History of the development of Ancient Greece. The era of Ancient Greece
begins its existence in the 3rd millennium BC. and lasted until the 1st century BC. on south of the Balkan Peninsula and islands in the west of Asia Minor. By the end of the 7th century BC. Greek culture became most prosperous. The Greeks achieved enormous success in the fine arts, monumental construction, unraveling the mysteries of mathematics and medicine, and in the development of social ideas. They created a system of government in which all citizens had the right to vote on major issues.
But Ancient Greece was not a single state. The mainland and islands were divided into many city-states surrounded by rural settlements. The most powerful city-state was Athens, who became in 5th century BC. center of Greek civilization. Athens had a well-trained army and the most powerful ancient navy in the world. Triremes, ships with 3 rows of oars on each side, made up the majority of the Greek battle fleet.
Athens
Athens were the most prosperous city in Greece. The huge bronze statue of Athena the Protector towered at a height of 9 meters, and in the temple Erechtheion there was an ancient wooden statue. On the side of the temple there was a huge altar. The main temple of Athena was called Parthenon
. It was built in 447-438 BC. made of sparkling white marble. The roof was covered with marble tiles. The frieze was decorated with scenes of battles of centaurs - mythical half-human, half-horse creatures. The magnificent city owned silver mines and conducted international trade through the port in Piraeus
. On the hill rose Acropolis(upper city), a sacred place with temples and sanctuaries of the goddess Athena. Below lay a city with cobbled streets, magnificent buildings and a market square called agora,
where public meetings were held. Great philosophers Socrates, Plato And Aristotle lived in Athens.
On holidays, crowded religious processions walked through Athens. They entered the sacred land of the Acropolis through the marble gates - Propylaea.
People power
The city-states of Greece were called policies(which is where the word comes from policy). Around 510 BC e. the policies got rid of the kings and preferred to be governed by a group of noble people ( oligarchies) or one influential politician ( Tirana). In 508 BC. originated in Athens democracy, or People power. Under the new system, male citizens decided various issues by voting in assembly- people's assembly. Women, foreigners and slaves could not vote.
In 443-429 BC. Athenians elected a major politician as ruler Pericles who started construction temple on the Acropolis.
Culture and craft
First originated in Greece
Olympic Gamesin 776 BC. and later became part of the festivals in honor of the god Zeus. In a democratic society, a politician had to own oratory.
The first historical thinker named Herodotus, in the near future he began to be called the “father of history.” He was able to describe all historical events believably and honestly. Greeks visited Delphic Oracle, which, according to legend, could tell a lot of useful information about the future. Mount Olympus was considered the abode of the gods and was the most sacred place in Greek religion.
Thessaly was famous for horse breeding thanks to its beautiful and extensive pastures. The Greeks made their magnificent painted ceramics from special clay, which acquired a red color when fired. IN Lydia, and later in Athens they began to mint the first coins with the emblem of an owl of one of the goddesses. There were silver mines in Greece Lauria, which were famous for their deposits of precious metals.
Greek women wove most of the fabric themselves to make linen and clothing for their household. They wore clothes Ionic And Doric style. During the harvest, the girls winnowed the grain, separating it from the chaff.
Architecture of Greece
The Greeks built grandiose temples that were built on a stepped platform. They were surrounded by a colonnade. Inside was a main hall with a statue of a god or goddess and a repository for temple treasures.
The outside of the temple was decorated with bas-reliefs and sculptures, traditionally painted in red and blue. At first the temples were wooden, but from the 6th century AD. they began to be built from stone or marble and covered with tiles.
The Greeks built simple residential buildings from brick and wood, with earthen floors. But no money or labor was spared on public buildings, especially churches. Architects strived for harmony of proportions. The buildings usually had colonnades. Two main styles emerged - the Doric, strict, with squat, smooth columns, and the more refined Ionic, with slender, graceful columns. Public buildings were usually decorated with statues and wall paintings.
Science and knowledge
Knowledge of Ancient Greece. In the 6th century BC. Greek scientists began to strive to understand the structure of the universe. They were called philosophers, that is, “lovers of wisdom.” They studied the structure of the human body, solved mathematical problems and monitored the movements of the planets. Alexander the Great's mentor Aristotle, for example, described hundreds of species of animals. The research of Greek scientists laid the foundation for modern biology, medicine, mathematics, astronomy and philosophy. Science of Ancient Greece was one of the most unique and original in the ancient world.
Olympic Games
Sports competitions were part of all major religious festivals in Greece. The main ones were the Olympic Games in honor of Zeus. They were held every 4 years and lasted 5 days. Many of the Olympic events, such as javelin throwing and wrestling, were related to the military training required by every man. During the games, wars were interrupted so that participants from all over the country could come to Olympia. The winners of the games became celebrities.
