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The beginning of the ancient or classical Greece was around 750 B.C., and its peak was 500-336 B.C. when Greece consisted of many small city-states, each comprising a city and surrounding countryside.

The beginning of the ancient or classical Greece was around 750 B.C., and its peak was 500-336 B.C. when Greece consisted of many small city-states, each comprising a city and surrounding countryside.

Why is ancient or classical Greece dated from about 750 B.C.?  After all, the Greeks probably migrated southward into the Greek peninsula as early as about 1600 B.C.  But from 1600 to 1100 B.C. was a period known as Mycenaean Greece, when progress was slow.  Then from 1100 to 800 B.C. were the dark ages, from which little survived.  The momentous event that heralded ancient or classical Greece was the first Olympic Games in 776 B.C.  This played a unifying role for the culture, being held every four years for nearly 1000 years.

Why is ancient or classical Greece dated from about 750 B.C.?  After all, the Greeks probably migrated southward into the Greek peninsula as early as about 1600 B.C.  But from 1600 to 1100 B.C. was a period known as Mycenaean Greece, when progress was slow.  The period from 1100 to 800 B.C. were the "dark ages," during which there was little progress and from which little survived.  The momentous event that heralded ancient or classical Greece was the first Olympic Games in 776 B.C.  This played a unifying role for the culture, and the Olympics were then held every four years for nearly 1000 years before disappearing for a while.

Greece itself thrived for hundreds of years, until Alexander the Great died in 323 B.C.  After that historians refer to the culture as Hellenistic Greece, because it extended far and wide, even to where Jesus would teach near Jerusalem.  Ultimately the Roman empire conquered Greece in 146 B.C.  The Olympic games declined and disappeared but were restarted in A.D. 1896 and occur every four years today.

Greece then thrived for hundreds of years, until Alexander the Great died in 323 B.C.  After that historians refer to the culture as Hellenistic Greece, because it extended far and wide, even to where Jesus would teach near Jerusalem.  Ultimately the Roman empire conquered Greece in 146 B.C.  The Olympic games declined and disappeared but were restarted in A.D. 1896 and occur every four years today.

In about 800 B.C. the Greeks formed their alphabet by borrowing from the Phoenician alphabet and adding vowels to it.  A written record then appears.  Greece divided itself into many small self-governing communities as required by Greek geography.  There every region is separated from its neighbors by water or mountain ranges.

Progress in ancient Greece was sparked around 800 B.C., when the Greeks formed their alphabet by borrowing from the Phoenician alphabet and adding vowels to it.  A written record then appears.  Greece divided itself into many small self-governing communities as required by Greek geography.  In that terrain every region is separated from its neighbors by water or mountain ranges. Once again we see how geography shaped history: the terrain of ancient Greece led the people to create city-states.  (Earlier we saw how the geography of Egypt supported the rise and power of that civilization.)

Magnificent Greek literature began almost as soon as the Phoenician alphabet became the standard.  Homer wrote the Iliad and the Odyssey in the 800s or 700s B.C., and they remain great works of literature to this day.  They describe adventures arising from the mythical “Trojan War” caused by the Greek gods, which included the famous gift of a “Trojan horse” to fool the enemy.  In our internet era, a “Trojan horse” is a program or download that looks helpful, but actually contains a harmful computer virus.  Greek mythology remains a powerful influence to this day, as the names for gods have inspired many common terms today, such as “Achilles heel”, “Amazon”, “atlas” and “titans”.  Some would say that modern sports heroes or media figures are appealing to the public in the same way as Greek mythological gods were nearly 3000 years ago.

