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.

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

Aesop – Author of Popular Ancient Greek Fables

Even if you don’t really know who Aesop is, many of the things that are popular in our culture originated from him. Most of us, for example, are familiar with ... Read More

What to Know About the First Messenian War

When most of us think about styles of warfare in Ancient Greece, we no doubt think about the traditional phalanx style that was commonly used in Ancient Sparta. Howe... Read More

Origins of Slavery in Ancient Greece

When most of us think of Ancient Greece, certain images come to mind. We think of the Golden Age of Greece and the way the Greek culture has influenced Western Civil... Read More

Who Were the Attic Orators during Greek History?

In Ancient Greece, the skill of oratory, or the art of giving public speeches, was highly valued. As such, those who were proficient at writing and giving these spee... Read More

Plato – Metaphysic Philosopher of Ancient Greece

One of the things that the Ancient Greeks were known for is that they thought a lot about how to explain the world in which they lived. This led many to pursue their... Read More

All About the Metopes of the Parthenon

The Parthenon, which is located on the Acropolis in Athens, Greece, is one of the most iconic sites to see in all of Greece. However, the Parthenon that exists today... Read More

Alcman – Ancient Greek Lyric Poet

One of the things that the Ancient Greeks are most known for is their poetry, especially by poets such as Alcman, whose origin in Ancient Greece is under dispute. Th... Read More

Rise of the Mycenaean Civilization in Ancient Greece

It is well understood that the Ancient Greeks carved their thriving civilization out of a landscape that was often considered inhospitable. They developed their grea... Read More

Aeschylus – Tragedian of Ancient Greek Theater

It is true that the Ancient Greeks invented theater and that watching these plays was a major form of entertainment for the people. They are also known for developin... Read More

What to Know About Cycladic Art

When most of us think about Ancient Greece, we tend to think of certain things, such as the city-states, inventions such as democracy and theater, and a lega... Read More

Pythian Games – Sacred Competition of Ancient Greece

Most of us know of the Olympic Games, which first took place in Olympia of Ancient Greece. Every few years, top athletes from all over Ancient Greece would meet to ... Read More

What to Know About Lyric Poetry in Ancient Greece

One of the things that we know and enjoy today about the Ancient Greeks are their various works of poetry and literature that have survived through the centuries. Th... Read More

Art of the Laconic Phrase in Ancient Greece

Most of us know that the Spartans in Ancient Greece had a reputation for being fearsome soldiers. The entire society was structured to support their warrior culture... Read More

Battle of Chaeronea and the Rise of Macedon

Most of us know that Alexander the Great, the son of Philip II of Macedon, conquered much of the world that existed to the east of Ancient Greece. However, most of u... Read More

Empedocles – Ancient Greek Philosopher from Acragas

Like many philosophers from Ancient Greece, Empedocles wore many hats. Part of this is due to the fact that the philosophers of Ancient Greece, in general, were inte... Read More

Pankration – Sport of the Ancient Olympic Games

Most of us know that the Olympic Games originated in Ancient Greece. Our modern Olympic Games were modeled after it, but there were some differences and similarities... Read More

What a Deme is in Ancient Greece

Unlike today’s modern country of Greece, Ancient Greece wasn’t considered to be one large country. Rather, Ancient Greece refers to a geographical area w... Read More

All About Epic Poetry in Ancient Greece

Although epic poetry began well before the Ancient Greek civilization came about, it was an important part of the Greek culture starting in around the 6th century B.... Read More

Socrates – One of the Founders of Western Philosophy

When looking back through the ages, it’s clear that the Ancient Greeks possessed a strong motivation to help them understand how everything worked. As a result... Read More

About the Ancient Greek Theory of Heliocentrism

Although we know otherwise today, there was a time when people believed that everything in the universe revolved around the earth. Referred to as geocentricism, peop... Read More

Heraclitus – Ancient Greek Philosopher from Ephesus

In Ancient Greece, philosophers are classed in roughly two Greeks – those who came before and those who came after Socrates. Although Socrates himself may not ... Read More

What to Know About Ancient Greek Music

Music is one of those universal concepts that spans across all cultures. There’s also evidence of music being present in the oldest of societies, and the Ancie... Read More

Sports of the Ancient Olympic Games

The modern Olympic Games were inspired by the games that took place at Olympia in Ancient Greece. Originally both a religious festival and a celebration of athletics... Read More

Developing the Athenian Navy of Ancient Greece

One of the things that Ancient Athens is most known for is its formidable navy. However, it wasn’t always this way. The Athenian navy was relatively nonexisten... Read More

Milo of Croton – Top Athlete of Ancient Greece

Most of us are familiar with the fact that the Olympic Games originated in Ancient Greece. In fact, our modern games, which began in 1896, are still going strong. Ov... Read More

How the Ancient Greek Dark Ages Ended

The collapse of the Mycenaean Palaces and civilization was responsible for propelling Ancient Greece into the Greek Dark Ages. It was during this time that the remai... Read More

What is Eleatic Philosophy?