Women were prohibited from watching and participating in the Olympic Games.
Theater
The first great dramatic works were created by the Greeks. Poets performed their songs at Dionysias - holidays in honor of the god Dionysus. Gradually the songs became longer, the number of performers grew, and the songs turned into theatrical performances. There were 3 types of plays - tragedy, comedy and satire. The best play in each genre was awarded. Special buildings without roofs were built for theaters. The actors wore masks, and all roles, even female ones, were played by men.
Religion
Names of the gods of Ancient Greece.
The Greeks had 12 main gods
:
1) Zeus- king of the gods, thunderer. The eagle was considered his cult bird
2) Athena- daughter of Zeus, was the goddess of wisdom and war, the patroness of Athens. The owl was her cult bird
3) Artemis- huntress, was the goddess of the Moon, patroness of women and children
4) Aphrodite- goddess of love and beauty
5) Demeter- goddess of fertility and agriculture. During sowing, the Greeks held holidays in her honor
6) Poseidon- god of the sea, brother of Zeus and Pluto. With his trident he could cause a storm
7) Hera- goddess, wife of Zeus, patroness of women
8) Hestia- goddess of the hearth, sister of Hera
9) Apollo- god of the sun and music
10) Pluto- god of the underworld
11) Ares- god, son of Zeus and Hera
12) Hermes- god, son of Zeus and one of his lovers, messenger of the gods
Sparta
Sparta dominated southern Greece, Peloponnese. After the conquest Messenia And Arcadia it became the most powerful state in Greece. The Spartans devoted themselves entirely to war. All true Spartans had to be warriors; their training, which began at age 7, was extremely harsh.
Boys were subjected to corporal punishment to teach them pain and the ability to overcome fear in battle.
The girls were raised to be strong so that they would have healthy children in the future. All this helped Sparta win Peloponnesian Wars with Athens in 431-404 BC.
Spartans who did not show sufficient courage were ordered to shave off half their beard. They were subjected to universal ridicule and humiliation.
Athens And Sparta were constant rivals and were always at odds.
Greco-Persian Wars
Wars of Ancient Greece. The Persians invaded Greece in 490 and 480 BC. The Greeks survived the sack of Athens and the death of a small Spartan army defending a narrow passage in the gorge Thermopylae. Despite the losses, they still won, winning the battle of Marathon, at Plataea and sea battle Salamis. The Athenian leader convinced the government to create its own warships. The Greek fleet became a powerful force, whose main weapon was trireme ship, ramming enemy ships below the waterline. The ram was usually made of bronze. Triremes broke the formation of enemy ships, rammed them and disappeared from sight.
The decisive battle took place at Salamis Islands and ended with the defeat of the Persian king Xerxes, who invaded Greece. The Persians were lured into a trap - a narrow strait between Salamis and the mainland - and defeated.
Bucephalus. During his campaigns, Alexander left his people in the conquered lands. This contributed to the widespread dissemination of Greek culture and language, and ultimately to the assimilation of the achievements of Greek science and architecture by later civilizations.
Alexander's military campaigns
Conquering Asia Minor, Alexander won the battles with the Persians at Granicus and Issus. Turning south, he conquered Phenicia, Judea and Egypt, where he was accepted as Pharaoh. The Macedonian visited the temple of the god Amun in Siwa, where he recognized him as his son. Then he defeated the Persians in the battle of Gaugamela. The Persian king Darius III fled after a crushing defeat inflicted on him by Alexander the Great. Darius was soon killed. After a drunken revelry in Persepolis, Alexander ordered the palace to be burned before marching on India. Then the great commander went to India and again became the winner in the battle of the Hydaspes River, engaging in battle with the war elephants of King Porus. He would have continued his campaigns further, but the army was already exhausted.
Alexander the Great died 323 BC in Babylon from fever on the eve of a campaign in Arabia.
He was buried in Alexandria. He was only 33 years old at that time.
Material from Uncyclopedia
Ancient (or ancient) Greece - Greek civilization, statehood and culture of the 2nd–1st millennium BC. e. (from the emergence of the first Greek city-states to the Roman conquest in the 2nd century BC). The ancient Greeks inhabited the southern part of the Balkan Peninsula, the islands of the Aegean Sea and the western part of the Asia Minor Peninsula. Having founded their colony cities here, they penetrated the Black Sea coast, the island of Sicily and Southern Italy (the southern part of Italy and Sicily began to be called “Magna Graecia”). After the conquest of the huge Persian power by the Greek-Macedonian troops (see Power of Alexander the Great), the ancient Greek state included regions of all of Western Asia. However, Ancient Greece in the narrow sense is considered to be the territory of the southern part of the Balkan Peninsula and the Aegean Basin.
Ancient Greece in the XII–VI centuries. BC.
