Ancient Greece
By Gwendolyn Rojas P3 S.S
Government
The Greeks had many different governments, because there were many city-states in ancient Greece, and they each had their own government. The two most powerful city-states were Sparta and Athens. The two governments were very different from each other. Sparta government members came from the aristocratic social class, and it was ruled as an oligarchy (power of the few). Sparta was also a warrior state. Spartans trained harsh military skills. Athens was democratic and run by it's citizens , even boy citizens could participate in assembly and law courts. All city-states had very different governments; in effect, many of the wars in Ancient Greece were started over differences in the city-state governments.
Food
The Greek diet consisted of foods that were easily raised in the fields and other terrains of Greeceās landscape. Breakfast was eaten just after sunrise and just consisted of bread dipped in wine.
Lunch was bread dipped in wine but with nuts and fruit and cheese or dried fish.
Dinner was the main meal of the day , the Greeks ate vegetables , fruit , fish and honeycakes. Sugar was not known to the Greeks so they used honey as a natural sweetener.
The main drink that everybody drank was wine, it was watered down because it was considered barbaric not to. Water was also something else they could drink , and milk was rarely drunk because it was also considered barbaric. Fish was the main source of protein in their diet; beef was expensive, so rarely was it ate.
Lunch was bread dipped in wine but with nuts and fruit and cheese or dried fish.
Dinner was the main meal of the day , the Greeks ate vegetables , fruit , fish and honeycakes. Sugar was not known to the Greeks so they used honey as a natural sweetener.
The main drink that everybody drank was wine, it was watered down because it was considered barbaric not to. Water was also something else they could drink , and milk was rarely drunk because it was also considered barbaric. Fish was the main source of protein in their diet; beef was expensive, so rarely was it ate.
Philososphy
Some of the most important Greek philosophers were Plato, Aristotle , Pythagoras and Sokrates. Plato's philosophies are still taught today. He has influenced many people on how they think abut politics. He also founded a school in Athens ,which was the first university! Aristotle was a pupil of Plato , the teacher of one of the greatest war leaders - Alexander the great - , and like Plato his philosophies are still known today. These philosophies are mostly used by scientists . Aristotle's philosophies were about ethics,animals,the human mind/body and politics. Pythagoras made important discoveries in music and math. For example he used math to explain music notes; he's even named after a formula! Once he set up his religious society in Italy , that's when he got into philosophy. He believed that leading good and pure lives would help his followers to live forever. So that is what he taught. Sokrates had a big influence in the Athenian society and philosophers today. He showed his point of view differently than other philosophers. He would question random people around him - being careful about what he said- to show them the ethics, or what they were missing from their thinking. Socrates was prosecuted because he " corrupted the young "; meaning that what he was teaching in his philosophies to the young things that was not believed , agreed with or was thought to be incorrect by society.
Plato
Aristotle
Pythagoras
Sokrates
Literature
The genres of plays in ancient Greece are in some ways like the ones we have today. Comedy , drama , tragedy , fables , myths , satyr ( no one really knows much about it ) were all kinds of genres of writing ancient Greece. Homer wrote two of the most important works of Greek literature. He wrote about a man his ship crew traveling back to their homeland after the trojan war. Some of his works have been made into movies too! Many of the Greek playwrights have written many, many stories. This impact other people today because it gives us an idea of what genres are and how we think; we also got information on society around them and learned more about their culture.
Art
One of the Seven Wonders Of The World - which is a statue of Zeus - is located in Greece. It is made by Pheidias who was one of the greatest sculptors in Greece. He became well-known because of this and was offered jobs like overseeing the sculptures of the parthenon. Most of the art created by the Greeks were made out of stone and were sculptures. A lot of the art the Greeks made was of the gods and goddesses because of how much they worshipped them.
Slavery
Slavery was common in ancient Greece. Families that had slaves had them do household chores, take care of children, go shopping for things that were needed and sometimes teach children skills like reading and writing. But all city-states were different and not all the time did the slaves belong to the families , but they belonged to the city. In Athens if babies were not wanted , they were set on the houses doorstep and sometimes people would take them and turn them into slaves. Women that were slaves would sometimes have to breast feed their employers children.
Music & Entertainment
The ancient Greeks were music lovers. As part of their educstion children lesrned to plsy sn instrument. Music was part of their daily lives , it was in public meetings , ceremonies , festivals , the theater , sport events and even during war! A form of entertainment men enjoyed was called a symposium. Women were not allowed unless they were playing music or dancing. A game called 'knucklebones' ( which is now called the game 'jacks' ) was often played by children and adults. To play you would throw a 'jack' in the air and while it was in the air you would pick up as many knuckle bones as you could.