The Ancient Greeks were known for their philosophical ideas and concepts and all of them impacted their society in some way. It seems that the Ancient Greeks wanted ... Read More

All About Lycurgus of Ancient Sparta

Have you ever wondered where the ideas for the way Spartan society was shaped actually came from? As you probably recall, When thinking about Lycurgus of Sparta, it ... Read More

What to Know About Minoan Architecture of Ancient Greece

The Minoans had the earliest known civilization in Greece. They were living in Greece, primarily on the island of Crete, from around 2000 B.C. to around 1400 B.C. un... Read More

All About Euripides – Ancient Greek Playwright

The Ancient Greeks, particularly the Ancient Athenians, are given the credit for inventing theater itself. As a result of that, theater became part of the culture, a... Read More

All About Pythagoras – Philosopher and Mathematician

When most of us think about Pythagoras, we inevitably think about the theorem that bears his name. The Pythagorean Theorem is a staple of geometry classes all over t... Read More

What to Know About Slavery in Ancient Greece

When people think about Ancient Greece, chances are pretty good that slavery isn’t one of the things that comes to mind. The truth, the Ancient Greeks did make... Read More

Main Settlements of Neolithic Era Greece

The Neolithic Era in Ancient Greece took place between 7000 B.C. and 3200 B.C. Initially, people moved into Greece from the Far East via Anatolia, which is located i... Read More

All About the Ancient Greek Philosophy of Pythagoreanism

Pythagoreanism is a specific philosophy that originated with Pythagoras, an Ancient Greek philosopher and mathematician who made lasting contributions in both fields... Read More

Metics – Non-Citizen Residents of Athens in Ancient Greece

Athens was one of the most thriving city-states in all of Ancient Greece. one of the reasons for this is that it was not only a place where the citizens of Athens dw... Read More

Delian League – Alliance of City-States in Ancient Greece

In Ancient Greece, the Persian Empire presented a serious threat. Although Greece was victorious after the first Persian invasion, the fact that Persia went home did... Read More

What Was the Kingdom of Candia?

There was a time when the Venetians ruled over many parts of modern day Greece, and the island of Crete is one of those places. Referred to as the Kingdom of Candia,... Read More

Ancient Greek Black-Figure Pottery Originated in Corinth

When many of us think of Ancient Greece, we often picture the traditional vases that have been found in Ancient Greek archaeological sites throughout Greece. The bes... Read More

Sophocles – Ancient Greek Dramatist

It is a well known fact that the Ancient Greeks invented theater and besides that, they also developed genres, such as comedies and tragedies. In fact, the plays tha... Read More

How the Byzantine Empire Began in Greece

The Byzantine Empire’s influence can be found throughout Greece. For instance, Churches from the days of the Byzantine Empire can be found throughout Greece an... Read More

What to Know About the Ottoman Empire in Greece

Every year on March 25, Greeks living all over the world celebrate their Independence Day. On March 25, 1821, war broke out between the Greek people and the Ottoman ... Read More

History of the Republic of Venice in Greece

Greece didn’t always look the way it does today, and in fact, has had a long road. In Ancient Greece, the Greek-speaking region was separated into a number of ... Read More

All About King Cassender of Macedon in Ancient Greece

Cassender was the King of Macedon in Ancient Greece after Alexander the Great. He was born around 350 B.C. and his father, Antipater, was already a well-known genera... Read More

Education System in the Ancient Greek City State of Sparta

Most of us understand how unique the Spartan culture was since it was entirely focused on the success of their warriors. Every aspect of the society, including the e... Read More

Neolithic Period of Ancient Greece

When most of us think of Ancient Greece we think of the glory days that were written about by Homer in the Iliad and the Odyssey, or the Golden Age, where philoso... Read More

What to Know About Ancient Greek Literature

When we think of Ancient Greek literature, most of us envision works like the Iliad and the Odyssey, which were written by Homer. Although these works are enjoyed ... Read More

All About the Ionian Revolt

The Ionian Revolt was a military rebellion that took place in Ionia, Antolia, which was part of Ancient Greece. It was associated with many other military rebellions... Read More

Anaximander – The Pre-Socratic Philosopher

Anaximander was an early Greek philosopher known to be the founder of astronomy. He was born in Ionia, a part of Ancient Greece but is now in modern-day Turkey. He... Read More

What is Pre-Socratic Philosophy?