Ancient Greece in the V–IV centuries. BC.
"Parisian". Fresco from the Palace of Knossos. OK. 1500 BC e. Heraklion (Crete).
Temple of Hera in Paestum. 2nd quarter of the 5th century. BC e.
Shooting Hercules. Statue of the eastern pediment of the Temple of Athena Aphraia on the island of Aegina. OK. 500 BC e.
Pelika with the image of a swallow.
Sculptor Alexander. Venus de Milo. OK. 120 BC e.
Sculptor Polykleitos. Doryphoros (spearman). OK. 440 BC e.
The great Greek playwright Sophocles.
The great Greek tragedian Euripides.
Kouros from Attica (archaic statue of an athlete or god) Early 6th century. BC e.
Dipylon amphora. Ceramics. Mid-8th century BC e. Athens.
Architects Iktin and Kallikrates. Parthenon. 447–438 BC e. Athens Acropolis.
Peloponnesian War 431–404 BC.
Balkan, or mainland, Greece was divided into Northern Greece (the regions of Thessaly, Epirus, Macedonia), Central Greece (the regions of Attica with the city of Athens, Boeotia with the city of Thebes, etc.), Southern Greece, or Peloponnese (the regions of Argolis, Achaia, Laconia with the center of Sparta, Messenia, Corinth, Elis with the city of Olympia, where the Olympic Games were held). In the western part of Asia Minor, Aeolis and Ionia with the city of Miletus played an important role. The largest islands of the Aegean Sea are Crete, Rhodes, Samos, Lesbos.
In ancient times, all these areas were inhabited by local non-Greek tribes. The ancient Greeks (they were called Achaeans) first came here at the turn of the 3rd–2nd millennium BC. e. from the Danube basin. At the end of the 2nd - beginning of the 1st millennium BC. e. a new wave of Greek tribes - the Dorians - came from modern Epirus. From the beginning of the 1st millennium BC. e. The Greek people were divided into four large tribal groups: Achaeans, Dorians, Ionians and Aeolians. The Achaean tribes lived in the central and northwestern parts of the Peloponnese (the regions of Arcadia and Achaia), the Dorians inhabited the rest of the Peloponnese, the southern islands of the Aegean Sea and the southwestern part of Asia Minor. The Ionians occupied part of Central Greece (Attica), the island of Euboea, the islands of the middle Aegean Sea and the region of Ionia in Asia Minor. The Aeolians inhabited the region of Thessaly, the islands of the northern Aegean Sea and the region of Aeolus in Asia Minor. All these tribal groups spoke different dialects of Greek (Ionian, Dorian, Aeolian), which differed from each other, although all Greeks understood each other fluently. A single common Greek language arose quite late, in the 3rd–2nd centuries. BC e.
Until the end of the 3rd millennium BC. e. In ancient Greece, primitive tribal relations prevailed. The earliest the primitive system began to disintegrate was on the island of Crete. Here at the end of the 3rd millennium BC. e. Several small states arose in small mountain valleys. One of the most powerful is a state in the central part of northern Crete. The city of Knossos became the capital of the united Cretan state. The Cretan kings, who had a large fleet, captured many of the islands of the southern Aegean Sea, the coastal areas of the eastern Peloponnese and the southwestern part of Asia Minor. The legendary king Minos, who reigned approximately in the 16th–15th centuries. BC e., is considered the first legislator in Crete, the creator of a powerful maritime power.
In the middle of the 15th century. BC e. On the island of Santorini, located 100 km north of Crete, a powerful volcanic eruption occurred, destroying Knossos to the ground and turning Crete into ruins. The Achaeans took advantage of the difficult situation of Crete and captured it. In the XIV–XIII centuries. BC e. The Peloponnese with the large cities of Mycenae and Pylos began to play the most important role. Scientists have deciphered the complex writing used by the Achaeans in the 15th–13th centuries. BC e.
From the texts read, their economy, social groups and classes, and management became known. The Achaean kingdoms were early slaveholding, monarchical states with great remnants of tribal relations. In the 13th century BC e. Most of the Achaean states united under the rule of the Mycenaean king Agamemnon and attacked the Asia Minor states led by Troy. The Trojan War, described in Homer's poems "Iliad" and "Odyssey", lasted, according to legend, 10 years and ended with the victory of the Greeks. However, it undermined the strength of the Greeks and the Achaean kingdoms began to weaken, which was taken advantage of by the Dorians, who were joined by Greek and non-Greek tribes. After the conquest of the Peloponnese by the Dorians, the primitive clan system re-established itself in Greece. In the XI–IX centuries. BC e. tribal relations began to disintegrate, social and property differentiation arose again, and government bodies began to form. In the 9th–8th centuries. BC e. The first city-states, or policies, arose on the territory of Greece. The polis was an association of private landowners, as well as citizens engaged in various trades and crafts. As full members, they had the right to property. In such a city the majority of the population lived, there were government institutions, temples, and craft workshops. All matters were decided at a general meeting of citizens of the policy (this did not include slaves, women and representatives of the free population who were obliged to pay taxes and taxes and were not citizens of the policy). Sparta, Athens, Corinth, Megara, Argos, Miletus, Smyrna and others stood out for their importance.
