yego.me
💡 Stop wasting time. Read Youtube instead of watch. Download Chrome Extension

Ancient Greece 101 | National Geographic


2m read
·Nov 11, 2024

  • [Narrator] Art, philosophy, democracy, and heroes. These are just a few achievements of the legendary civilization known as ancient Greece. Ancient Greece was born on the shores of the Aegean Sea about 4,000 years ago. In over a millennium, it expanded to lands as far west as Spain and as far east as India.

Throughout this age of empire, the ancient Greeks made political, militaristic, and cultural achievements that resonated long after their empire fell. Part of the ancient Greeks' legacy involved politics, one of which was the political system of Greece itself. Unlike many nations that were under unified rule, Greece was a collection of over 1,500 territories that acted as sovereign nations.

Called city-states, these territories had their own rulers and sometimes fought each other. Another political development was the institution of the first large-scale democracy. Developed in the city-state of Athens, democratic rule was a way to give the Greek people representation and political power. The Greeks also earned a strong reputation for their military.

The military helped expand the Greek Empire by establishing colonies overseas, and it protected Greece itself from foreign invaders like the Persian Empire. When such a threat occurred, city-states united to defend their homeland. Many Greeks, particularly in Sparta, took immense pride in their military and regarded their soldiers as heroes.

Their heroism was often turned into legend thanks to literary works like "The Iliad." War heroes also inspired the creation of the Olympics, which celebrated physical competition. Of all aspects of ancient Greek civilization, their cultural contributions left a considerable mark on the western world.

Particularly noteworthy were the ancient Greeks' art and architecture. They created incredible sculptural works, such as standing figures and reliefs. Plus, they developed three types of columns and incorporated them to structures like the Parthenon. This artistry was imitated by other civilizations and spread throughout the globe for thousands of years.

How the Greeks interpreted the world was also reflected in other cultures. Greek religion, which was comprised of many anthropomorphic deities, helped shape the spiritual beliefs of the Etruscans and, later, the ancient Romans. Greek philosophy, which explored matters of reason, ethics, and natural law influenced later civilizations' achievements and politics and science.

Greek language made quite an impact as well. Ancient Greek, at about 3,400 years old, provided the basis of many modern languages. The English language alone has thousands of words with Greek roots. Ancient Greece's artistry, regard for heroes, and democratic rule left a considerable impression on world history.

With contributions that lasted for millennia, the civilization of ancient Greece is nothing short of legendary.

More Articles

View All
The Entire History of Humanity In 10 Minutes
From sharing the Earth with many other human species merely as hunter-gatherers trying to brave the elements, to building rockets, creating the internet, and now with our eyes set on Mars, the history of humanity is one that is sealed with determination, …
We Made Face Shields - Smarter Every Day 233
Hey! It’s me, Destin. Welcome back to Smarter Every Day. I’m alone, so I can take this off. I am in a warehouse that was once used to work on the Saturn V rocket, and we have just spent the whole day tooling up a line to disinfect and sanitize 3D printed …
How to Help Small Businesses During COVID-19 | Ask Mr. Wonderful #22 Kevin O'Leary & Maria Sharapova
I Mr. Wonderful here, and welcome to another episode of Ask Mr. Wonderful. Now, you know what I love to do time to time is to invite a guest onto the show to help me answer all of your questions. I’m always amazed by how many questions we get and where we…
Researching How to Live With Coyotes | Short Film Showcase
[Applause] [Music] Into a security guard arm one. No, I was raised in Wyoming, a large commercial sheep operation. We had probably about 4,000 head of sheep that ranged on the public lands in Wyoming. One of my jobs as a kid when I was growing up there w…
we need to talk...
I found myself yesterday crying in a shower for literally no reason. Probably like there is some sort of stress that I didn’t realize for a very long time. And it’s currently like, ah, you know, hi guys, it’s me, Dodie. Good morning! Or I should probably …
Things you should know about your credit card | Consumer credit | Financial Literacy | Khan Academy
You’re likely already familiar with the idea of a credit card. You know that you can go to a store and buy things with your credit card. But what we’re going to do in this video is go into a little bit more detail on exactly what’s happening and what are …