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
Worked example: Using the reaction quotient to find equilibrium partial pressures | Khan Academy
For the reaction of iron II oxide plus carbon monoxide goes to solid iron and carbon dioxide, the equilibrium constant Kp is equal to 0.26 at 1000 Kelvin. Our goal is to find the equilibrium partial pressures of our two gases, carbon monoxide and carbon d…
Mr. Freeman, part 61 CENSORED
There was a man who was constantly suffering. He was too hot, then too cold. He had too much, then too little. He wanted to scream from joy, then wanted to hide in the corner from angst. The stress was making his heart grow callous, his body deteriorate, …
15 Investments Rich People Make The Poor Know Nothing About
Rich people are making bank in ways everyone else isn’t even aware of. If you watch Until the End, you’ll realistically learn more about money in this video than you did in an MBA course. Here are 15 investments rich people make the poor know nothing abou…
Why and how to save | Budgeting & saving | Financial Literacy | Khan Academy
So I’m guessing that you already have a sense that saving money is a good idea. It’s good for a rainy day; that’s why we have an emergency fund. There might be unexpected interruptions to your income or unexpected costs that happen from your car breaking …
MOLTEN GLASS VS Prince Rupert's Drop - Smarter Every Day 285
Do you know what this is? If you do, you’re going to be, like, super excited about this video. If you don’t know what this is, let me bring you up to speed. This is called a Prince Rupert’s Drop, and it’s created by dripping molten glass down into water. …
Collecting Animal Bones in Alaska | Best Job Ever
[Music] So here we are on the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. We’re here looking for Caribou antlers and [Music] bones. We are pretty much finding bones wherever we go. What we have here is a shed bull Caribou antler, so a male, large male. This is where…