In the VIII–IV centuries. BC e. The Greeks began to settle (the so-called great colonization) from the Aegean region towards Sicily to the west and towards the Black Sea region to the northeast. During the colonization process, they founded several hundred different cities. The largest among them are Syracuse, Akragant, Gela, Messana, Sybaris, Tarentum, Cumae in Sicily and Southern Italy; in the Black Sea region - Byzantium (in the Bosphorus Strait), Heraclea and Sinope on the southern coast, Istria and Apollonia on the western, Olbia, Theodosius and Panticapaeum on the northern, Dioscurias and Fasis on the eastern coast of the Black Sea. The process of settlement of the Greeks, the founding of colonies, the establishment of relations between colonies and metropolises (polies that created the colony) played a huge role in the development of city-states, Greek society and culture (see Colonialism).
Ancient Greece reached its highest development in the classical period of its history - in the 5th–4th centuries. BC e. Its social and cultural development was greatly influenced by the Greco-Persian wars. Their victorious end caused a great moral uplift in Greece.
Greece of this period is a country with thriving agriculture and crafts based on the labor of slaves. Commodity production is developing; The Greeks conduct active trade with all countries of the Mediterranean and Black Sea region. Corinth, Miletus, and Athens were especially busy shopping centers.
Ancient Greece is the birthplace of such an advanced form of state as a democratic republic, or democracy. However, it was a democracy in which slaves, free people who were not members of this polis, and women did not have political rights. It received its most complete development in Athens. Here, free citizens, regardless of their property status, decided important state affairs at meetings: they issued laws, elected officials, heard their reports, made peace and declared war, etc. In Athens there was a special court - the helium, it consisted of 6 thousand. judges elected from ordinary citizens. Current affairs were decided by a council of 500 people (bule). Various officials (strategists, treasurers, city officials) were re-elected annually and were not allowed, with rare exceptions, to hold the same position twice.
It was during the classical period that a great culture was created in Ancient Greece, which influenced the development of the entire world culture. The tragedies of Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides, the witty comedies of Aristophanes, the philosophical treatises of Plato and Aristotle, the wonderful architectural ensembles of the Athenian Acropolis, the temples of Zeus in Olympia, Apollo in Delphi, Artemis in Ephesus still delight people. The masterpieces of ancient Greek sculpture inspired more than one generation of masters of all times and peoples (see Antiquity, Mythology, Renaissance (Renaissance), Renaissance).
In the middle of the 5th century. BC e. Most of the Greek city-states united into two large unions: the Peloponnesian, led by Sparta, and the Athenian Maritime Union, led by Athens. Acute contradictions between them led to the Peloponnesian War, which lasted intermittently for 27 years. Sparta won, but in the 4th century. BC e. Corinth, Thebes and other Greek policies opposed it. In the fight against them, Sparta was forced to dissolve the Peloponnesian League. All other associations of Greek city states (Boeotian League, 2nd Athenian Naval League) also collapsed (see map).
In the middle of the 4th century. BC e. In Greece, a crisis of policies began, caused by continuous internecine wars and the intense internal struggle of the aristocracy and the people. As a result, King Philip II of Macedonia gradually conquered one city after another and by 338 BC. e. seized power over virtually all of Greece. His son Alexander, nicknamed the Great, became the founder of a huge empire, which included the territory of Ancient Greece.
After the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC. e. his vast empire broke up into a number of large states, headed by Alexander’s generals. The Ptolemaic dynasty established itself in Egypt, the Seleucids in Mesopotamia and Syria, the Attalids in Pergamum, and the Antigonids in Macedonia. A new stage in the history of Ancient Greece began - the Hellenistic stage, which lasted about 300 years, from the end of the 4th century. BC e. until the end of the 1st century. BC e. (see Hellenism). The Hellenistic states were large, but politically weak entities and became already from the end of the 3rd century. BC e. disintegrate. They were weakened by constant wars and made easy prey for their enemies. Originated in the middle of the 3rd century. BC e. in the east, the state of Parthia conquered most of the Seleucid possessions. And in the west, Rome took advantage of the weakening of the Hellenistic countries, capturing first the Macedonian kingdom, then Pergamon. In the 1st century BC e. he annexed the remnants of the Seleucid kingdom located in Syria and Hellenistic Egypt. The inclusion of Hellenistic countries into Parthia in the east and Rome in the west put an end to the independence of Ancient Greece.
