Greek Civilization Highlights

Greek Civilization Highlights

Greek Civilization

Early Greek Society

• The early Greeks (or the Hellens), like the Aryans in India, lived in tribes, each composed of a number of families under a leader. A group of tribes had a king.

• The main occupations were agriculture and herding.

Greek Religion and Gods

The early Greeks had many gods whom they imagined to be like human beings, though more powerful and immortal.

• Zeus was the god of the sky and hence caused thunder.

• Poseidon, god of the sea, raised storms that sank ships.

• Apollo, the sun god, could reveal the future.

• Athena was the goddess of victory and patroness of the arts.

• Dionysus was the god of wine, and there were many others.

The Greeks thought their gods lived on Mount Olympus.

City-States Formation

• Around 800 BC, a group of Greek villages began joining into larger units to form city-states.

• At the highest point in a city-state, an acropolis or citadel was built for defence, and the city spread out around the acropolis.

• Such cities were Sparta, Athens, Macedonia, Corinth, Thebes, and others.

• Sparta and Athens were the two most important city-states.

Sparta

• The Spartans’ main concern was with militarism, and was, so much so that the word ‘Spartan’ is often used to mean militaristic.

• Spartans were fine soldiers, but they contributed little else to Greek culture.

Athens

• The city-state of Athens developed along lines quite different from Sparta.

• The territories it ruled had been occupied gradually and peacefully, and militarism had not developed.

• Athens had excellent harbours and mineral deposits.

• The Athenians built a prosperous trade and culture.

• Pericles (496 BC – 429 BC) was the most important ruler of Athens.

Major Battles and Events

• The Battle of Marathon (490 BC): The Greeks defeated the Iranian (Persian) king Darius I at Marathon near Athens.

• The Peloponnesian War: Between Sparta and Athens from 431 BC to 404 BC, ended in tragedy for Athens.

Rise of Macedonia and Alexander the Great

• Philip of Macedonia conquered most of the states in the years following Athens’ defeat.

• His son, Alexander, set out at the age of 20 to conquer the world.

• During the 13 years (336 BC – 323 BC), he compelled all Greece to accept his leadership and conquered the Achaemenid Empire.

• This brought him to the borders of India, where he defeated King Porus on the Jhelum in 326 BC.

• He sailed down the Indus and then returned to Mesopotamia, where he died of fever in 323 BC at the age of 32.

Alexander’s conquests brought many important changes to the world.

Trade between Europe and Asia developed. Many new cities were founded.

Greek Territories Under Roman Control

• In the 2nd century BC, the Roman Empire started expanding eastward.

• As a result of Roman conquests, almost the entire territory of the Greeks and their empire became a part of the Roman Empire.

Contributions of the Greek Civilization

The glory of Greece that the world has never forgotten was largely the glory of Athens at the time of Pericles.

Olympic Games

• The Olympic Games were first held in 776 BC by the Greeks in honour of the God Zeus at Mount Olympus (Olympia) in Greece.

• From 394 AD, these games started degenerating, and by 580 A, D they altogether vanished.

• They were banned by the Roman Emperor Theodosius as Pagan manifestations.

• It was the French baron, Pierre de Coubertin, who revived these games in 1894, and the modern Olympic Games started in 1896 at Athens.

Greek Literature

• Homer’s ‘Iliad’ and ‘Odyssey’ are among the best epics of the world.

• The Iliad is the story of the siege and destruction of the city of Troy, on the western coast of Asia Minor.

• The Odyssey describes the adventures and homecoming from Troy of a Greek hero, Odysseus.

Greek Drama

• The founder of the Greek tragedy was Aeschylus, author of ‘Prometheus Bound’.

• Sophocles is considered to be the greatest of Greek tragedians. His famous plays are ‘Oedipus Rex’, ‘Antigone’, and ‘Electra’.

• Aristophanes is considered to be the master of Greek comedy.

Greek Historians

Greece produced some of the world’s earliest great historians:

• Herodotus (known as ‘the Father of History’)

• Thucydides

• Plutarch

Greek Philosophers

The most famous philosophers of Greece were:

• Socrates

• Plato (disciple of Socrates and author of ‘Republic’)

• Aristotle (disciple of Plato)

Aristotle was both a philosopher and a scientist. He made important contributions to:

• Philosophy

• Medicine

• Biology

• Astronomy

He believed in the principle of the Golden Mean – that is, neither extreme luxury nor self-denial.

Greek Contributions to Mathematics and Science

The Greeks made many contributions to mathematics, especially to geometry, as is seen in the works of:

• Euclid

• Pythagoras

In medicine, Hippocrates laid the foundation of modern medicine. He is known as the ‘Father of Medicine’.

Greek Astronomy

The most important astronomers were:

• Aristarchus

• Ptolemy

• Hipparchus

• Eratosthenes

Ptolemy’s belief that the Earth was the centre of the universe was accepted as the truth until the 16th century.

Eratosthenes prepared a fairly accurate map of the globe and was the first to suggest that one could reach India from Europe by sailing west.

Greek Architecture and Sculpture

• The temple of Athena, the Parthenon, is the best example of Greek architecture.

• Myron and Phidias are two best-known sculptors of ancient Greece.

• It was Phidias whom Pericles appointed to supervise the construction of the Acropolis in Athens.

Final Thoughts

The Greek Civilization stands as one of the most influential cultures in human history. Its advancements in philosophy, science, politics, and art laid the foundation for much of Western thought. The legacy of thinkers like Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle continues to shape education, ethics, and logic even today.

Through epic literature, majestic architecture, and the Olympic Games, the Greeks celebrated human potential and excellence. Their enduring contributions remind us that the pursuit of knowledge, beauty, and justice can leave a timeless mark on the world.

The spirit of inquiry, creativity, and democracy that flourished in ancient Greece still inspires modern civilizations. In every field—from medicine and mathematics to governance and sports—the Greek legacy continues to guide and enlighten us.