexander the Great are amongst the most celebrated and controversial of Ancient Greece. No matter how you vi... Read More

Parmenides – Eleatic Philosopher of Ancient Greece

Parmenides was a philosopher in Ancient Greece who is classified as a pre-Soctratic, or a philosopher who came before Socrates. Essentially, Socrates is looked at as... Read More

Structure of the Spartan Army

The Spartan Army is legendary just as much today as it was back in Ancient Greece. Sparta was a city-state in Ancient Greece, and because of its army, it was one of ... Read More

Epiminondas – Ancient Greek Statesman from Thebes

When it comes to Ancient Greece, it is easy for us to forget that it wasn’t actually one cohesive country like the region is today. Instead, what we refer to a... Read More

About the Dorian Invasion of Ancient Greece

The Dorian Invasion was a period in Ancient Greece is one of those events that marked by a major shift in cultural development and language. This phenomenon has trad... Read More

History of Boeotia in Ancient Greece

As far as areas in Ancient Greece goes, some places are more commonly known than others. Athens and Sparta, for example, are amongst the most popular. Boeotia isn... Read More

All About the Region of Messenia in Ancient Greece

When walking through modern Greece, you can’t help but be confronted by reminders of the country’s ancient past. The Parthenon in Athens, for example, i... Read More

Phidias – Famous Sculptor of Ancient Greece

The classical world has left an impact on art and architecture that can still be felt to this day. However, not all the specific contributors are commonly known in h... Read More

All About the First Greek Colonization

One of the things the Ancient Greeks were known for were the large number of colonies they created. The desire for new colonies was driven in part by the Greek ci... Read More

About the Ancient Port of Piraeus

Piraeus is a Greek settlement whose name roughly translates as “the place over the passage” and is located about thirty minutes away from Athens. The anc... Read More

What is the Dipylon Inscription?

As far as historians and linguists know, the Ancient Greek alphabet has taken roughly three forms. There was the Linear A script that was used during Minoan times, t... Read More

History of Geometry in Ancient Greece

Although the Ancient Greeks didn’t invent geometry, they studied it with great fervor. The Ancient Egyptians, Babylonians, and Indians studied and invented cer... Read More

All About Archimedes

Before Rome rose to become a great empire, classical Greek civilization dominated the ancient Mediterranean region. Most people know of Greece as the birthplace of d... Read More

Discus Throw – Popular Sport in Ancient Greece

It is well understood that the Olympic Games began in Ancient Greece thousands of years ago. Held every four years, the games originally took place to honor Zeus, th... Read More

Rivalry of Sparta and Athens in Ancient Greece

One of the main things that characterized Ancient Greece is the fact that it wasn’t a cohesive nation or empire. Each part of Ancient Greece was made up of a s... Read More

Lelantine War – Earliest Documented War of Ancient Greece

Ancient Greece was often a turbulent place, and the fact that it was broken up into multiple city-states that were all ruled independently is partly to blame. When t... Read More

All About the Oligarchy of Ancient Greece

When most people think about the structure of government in Ancient Greece, they may believe that it was a democracy, or that Ancient Greece was broken up by city-st... Read More

About the Colossus of Rhodes

The Colossus of Rhodes was a large, impressive statue that overlooked the water on Rhodes island. Listed as one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the Colos... Read More

All About Gorgo – Queen of Sparta in Ancient Greece

Those of us who have seen the movie The 300 remember most of the main characters in the story, especially Xerxes from Persia and King Leonidas from Sparta. However, ... Read More

What is the Seikilos Epitaph?

It is a pretty well known fact that the Ancient Greeks had music. We know that they played instruments like the lyre, the pan pipe, and the tympanum. Many works of l... Read More

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