Greece is a country where there is everything! Luxurious beaches, clear waters of the Mediterranean Sea, many amazing architectural monuments, excellent cuisine and cozy hotels... “The Cradle of Civilization,” as Greece is also called, is located in the south of Europe - on part of the Balkan Peninsula and on more than 1,400 islands.
Visa
To travel to Greece you will need. The requirements for a foreign passport are standard - it must be valid for 3 months from the date of completion of the trip, and the document itself must have 2 pages free of marks.
Currency
The currency in Greece is the euro. Until 2000, the Greek drachma was in use. There are many exchange offices and ATMs in the country; at large resorts you can easily pay with a bank card. However, if you are going on holiday to the remote islands of Greece, it is better to stock up on cash.
Weather
Navajo Beach. Zakynthos, Greece
It is best to go to Greece in the warm season - from May to September. The sea swimming season on the island opens at the end of April and ends in October. At other resorts the sea warms up a little later - towards the end of May. In Greece it is almost always warm and sunny; you can come on excursions at any time of the year.
Resorts
Chania, Crete island, Greece
The most popular resorts in Greece are the islands and. Here you can easily choose a suitable tour option - a wide variety of beaches and hotels, fairly inexpensive prices, and there are good hotels for families with children. If you are going to Greece for the first time, then it is better to choose these resorts. Crete is associated with ancient Greek myths and the homeland of the minotaur. Rhodes is famous for the fact that it was here that one of the wonders of the world was located - the Colossus of Rhodes.
Round-trip flights to Greece
Prices for tickets per person departing from Berlin are shown.
Attractions
Parthenon. Athens, Greece
In terms of the number of attractions, Greece confidently holds its place in the top ten countries in the world. Ancient ruins, picturesque islands, magnificent beaches, amazing excursions, hospitable taverns... There are perhaps even more attractions in Greece than residents and tourists combined!
Many famous attractions are located on the Greek mainland. Athens is a museum capital where you literally cannot take a step without discovering traces of history. In central Greece are the ruins of the ancient city of Delphi. Tourists also go to Greece on pilgrimage tours to monasteries.
On the islands, vacationers are interested in ancient ruins, architectural monuments and stunning landscapes. The most famous attractions of island Greece are located on and.
Kitchen
In the national cuisine of Greece, kebabs souvlaki and moussaka take pride of place - they will be on the menu of any restaurant. In Greece, the famous Greek salad is called “horiatiki”, that is, “country”. For a quick snack, pita is a good option - a flatbread stuffed with meat and vegetables.
Portions in Greece are very generous, so take this into account when ordering. Before serving the main courses, the café offers free freshly baked bread and olive oil.
You should definitely try snails (escargot), sartsa (beef with tomatoes, garlic and special sheep cheese ladotiri), pastitsia (lasagna with a Greek accent) or swordfish kebab (xifias souvlaki), white eggplant with grilled octopus.
Greeks love to drink coffee - both hot and cold, with ice. For a large dinner or lunch, people often order retsina (white wine), ouzo (aniseed vodka) or Greek Mythos beer. If you're there, be sure to try kumquat liqueurs, and wine from the Assyrtiko variety.
What to bring
The main Greek souvenir is olives. Butter, soap, pate - what only the Greeks do not make from the fruits of the nurse olive. Olive oil costs about 10 euros per liter.
Sweets take second place in the ranking of Greek souvenirs. Nougat and Turkish delight (2-5 euros per box) here are not at all the same as in. Local honey is especially interesting - a small jar will cost 8-10 euros. Many people bring alcohol from Greece - ouzo, metaxa, rakia, kumquat liqueur.
The famous handmade Greek leather sandals will cost 30-60 euros per pair. You can take measurements and have shoes made exactly to fit your feet for 120-200 euros. In addition to them, you can look for linen clothes with a national pattern - a meander.
Another souvenir from Orthodox Greece is an icon. The faces of saints, made on a cypress board and consecrated in one of the country’s monasteries, will be a wonderful gift for yourself or your believing loved ones.
Prices for souvenirs in Greece depend on the resort and the distance of the retail outlet from the center - the further from the beaten tourist path, the cheaper.
Good to know
- The flight from Moscow to Athens takes 3.5-4 hours. Flight time to Crete or Rhodes is 3-3.5 hours.
- In winter, time in Greece lags behind Moscow by one hour; in summer there is no time difference.
- Restaurants and taverns in Greece are open from 12:00 to 16:00 and from 20:00 to midnight, and some of them serve guests until 2:00 am.
- Greek hotels are not assigned “stars”, but categories: deluxe (5*), A (4*), B (3*) and C (2*).
- In Greece, it is customary to leave a tip of 10-20% of the bill. In places popular with tourists, the surcharge is already included in the bill.