The origins and foundations of western philosophy can be traced back to some of the early Greek thinkers who lived between 6th and 7th century BC. These individuals ... Read More

History of Epicureanism

The Ancient Greeks were particularly known for their innovations in philosophical thought. Although philosophers such as Socrates are amongst the most well known, th... Read More

What to Know About Ancient Greek Pottery

During antiquity, the region around the Easter Mediterranean was a center for trade. The Greeks had some valuable commodities to offer its neighbors, such as wine an... Read More

Peisistratos – the Popular Tyrant of Ancient Athens

Although Ancient Athens is known for having been the birthplace of a true democracy, it wasn’t always this way. Democracy grew out of a political discontent in... Read More

What Made the Spartan Warriors so Effective

There is a lot of lore surrounding the idea of the Spartan soldiers. At the time, there was nothing quite like them, and their military strength was so formidable th... Read More

Pheidon – The Tyrant of Argos

Argos is one of the oldest city-states in all of Ancient Greece. It also became one of the most powerful, but before that happened, it went through a period of polit... Read More

What to Know About Minoan Art

The Minoan Civilization existing during the Bronze Age, long before the Classical Period of Ancient Greece. They were a thriving, peaceful culture that had a foothol... Read More

Argos – One of the Oldest of All the Ancient Greek City-States

Argos is a city-state that first rose to prominence during the Mycenaean era in Greece, which is much earlier than the classical period. By the time the classical er... Read More

Corinth Was One of the Most Powerful Greek City States

Most of us know all about city-states like Athens and Sparta. However, other city-states, such as Corinth, were also important. In fact, at it’s height, it wa... Read More

Thales of Miletus – The Father of Science

Although Thales of Miletus was actually an Ancient Greek philosopher, he is also considered to be the Father of Science. Classified as a pre-Socratic philosopher,... Read More

Where Were the Colonies in Ancient Greece?

Although history often portrays Greece, particularly the Athenian city-state, as being idyllic, people often left their city-states for various reasons. Those who l... Read More

Zeno of Citium – Creator of the Philosophy of Stoicism

Like many of the philosophies that were developed in Ancient Greece, they still have an influence over our thoughts today. The same is true of Stoicism, which was de... Read More

Statue of Zeus at Olympia – One of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World

Although it is no longer standing, the Statue of Zeus at Olympia, which is one of the Seven Ancient Wonders of the World, continues to enchant all those who learn ab... Read More

Ostracism – Legal Social Shunning in Ancient Greece

It is well known that democracy was invented in Ancient Greece in the city-state of Athens. However, what people don’t necessarily realize is that ostracism wa... Read More

Cleisthenes – Father of Athenian Democracy

On the surface, Cleisthenes seemed to be an unlikely candidate to support the concept of a democracy. A nobleman who was born around 570 B.C., he was raised to look ... Read More

Battle of Plataea – Final Battle of the Second Persian Invasion of Greece

Back in the time of the Battle of Plataea, which took place in 479 B.C., the Persian Empire was formidable. The largest empire in the world at the time, they had th... Read More

Who Were the Helots of Ancient Sparta?

In order to understand who the Helots were, one needs to also mention their relationship with the Spartans. In Ancient Sparta, the Helots were a subjugated populatio... Read More

Culture and Society of the Spartan City-State

There was a time when Sparta was one of the most prominent and successful city-states in Ancient Greece. Since they were a warrior society, they were formidable oppo... Read More

Did the City of Troy Really Exist?

