A Brief Introduction to Ancient Greece. Interesting facts about Greece for kids
From about 7000 B.C. Greece was inhabited by Stone Age people.
Around 2500 BC on the island of Crete, a fairly developed society was formed, known as the Minoan civilization. Around 1850 B.C. the inhabitants invented a form of writing using hieroglyphs.
The Minoans lived during the Bronze Age. They made tools and weapons from bronze. The peak of the greatest prosperity of civilization was from 1700 BC. before 1500 BC However, the Minoan culture declined after 1450 BC. We don't know why, but they may have been conquered by the Mycenaeans from mainland Greece.
Most of the Minoans lived in small villages and made their living from agriculture. They grew wheat, barley, grapes and olives. They kept goats, cattle, sheep and pigs. Minoan farmers had to give part of their crops to the ruler as a tax.
The Minoans were also engaged in trade. They traded with Sicily, Cyprus, Egypt and other parts of the Middle East. The Minoans exported wine, olive oil, timber, and pottery. (Minoan potters made very fine pottery called "Kamares"). They also exported jewelry and weapons. Traders imported lead, copper, obsidian and ivory.
Each Minoan palace was surrounded by a large, unfortified city. The fact that the cities were unfortified suggests that life in ancient Crete was peaceful. Perhaps the fact that the Minoans had a large and powerful fleet ensured their safety.
Around 1600 BC civilization spread to the Greek mainland. This early Greek civilization is called Mycenae because of the name of the city of Mycenae, which was found by the great German archaeologist Schliemann. Mycenae lived in cities. Their palaces were fortified and life was less peaceful than in Crete. The Mycenae were also great traders. However, after 1200 BC. Mycenaean civilization went into decline, and by 1100 BC. Greece has entered a dark age. 
- At that time, a people called Dorians conquered the Mycenaean cities. Around 800 B.C., a new civilization arose in Greece, settling in cities such as Athens and Sparta. In 490 B.C. Persian king Darius led an army to Greece, but was defeated at the Battle of Marathon. In 480, the next Persian king, Xerxes, again invaded Greece, but he was completely defeated in a naval battle at Salamis. The following year, the Greeks were victorious at the Battle of Plataea.
- In 477 B.C. Athens formed a union of Greek cities. However, Athens came into conflict with Sparta. It was called the Peloponnesian War and it ended in a Spartan victory.
Meanwhile, Macedonian strength was growing in the north. In 338 BC. Philip of Macedon defeated the alliance of the Greeks. He was killed in 336 BC, but his son Alexander controlled Greece.
In the 5th and 4th century BC. Greece was distinguished by architecture, sculpture and literature. They also produced some of the world's greatest philosophers and mathematicians. They also gave us Olympic Games. - Alexander the Great led an army into what is now Turkey in 334 BC. He crushed the Persians at the Battle of Issus in 333 BC. and conquered a huge empire that stretched from Egypt to India. However, Alexander died in 323 BC and his empire collapsed. Nevertheless, Greek culture spread throughout the Middle East.
After the death of Alexander, the Greek cities became independent again. However, this did not last long. In 168 BC. The Romans defeated Macedonia. In 86 BC they captured Athens. Greece became a province of the Roman Empire. However, under Roman rule, Greece prospered. During this era, Greece adopted Christianity. - In 395, the Roman Empire split into east and west. The Eastern Roman Empire became Byzantium, with Constantinople as its capital.
- Byzantine and Ottoman Greece.
- The great emperor Justinian ruled from 527 to 565. AD Greek cities became stronger and more independent during this time.
- Justinian was famous for construction. His the greatest building was the Church of Hagia Sophia in Constantinople, which was built between 532 and 538. In addition to architecture, Byzantine Empire other arts also flourished. The Byzantines produced frescoes, decorations and manuscripts.
- Meanwhile, during the reign of Heraclius (610-641), the connection with Western Europe weakened, and the Greek language finally became the official language of the Byzantine Empire. In 1054 Eastern Orthodox Church formally separated from the Western Church.
In 1204, the crusaders captured Constantinople. However, some parts of the Byzantine Empire remained independent and were ruled by emperors. Gradually the emperors regained the territory, and in 1261 they regained Constantinople. Nevertheless, the Byzantine Empire never recovered.
From the end of the 13th century, Byzantium was threatened by the Turks. They gradually gained strength, while Byzantium, on the contrary, was weakened. Constantinople was finally captured in 1453, and the life of the Byzantine Empire came to an end.
From the 15th century until the beginning of the 19th century, Greece was under the control of the Turks. The Turkish empire reached its peak in the 16th century. However, from the end of the 17th century, it slowly became weaker, and at the end of the 18th century, Greece became relatively independent.