- Museums throughout Greece are free to visit on all Sundays between November 1st and March 31st. On major holidays (both secular and religious), admission to museums is also free.
- Greece has an excellent bus service. Tickets are sold at newsstands or small shops near stops. On the islands you can negotiate and buy a ticket from the driver - but it will cost more. “Vote” - otherwise the bus will not stop.
- Taxis in Greece are not very expensive. The color of the cars is different: in Athens they are yellow, in Thessaloniki they are blue or white, and in Rhodes they are black.
- Only men are allowed to enter Athos. There are no exceptions, even female animals are not allowed on Mount Athos - for more than a thousand years. To get there, men need to apply for a special visa and written permission - diamontirion.
Hellas and Hellenes. The country we call ancient Greece was located in the south of the Balkan Peninsula. Although in ancient times it was never a single state, its inhabitants recognized themselves as a single people and called their country Hellas and themselves Hellenes. They called all foreigners barbarians, and at first this word did not have a contemptuous connotation, as the Greeks designated all those who did not speak their language and muttered something, from their point of view, incomprehensible (from the onomatopoeic “bar-bar” the Greek comes from "barbara", i.e. barbarians).
Main parts of ancient Greece. Ancient Greece was divided into three parts: mainland, island and Asia Minor. Mainland Hellas consisted of Northern, Central and Southern Greece. Northern Greece consists of two regions: Thessaly in the east and Epirus in the west. To the north of Thessaly were Macedonia and Thrace (their population, although related to the Greeks in language and culture, was not Hellenic). On the border of Macedonia and Thessaly is Olympus, the highest mountain in Greece, on the top of which, as the Greeks believed, were the palaces of their gods, led by Zeus, “the father of gods and men.” Illyrian tribes lived north of Epirus.
From Thessaly, through the narrow Thermopylae Gorge, the road led to Central Greece, which also consisted of several regions, the main of which were Attica (its center is Athens) and Boeotia, the largest city of which was Thebes. To the west of Boeotia lay Phokis, on whose territory, in Delphi, there was a temple of Apollo with the oracle of this god. Without the prophecies given by the priestess of Apollo, Pythia, the Greeks did not begin any important business. The rulers of the states neighboring Greece also listened to the oracle of Apollo.
The narrow Isthmus of Corinth (Isthmus) separated Central Greece from Southern or Peloponnese (Peloponnese - “the island of Pelops” - was named after the mythical hero, the grandson of Zeus himself). The most significant regions of the Peloponnese: Laconia, the center of which was the famous Sparta, Argolis with Argos and Elis, where in Olympia there was a temple of Zeus with a statue of this god, which was considered one of the wonders of the world, and the Olympic Games were held every four years in honor of the supreme god of the Hellenes .
Greek Islands and Asia Minor. The insular part of Greece consisted of many large and small islands, almost all of them were in the Aegean Sea. The largest of them is Crete, which seems to close the Aegean Sea from the south. A kind of bridge connecting two continents, Europe and Asia, is the Cyclades archipelago between the south of the Balkans and the west of Asia Minor. The islands of another archipelago, called the Sporades, are scattered along the coast of Asia Minor.
The western coast of Asia Minor was colonized by the Greeks at the end of the 2nd millennium BC, and they lived there until 1922, when after the Greco-Turkish War they were forced to move out of there. Greek Asia Minor was divided into Ionia and Aeolia, located to the north of it. The largest of the Greek cities in Asia Minor was Miletus.
Periods of Greek history. The history of ancient Greece is usually divided into five periods:
- Cretan-Mycenaean (Aegean) - late III-late II millennium BC;
- Homeric - XI-IX centuries. BC.;
- archaic - VIII-VI centuries. BC.;
- classic - 500-323 BC.;
- Hellenistic - 323-30 BC.
Achaean civilization. In the ancient Cretan-Mycenaean period, the first civilizations in Europe dating back to the Bronze Age arose: the Minoan on Crete and, under its influence, somewhat later in the Peloponnese and Central Greece - the Achaean or Mycenaean (after the name of its most famous center, the kingdom of the famous Agamemnon) . The Achaean civilization was the first, created by the Greeks, whom Homer calls the Achaeans or Danaans. She died at the end of the 12th and beginning of the 11th centuries. BC, and Greece found itself thrown back in its development a whole millennium ago.
The Homeric period is so named because for a long time the main source for its study was Homer's poems "Iliad" and "Odyssey". Now the results of archaeological excavations carried out since the second half of the 19th century have become equally important. At this time, Greek society was slowly recovering from the catastrophe of the end of the 2nd millennium BC. and accumulated strength for a powerful leap forward - the creation of a completely different type of civilization, unlike either the Cretan or Mycenaean one. The Iron Age of Hellas begins in the Homeric period.