Most of us are familiar with the fabled story of the Trojan War. We know from Homer’s Iliad that the war essentially began because Helen of Troy fell for Pari... Read More

Palace of Nestor – An Ancient Mycenaean Palace

The Mycenaean Civilization was a Bronze Age civilization in Ancient Greece that achieved a remarkable amount of growth. They came shortly after the Minoan Civilizati... Read More

All About Leonidas I – King of Ancient Sparta Greece

Most of us know who King Leonidas I is because of the role he played in the ancient battle at Thermopylae, where 300 brave Spartans fought the Persians to the death.... Read More

How the Ancient Athenians Went from Oppression to Democracy

When people think of Ancient Greece as being the birthplace of democracy, they may form an idea in their mind that the journey towards that system was an enlightened... Read More

Constantinople Becomes Head of the Byzantine Empire

Constantinople began the head of the Byzantine Empire in 330 AD. King Constantine the Great moved the head of the Byzantine Empire to an already existing city, which... Read More

The Rise of the Ancient Kingdom of Macedonia

Although the Kingdom of Macedonia, which was located in the northern area of Ancient Greece, ended up being one of the most prominent and influential kingdoms in al... Read More

All About the Ancient Greek Battle of Salamis

The Battle of Salamis, which took place in 480 B.C., was possibly the single most important naval victory in all of Ancient Greece. In fact, there are those who say ... Read More

All About Pausanias – Ancient Greek Geographer and Traveler

Pausanias was a Greek geographer who lived from A.D. 110 to 180 during the era of Antoninus Pius, Marcus Aurelius and Hadrian. As a traveler, he used his firsthand o... Read More

All About Hesiod – The Ancient Greek Poet

Hesiod is an ancient Greek poet considered to be a contemporary and peer of the famed poet Homer. Hesiod is often referred to as “the father of Greek didactic ... Read More

Thucydides – Ancient Athenian General and Historian

Much of our modern knowledge concerning life in the ancient world is the product of diligent scholars. These luminaries recorded what they observed in their lifetime... Read More

Aristophanes – Ancient Greek Playwright

Without the Ancient Greeks, theater wouldn’t exist as we know it. Invented during Greece’s Golden Age, playwrights used the theater to express themselves... Read More

All About the Trial of Socrates

The Trial of Socrates, which took place in 339 B.C., is probably one of the most famous trials in history. Socrates was a philosopher on Ancient Greece who was born ... Read More

What to Know About Ancient Greek Warefare

When many of us think of warfare in Ancient Greece, this invokes images of the Ancient Spartans and their unique brand of fighting that involved the hoplite soldiers... Read More

All About the Fall of Constantinople

Constantinople was the capital of the Byzantine Empire, which was also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire. Over the course of its life, the Byzantine Empire wen... Read More

Pericles – Building the Athenian Navy

Pericles was a prominent Greek statesman who was alive from 495 B.C. to 429 B.C. during the Greek Golden Age. He had such a profound impact on the culture of Ancient... Read More

What Was the Golden Age of Greece?

What do you picture when you think about Ancient Greece? When many of us envision what it was like during that time, we have certain expectations. These include, Gre... Read More

History of the Ancient Theater at Epidaurus (Epidavros)

Theater was a big part of the culture in Ancient Greece. In fact, there are many who believe that the Ancient Greeks actually invented theater as we know it. The Gre... Read More

History of the Athens Acropolis

The Acropolis in Athens is one of the city’s most recognizable features. Perched atop a large hill, this remnant of Athens’ ancient past is surrounded by... Read More

Themistocles – Ancient Athenian Politician and General

When the Persian Empire first invaded Greece in the hopes of expanding its borders, it seemed unlikely that Greece would be able to hold. Not only was the Persian Em... Read More

The Real Story of Pheidippides

Pheidippides, also referred to as Philippides, was the messenger soldier who famously ran a long distance from the battlefield at Marathon to Athens in order to tell... Read More

Overview of the Early Reign of Alexander the Great

Alexander the Great was one of the most influential historical figures from Ancient Greece. His father, King Philip II of Macedon, turned Macedonia into the most pow... Read More

Linear B Script: Alphabet of the Mycenaeans

The Mycenaean Civilization came well after the Minoans lost their dominance. Whether or not the Mycenaeans invaded the Minoans and how the Minoan Civilization actual... Read More

Overview of the Mycenaean Civilization

The Mycenaean Civilization took place at the end of the Greek Bronze Age from the 15th Century to the 13th Centure B.C. Ultimately, the Bronze Age began with the Min... Read More

What to Know About the Ancient Greek Language

The Greek language is part of the Indo-European family of languages. Unlike other languages that branch off of Indo-European, the Greek language doesn’t have a... Read More

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