Modern Greece
Britain, France and Russia decided that Greece should be a monarchy and they sent Prince Otto from Bavaria. He became King of Greece in 1833. In 1863 he was replaced by a Dane who became King George I. In 1893 the Corinth Canal opened between the Ionian and Aegean Seas. In 1896 the Olympic Games were revived.
- Meanwhile, at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th, many Greeks emigrated to the United States.
- In 1912, Greece, with its allies Bulgaria and Serbia, fought against Turkey. Greece and Serbia then went to war with Bulgaria in 1913.
- When did the first World War in 1914, Greece initially remained neutral, but in 1917 it joined the Allies. In 1922, the Greeks captured Smyrna (now Izmir) in Turkey. Greece and Turkey made peace with the Treaty of Lausanne in 1923. However, after that there was a huge population exchange with hundreds of thousands of Turks leaving Greece and over a million Greeks leaving Turkey.
- Greece became a republic in 1924, but the monarchy was restored in 1935. Then in 1936 Prime Minister Metaxas became the dictator of Greece.
On October 28, 1940, the Italians invaded Greece but were quickly pushed back into Albania. Metaxa refused to allow British troops to land in Greece for fear of provoking Germany to invade, but he died in January 1941, a decision that was reversed by his successor. The Germans invaded Greece on April 6, 1941. They captured Athens on 23 April. Greece was then occupied by the Germans and Italians. However, communists and non-communists formed resistance groups. The Germans withdrew from Greece in October 1944, and on October 18 the Greek government returned to Athens.
However, at the end of 1944 skirmishes broke out between communists and non-communists in Greece.
Elections were held in 1952, and Greece prospered in the 1950s and 1960s. However, in 1967 the army staged a coup and imposed a military dictatorship. The army held power in Greece until 1974, when democracy was restored.
In 1981 Greece joined the EU. In 2009, Greece entered a severe economic crisis. By 2012, unemployment in Greece had risen to 25% and there is no sign of improvement. Youth unemployment in Greece has reached a terrible figure of 55%.
Today the population of Greece is 10.7 million people.
The history of Greek civilizations begins in Crete around 6000 BC. during the Neolithic period. Profitable geographical position at the crossroads sea routes, force, religion and law served as the basis for the development of trade and the creation of a civilization that still amazes us with its grace and power. And a woman does not occupy such a high position as in Crete 4 thousand years ago to this day. It was the feminine principle that ensured the growth and prosperity of the culture of Crete in the Minoan era, in contrast to subsequent patriarchal civilizations.
Life on the mainland during this period was less developed than in Crete. The centers of culture were Mycenae and Tiryns, located in the Peloponnese. They largely copied the achievements of the Minoan Crete.
In the Bronze Age (3000-1200 BC), powerful Cycladic, Minoan and Mycenaean civilizations developed. Cretan culture dominated for almost a millennium and a half, until in 1500 BC. primacy did not pass to the Mycenaean culture. Around 1400 BC northern Achaean tribes came to the Peloponnese and assimilated with the local Mycenaean population. Who and where they were from is not known for certain. But historians unanimously come to the conclusion that it was the Achaeans who brought with them the cult of the Olympian Gods and elements of a new culture. As a result, Mycenae strengthened its position and became the leading power in the entire Mediterranean. This legendary period is called the Heroic Age, which has come down to us through the Homeric poems and numerous myths about the semi-divine heroes Hercules, Theseus, Jason and others. The culmination of the history of Achaean Greece is the Trojan War. Homer describes the battle scenes, the characters and feelings of his heroes with brilliant accuracy.
In the XI century BC. the Minoan and Mycenaean, as well as the Cretan civilizations suddenly ceased to exist due to changing trade needs and the invasion of the Dorians from the north, according to one version. According to another, these great cultures perished or were fatally weakened in a geological cataclysm, which, with gigantic waves and powerful earthquakes, overnight destroyed all their achievements and claimed millions of lives. After that, "dark times" reigned over the Mediterranean for almost four centuries. This troubled period in the history of Greece is called Homeric. Despite the fact that by the beginning of the tenth century BC. the country degraded catastrophically, gradually the culture began to develop, synthesizing a new civilization from the remnants of the Cretan, Mycenaean, Achaean, Asian and the rudiments of the Dorian cultures. Almost completely lost by the beginning of the 9th BC, the Greek language is being revived and formed, a new worldview of the Greeks is being created, including all the variety of religious ideas reflected in myths, cults and mysteries. During this period, Homer created his immortal poems about the legendary era, filled with the spirit of his time.