City-states of Greece. During the archaic period, the formation of polis civilization took place in Greece. A new form of state appeared - the polis, which is usually called the city-state. In total, there were several hundred such states in Hellas, the area of some of them was measured in tens of square kilometers, but, despite their small size, they were completely independent. Polis was a slave state: as you know, the ancient world was a world devoid of machines and full of slaves, the majority of whom were engaged in hard physical labor. At the expense of slaves, free citizens of the policy had free time for the development of physical and spiritual culture, military training, holidays and entertainment.
The free population of the polis consisted of citizens and non-citizens, immigrants from other places and their descendants. Citizens, in turn, were divided into the aristocracy (nobility), which traced their origins to gods and heroes, and demos (farmers, artisans, merchants).
Types of power among the Greeks. Depending on the characteristics of their structure, Greek city policies were divided into democratic, aristocratic and oligarchic. In democratic ones, power belonged to the demos, in aristocratic ones - to the entire nobility, in oligarchic ones - to a narrow circle of people from among the same aristocracy. In any polis there was a people's assembly, a council and elected officials, but in a democratic one all important issues were decided by the people's assembly, in which all citizens participated, while in an aristocratic or oligarchic it existed only for show and met rarely, only to approve what it had already been decided by those who held power. An example of a democratic polis was Athens, an aristocratic one, which later degenerated into an oligarchic one - Sparta.
Greek warriors. The armed forces of the polis consisted of the militia of all citizens. They bought weapons with their own money, so the richest served in the cavalry (maintaining a horse was very expensive), the wealthy - in the heavily armed infantry, the poor made up the light infantry and ship crews (the ships themselves were built either at the expense of the state or on its instructions by the rich, whom were appointed captains of the ships they built).
Aristocrats and oligarchs did not trust their own fellow citizens, so they preferred to rely not on them, but on mercenary warriors who offered their services to the highest bidder. But it also happened that one of the aristocrats, planning to seize power, bribed mercenaries, with their help destroyed or expelled his opponents and became a tyrant - that’s what the Greeks called someone who established sole power illegally. There was a time when tyrants ruled in many Greek cities, but by the end of the archaic period, tyranny was destroyed everywhere, only to be reborn in a different environment many decades later.
The fourth (classical) period begins with the clash of the Greek city-states with the powerful Persian power (Greco-Persian wars), and ends with the conquests of Alexander the Great, who destroyed this power.
Persian kingdom. It was ruled by the Achaemenid dynasty from the time of its emergence until its death, and the state itself extended from India to the Aegean Sea. King Darius divided it into regions - satrapies, each of which was headed by a satrap. The population of each satrapy had to pay taxes and, by order of the king, appear in the army. Thus, the Persian army was a huge number of warriors with different weapons, different styles of fighting, and speaking different languages. It was very difficult to control such an army. The Persians did not have their own fleet; the Phoenicians, Egyptians and Ionian Greeks supplied them with ships.
Elinistic period. The last period of the history of ancient Greece is called Hellenistic, it lasted from the death of Alexander the Great until the Roman conquest of Egypt. At this time, both the Greek city-states and the former Achaemenid power became part of the new states founded by Alexander's generals, who, many years after his death, proclaimed themselves kings. One of the famous Hellenistic kings was Pyrrhus, whom the Romans had to meet on the battlefield.
How do we know about the wars and battles of the ancient Greeks? We know about the battles of the Greco-Persian wars mainly from Herodotus’s work “History”. The information reported by Herodotus is supplemented and enlivened by Plutarch, who lived many centuries later. His “Comparative Lives” represent several dozen biographies of famous Greeks and Romans and are therefore an important source on the history of not only ancient Greece, but also Rome.
Battles of the first half of the 4th century. BC. described by their contemporary, the Athenian writer and historian Xenophon and Plutarch, already known to us. On the history of the campaigns of Alexander the Great, in addition to the biographies of the great Macedonian and his contemporaries, ancient historians who already lived in Roman times, Arrian and Quintus Curtius Rufus, created special works that have survived to this day and were translated into Russian. Much interesting information about the Greek struggle for freedom against Macedonia is contained in the speeches of Demosthenes.
Greece has always been attractive to tourists, because the weather in this fabulous place is always pleasant for relaxation.
Thanks to the unique climate, winters here are mild and rainy, and summers are always hot and sunny.
If you want to get a golden-bronze tan and soak up the warm sea, then your month is August!
Climate in Greece
There are such Greek climates as: temperate climate, Mediterranean and Alpine. Everyone.
The islands are usually sultry, but the heat is easier to bear: this is facilitated by the fresh breeze that blows from the sea.
Around the same time as the swimming season, the tourist season begins, from mid-May, and lasts until the end of October.