Magnificent Greek literature began almost as soon as the Phoenician alphabet became the standard.  Homer wrote the Iliad and the Odyssey in the 800s or 700s B.C., and they remain great works of literature to this day.  They describe adventures arising from the mythical "Trojan War" caused by the Greek gods, which included the famous gift of a "Trojan horse" to fool the enemy.  In our internet era, a "Trojan horse" is a program or download that looks helpful, but actually contains a harmful computer virus.  Greek mythology remains a powerful influence to this day, as the names for gods have inspired many common terms today, such as "Achilles heel," "Amazon", "atlas" and "titans".  Some would say that modern sports heroes or media figures are appealing to the public in the same way as Greek mythological gods were so popular nearly 3000 years ago.

Poetry developed.  Aesop’s Fables were written in the 600s B.C., containing popular insights repeated to this day.  For example, the term “sour grapes” applies to someone who complains after he loses, based on Aesop’s fable about the fox unable to reach grapes.  Aesop was smart enough to know that foxes are the only canines that like grapes.

Poetry developed.  Aesop's Fables were written in the 600s B.C., containing popular insights repeated to this day.  For example, the term "sour grapes" applies to someone who complains after he loses, based on Aesop's fable about the fox unable to reach grapes.  Aesop was smart enough to know that foxes are the only canines that like grapes. All the Fables are now available for easy access online.<ref>http://aesopfables.com/</ref>

Aristocrats who owned land ruled the early Athenian government, and “archons” were elected officials who made the law.  Tyrants rose to power in the 600s B.C.  The tyrants were primarily rich upstarts who illegally took over the government by violent means and catered to the lower classes to maintain popularity.  Athens was ruled by a series of tyrants leading to a reformer named Solon who allowed most “citizens” (males descended from citizens) to vote.  Solon also prohibited debtors’ prison, something allowed even in the early United States.  Draco was another “reformer” who wrote such strict laws that the negative term “draconian laws” is used to today to criticize overly rigid rules.  Other tyrants included Pisistratus (transferred estates from the nobles to the peasants and started building projects to create jobs) and Cleistenes (created the democratic Council of 500 and promoted freedom of speech).  Cleisthenes is also believed to have founded “ostracism”, a system by which any citizen believed to have too much power by other citizens could be voted into exile for ten years, or “ostracized”.   

 

 

 

Aristocrats who owned land ruled the early Athenian government, and "archons" were elected officials who made the law.  Tyrants rose to power in the 600s B.C.  The tyrants were primarily rich upstarts who illegally took over the government by violent means and catered to the lower classes to maintain popularity.  Athens was ruled by a series of tyrants leading to a reformer named Solon who allowed most “citizens” (males descended from citizens) to vote.  Solon also prohibited debtors’ prison, something allowed even in the early United States.  Draco was another “reformer” who wrote such strict laws that the negative term “draconian laws” is used to today to criticize overly rigid rules.  Other tyrants included Pisistratus (transferred estates from the nobles to the peasants and started building projects to create jobs) and Cleistenes (created the democratic Council of 500 and promoted freedom of speech).  Cleisthenes is also believed to have founded “ostracism”, a system by which any citizen believed to have too much power by other citizens could be voted into exile for ten years, or “ostracized”.   

   

   

By the 500s B.C. (6th century), Hellas had become a culture larger than the geographical area of Greece.  The basic political unit was the city, which in Greek is called the “polis” (PAH-lus).  The plural of “polis”, to express many cities, is “poleis” (PAH-lace).  Each polis was made up of a city surrounded by a countryside.  From that root we obtained our word “politics”.  Over 200 Greek city-states arose in the Greek landscape and geography, which has many hills and valleys well-suited to separate city-states.  The unsuitability of the Greek terrain for farming encouraged more trade.

By the 500s B.C. (6th century), Hellas had become a culture larger than the geographical area of Greece.  The basic political unit was the city, which in Greek is called the “polis” (PAH-lus).  The plural of “polis”, to express many cities, is “poleis” (PAH-lace).  Each polis was made up of a city surrounded by a countryside.  From that root we obtained our word “politics”.  Over 200 Greek city-states arose in the Greek landscape and geography, which has many hills and valleys well-suited to separate city-states.  The unsuitability of the Greek terrain for farming encouraged more trade.