Then, around 800. BC, a cultural and political revival began in Greece and city-states began to be created, the most powerful of which were Athens and Sparta. The policy is being formed as an institution of the power of free citizens. Greater Greece was formed, including southern Italy. A striking example of this time is the Peloponnesian Union, led by Sparta. Everyone knows the strict laws of Spartan life, which ensured her a leading position among the city-states. Also great importance for the democracy and flourishing of Athens (and all of Greece) in the following era, had the laws of Solon, fixed through the dictatorship of Peisistratus and continued during the democratic reign of Cleisthenes.
After that, an era of prosperity began, the so-called classical (golden) era. The Classic period begins with a war with the Persians in 500 BC. This war lasted over 20 years. Greece managed to win the final victory thanks to Athens, who created a maritime alliance and led the fight against the Persians. Gradually, from an equal maritime union, it turned into an instrument for the rise of Athens, which allowed the Athenians to use significant resources to create impressive masterpieces. It was the time when Pericles created the Parthenon, Sophocles wrote Oedipus Rex, Socrates taught the young Athenians the logic and traditions of democracy. Freedom coexisted with tyranny, democratic ideals collided with corruption, the art of persuasion and inducement developed. In a word, it was the "Golden Age" of Athens.
Naturally, such a strong power did not suit Sparta, and in 431 BC. The Peloponnesian War broke out, ending only 27 years later with the victory of Sparta and the overthrow of Athens. Fully occupied with the Peloponnesian wars, the Spartans did not attach any importance to the growing power of Philip of Macedon, who easily defeated the war-weary city-states. The main prerequisites for the creation of the empire of Alexander the Great were made by his father, Philip II, who was a wise politician and far-sighted reformer. Against the backdrop of general instability, Macedonia was distinguished by a high level of economic development, technology and military affairs. In 337 BC Greece was united under Macedonian rule. After the assassination of Philip II, his son Alexander took his place, leading a victorious war against the Persians and creating a new empire within 9 years. He traveled to the Himalayas and reached the banks of the Ganges. Alexander the Great multiplied his father's achievements and captured Asia Minor, Egypt, Persia and the territories of present-day Afghanistan and India. The power of the Macedonian Empire, which changed three dynasties after the death of the 33-year-old Alexander, is known as the Hellenistic era, when, thanks to the combination of Greek ideas and culture with other ancient cultures, a new civilization was formed.
However, internecine conflicts continued. Just as the Russian princes used the Horde as military force in their internecine wars, the Greek cities turned to the Roman legionnaires for help. For which they paid with freedom. From 205 BC Roman attacks on Greece began. Before the Roman aggressor, Macedonia and Greece were the first to fall in 148 BC. The longest - until 30 BC. The Ptolemaic kingdom existed in Egypt. However, the Romans became the successors of Greek culture and brought it to modern world. The traditions of art, literature and philosophy of the Roman Empire were based on the values of enslaved Greece. Largely thanks to Roman copies, we can get acquainted with the brightest examples of the work of Greek masters. Elements of Roman architecture repeat the traditions of the Greek masters of antiquity.
The Roman Empire fell, destroyed from within by wealth, idleness and self-interest. The final division of the Roman Empire into two components: Western and Eastern (Byzantine) was approved by Theodosius the Great, distributing it among his sons in 395 AD. Until the collapse of the Empire, Greece was a province of the Primate, then it ceded to the Byzantine Empire with the same rights and was part of it until the 13th century. The Byzantine period is characterized by the formation of Christian traditions. Churches and monasteries are being built all over the country. The empire reaches its heyday under Justinian I, who created a code of laws, in which the union of church and secular power was fixed. In the same period, Byzantium becomes the most powerful power in the entire Mediterranean, spreading its influence from the Arab east to the Slavic north. But already in the XII century, which was the heyday of the crusades, the power of Byzantium was significantly weakened due to attacks from the Venetians, Catalans, Genoese, Franks, Normans. The Byzantine Empire suffered its first defeat from the Crusader Knights in 1204. The participants of the 4th Crusade briefly founded the Latin Empire on its territory. Greece was divided into several counties, the most powerful of which was Athens. Half a century later, the Byzantine emperors regained Constantinople.
Then a new powerful force enters the historical stage - the Ottoman Empire. In 1453, the Turks took the Byzantine capital, and by 1500, virtually the entire territory of Greece was under Turkish control. And two hundred years later, the Turks expelled the Venetians from the few trading centers left behind by the Christians. In 1669, the island of Crete was annexed to the Ottoman Empire, and until the 19th century, Greece was part of it. During this period, the country actually became a backward province again, as merchants, intellectuals, and artists left for Central Europe. At this time, only the traditional way of life and Orthodoxy helped to preserve the national spirit. Turkish rule is one of the blackest pages in the history of Greece. And although the Turks left the Greeks freedom of religion, the Greeks constantly fought for their liberation.