The high season occurs at the end of summer, when temperatures reach a maximum and the weather promises to be clear, with minimal chance of rain.
Air temperature
During daylight hours in August it is usually +35 °C in the shade, but often the thermometer rises to forty-five degrees above zero.
At night, the temperature drops to more comfortable levels (+23 °C), which promotes nightlife.
The sun in August is quite dangerous, and you should sunbathe with extreme caution, avoiding being under the scorching sun during lunch hours (from 11.00 to 15.00), otherwise there is a risk, in addition to pleasant impressions, of earning yourself extremely unpleasant burns.
The average monthly air temperature in August in the Peloponnese and Ionia is +33 °C, in Central Greece and Thessaly it is slightly lower, about +28 °C.
In Eastern Macedonia and Thrace, on average the air warms up to +32-33 °C, and in Epirus and Western Macedonia it is about +33 °C.
Water temperature in August
Greece is washed by the Mediterranean Sea in the south and southwest, and the Ionian Sea in the west.
The northern regions of the country, as well as the east of Greece, are washed by the waters of the Aegean Sea.
And the southern coast of Crete faces the Libyan Sea. Resorts such as Kolymbia and Faliraki on the island have the warmest sea water. Rhodes.
Rhodes is washed by two completely different seas: the calm Mediterranean Sea with sandy beaches and the choppy Aegean Sea, ideal for windsurfers.
In other resorts in the country, the water warms up to a temperature of +25-27 °C.
When is it better to go: early or late August?
The second half of summer in Greece experiences the hottest weather.
In the second half of August, closer to the velvet season for tourists, the temperature during the day becomes more moderate, and at night it is still warm.
At the end of summer, the hot August weather is quite easily tolerated, especially on the islands.
However, those who cannot tolerate elevated temperatures are advised to reschedule their trip to Greece until early autumn.
Weather in August in Corfu
One of the most famous islands of Greece and the most beautiful Corfu, or Kerkyra (as the Greeks call it), attracts tourists with its clear water and exotic beaches.
Read also: Weather in July in Crete - a great mood and an unforgettable vacation are guaranteed
This island ranks second in size. It is rich in olive groves that provide shelter from the sun in the heat, orange orchards and incomparable wine that can satisfy the most sophisticated connoisseurs of this drink.
The weather in August is favorable for holidays on the islands, and in Corfu during the lunchtime heat you can hide in the shade of olive trees.
It is quite hot in August - about +31 °С, although at lunchtime the thermometer can show up to +35 °С in the shadow. At night it gets a little cooler - +23 °С.
Water temperature on the island. Corfu in August of this year was on average +26 °C, and the range of water temperature changes was from +25 °С before +27 °С. August in Corfu is characterized by dry and calm, windless weather.
Weather and water temperature in Crete
The island of Crete is the largest Greek island.
Washed by three seas, it is considered to have the most beautiful sandy beaches. Mountains, old towns, picturesque landscapes and unique historical monuments are what attract tourists to visit Crete.
Crete has a special climate. During the day it is quite warm - about 29 degrees Celsius; at lunchtime the air can warm up to +38 ° C. At night the temperature averages +23 °C.
The water, of course, is warm: +27 °C, you can swim in the sea for hours. However, from mid-July until about the 20th of August, a special phenomenon is observed in Crete.
During this period, winds called Meltemi blow from the Aegean Sea. They come from the north, raising waves and carrying away beach umbrellas.
It is worth noting that the sea remains clean, and the island itself cools down a little, creating more comfortable conditions for relaxation in the August heat.
It is thanks to Meltemi that in August the heat in Crete is much easier to bear than in mainland Greece.
However, you should not be afraid of such a phenomenon: winds can come at other times, and no serious storms caused by winds have been observed in Crete.
Weather in August in Halkidiki
The Chalkidiki peninsula attracts both sunbathers, Orthodox pilgrims and lovers of myths and legends.
It is believed that the trident-shaped peninsula arose at the exact spot where Poseidon lost his trident.
The peninsula juts out into the Aegean Sea with three “fingers”: the peninsulas of Athos, Sithonia and Kassandra.
Halkidiki is considered the best resort in Greece: 500 km of coastline consists almost entirely of bays with clear sea water, picturesque coves and snow-white sandy beaches, many of which are awarded the Blue Flag of the European Union for the ecology and cleanliness maintained in this region.
The weather in August is dry and clear, with sunny days and low rainfall. At the beginning of August, the air is no cooler than in July, and begins to decrease only closer to the velvet season - the end of August.
During the day here about +30 °С on average, although it can rise to +35 °С. At night it usually happens around +23 °C.
The average water temperature is +26 °С, which provides an excellent beach holiday and many hours of swimming in the gentle sea. The probability of precipitation is lowest in August, making it the driest month of the year in Halkidiki.