A cultural renaissance at the end of the 18th century set the stage for the outbreak of the War of Independence from Turkey (1821-1832), in which the Greeks were supported by Byron, Shelley and Goethe. In 1821, the first phase of the war began, with the Greeks fighting almost without anyone's help. However, the independence movement lacked integrity, and in 1827 Russia, France and Great Britain decided to invade. The war ended in 1829 with the proclamation of the Kingdom of Greece. After Greece gained independence, the European powers decided to establish a monarchy here and, in order to avoid a power struggle on the part of Greek influential people, they appointed Otto of Bavaria as king in 1833. The monarchy with numerous kings at the head of the country lasted until the middle of the 20th century, despite the discontent of the population. In 1864, under George I, a new constitution was adopted, which established democracy in the country and the role of the king became formal.
IN late XIX century Greece fought several wars for territory, as a result of which Turkey lost Macedonia and Crete, which were still under its rule. At the beginning of the 20th century, the countries of the Balkan Peninsula waged the so-called Balkan Wars, they ended almost on the eve of the First World War (and as a result of these wars, Greece also increased its territory). After its completion, a strong anti-monarchist movement arose in the country, and in 1924 Greece was proclaimed a republic, but in 1935 the monarchy was again restored. During World War I, Greek troops fought on the side of the Allies and occupied Thrace. After the war, Prime Minister Venizelos sent troops to Turkey with the aim of "liberating" the Turkish territory of Smyrna (present-day Izmir), where many Greeks lived. The aggression was stopped by Atatürk's troops and many Greek soldiers died.
In 1923, mutual repatriation took place between the countries, which led to an increase in the population (1.3 million Christian refugees), which significantly complicated the weak economy. Outside urban centers, poor villages appeared, refugee unions began to form, and by 1936 the Communist Party had widespread support. In the same year, the king appointed General Metaxis as prime minister, who immediately established a dictatorship in the image of the fascist. Although Metaxis created a Greek version of the Third Reich, he did not find common ground with the German and Italian leadership and did not allow Italian troops to enter the country in 1940. Despite help from the allies, in 1941 Germany occupied Greece, and bloody battles and famine began. Resistance movements emerged, which later evolved into royal and communist factions. As a result, bloody Civil War, which lasted until 1949, which ended with the victory of the royal faction. During this war, the United States, under the influence of Truman's ideas, gave huge sums of money to the anti-communist government and even introduced the "Certificate of Political Reliability", which was valid until 1962. This document confirmed that its owner does not adhere to leftist views; without this document, the Greeks had no right to vote and practically could not get a job.
Fearing a resurgence of left-wing parties, a group of army colonels staged a military coup in 1967. Andreas Papandreou said of it this way: "This is the first successful military putsch carried out by the CIA on the European continent." The military coup led to repression and political incompetence. In 1974, the colonels attempted to assassinate the first president of independent Cyprus, Archbishop Makarios, which led to the Turkish invasion of the island and the occupation of northern Cyprus. Until now, relations with Turkey remain tense, and the fact of occupation is a sore point for the Greeks.
After a powerful student demonstration in the fall of 1973, repression intensified, but in July 1974 the junta was removed from power. In December of the same year, a referendum was organized with the aim of re-restoring the monarchy, but with a negative result. In 1981 Greece joined the European Community and Andreas Papandreou's Socialist Party (PASOK) won the elections. PASOK promised to reduce the number of American air force bases in the country and refuse to join NATO, but these promises were not kept. But the dowry system was abolished and abortion was legalized. As a result, after numerous scandals, Papandreou and his supporters were replaced in 1989 by a coalition of conservatives and communists.
In the 1990 elections, the Conservatives won only 2 more seats in the government. In an attempt to improve the economic situation in the country, the government took harsh measures, which caused discontent among citizens. In 1993, general elections were held, as a result of which the old sick Papandreou and PASOK returned to power. Kostas Simitis was appointed prime minister in early 1996 when it became clear that Papandreou would not last long (he died in mid-1996). Simitris narrowly won the election in April 2000, receiving only one percent more than his competitors. With a new mandate, he promised to improve relations with Turkey and implement economic reforms that should secure a place for Greece in the European Monetary Union. Greece joined the European Union in early 2001 and adopted the euro in 2002. In 2004, the Olympic Games were again held in Athens.
Briefly about Greece:
Capital - Athens
Area - 131,940 km 2 (95th place in the world).
The official language is Greek.
Currency - euro.
Public holiday - March 25 (Independence Day).
Greek civilization is one of the oldest in the world, so caring parents will definitely want to introduce their kids to this beautiful country. Can help with this Interesting Facts about Greece for kids:
1. Myths and legends were born in Greece, revealing to you the fabulous world of ancient monsters, gods and fabulous plants. The descriptions of the exploits of the ancient heroes are so interesting that it is difficult to imagine the measured life of the simple ancient Greek people, who had their own daily worries.
2. Beautiful city Rhodes is the capital of the Greek island of the same name, the most popular among tourists. This city once housed one of the seven ancient wonders of the world - the huge Colossus of Rhodes. By the way, the word "colossal" known to us appeared due to the size of this statue.
3. Greece has the largest number of wildlife species in Europe. It is home to 107 different fish species, 240 bird species, 116 mammal species, and 18 amphibian species.
4. Did you know that Greece is considered the birthplace of mathematics, since it was the Greeks who first began to teach it? All the works written by the first Greek mathematicians: Archimedes, Euclid, Pythagoras and Apollo became the basis of school textbooks.
5. Imagine, there are seven seas in Greece: Aegean, Ionian, Mediterranean, Myrtoic, Thracian, Libyan and Cretan. The water is so clear that you can see all the fish swimming past your feet. Be careful, these fry can pinch a lot.
6. On Greek roads, you should be extremely careful, as the Greeks are constantly in a hurry somewhere. Yes, and pedestrians constantly cross the road in the wrong place, not paying attention to the red light of the traffic light.
7. Schoolchildren in Greece learn three languages: Greek, English and any European, so all adults here speak English. The level of knowledge of the language is different for everyone, but even in the most distant villages there are courses in English for those who want to raise it.
8. Greeks (both men and women) usually greet each other by kissing each other on each cheek. It would seem that such a greeting should be common among good friends or relatives, but people in Greece are so friendly that when they see you even for the second time in their lives, they will consider you their friend. Therefore, it is necessary, greeting, to kiss.
9. Do you know that the most beloved dance in Greece - zeibekiko - is called the dance of a drunken sailor? It is always danced by one person, and the spectators standing around him clap their hands. And so everyone dances in turn: those who are tired become in a circle, and the audience goes to dance. At the same time, sirtaki, which we consider to be a primordially Greek dance, was first seen in 1964 in the movie "Greek Zobra". It was invented specifically for filming, but quickly became popular in Greece.
10. If you saw that the Greek clicked his tongue and made a movement with his head up, then this means that he said "no." This is such an interesting feature.
11. If you are in Greece and are sick, then you can not be afraid of injections: they are almost never given here, and they are treated only with pills. In almost every Greek area you can find a doctor or a private clinic, as the Greeks pay great attention medicine.
12. Back in 1812, Greece started a war with Ottoman Empire Now it's Turkey. The reason for the hostilities was the desire of the Greeks to be independent. When the Turks surrounded Parthenon and in the absence of bullets, they began to destroy the Greek columns with lead rods, the Greeks themselves began to send them cartridges so that the ancient buildings and monuments in the area would remain intact.
13. The Greeks have long been famous for their sweets and culinary masterpieces: various pastries and cakes with honey, ice cream, oriental delicacies - everything is always fresh, tasty and inexpensive. You went to the cafe - they will immediately bring you a glass of cool water. And they will always bring it, even when you do not ask for it.
14. If you come to a cafe for dinner, then do not order dessert - they can bring it for free!
15. In Greece, special attention is paid to family ties. If you see about 250 people celebrating something, don't be surprised - this is a big and friendly Greek family.
About 10,000 years have passed since the Mesolithic people - no doubt natives of Asia Minor - set sail on the Aegean. In those days, it was much easier to travel by water than by land.
Starting from 3200 BC. Cycladic civilization developed on the islands, represented by marble statues found in necropolises. In addition to cattle breeding, the inhabitants of the Cyclades were engaged in the cultivation of wheat, grapes and the collection of olives. The heyday of this civilization falls on the III millennium BC, the Bronze Age, when cities are strengthened and trade relations are established with Egyptian and Phoenician ports.
About the Minoan Civilization
In the last third of the III millennium BC. The Minoan civilization in Crete is experiencing an unprecedented flourishing. The fertile lands of the island and its isolation contribute to the formation of a hierarchical society, concentrated in large cities, famous for their "bohemian" way of life. There is trade with Egypt, Cyprus, Greece, the Middle East and Asia Minor. Information about these transactions has come down to us thanks to clay tablets covered with hieroglyphs (Linear A), which have not yet been fully deciphered.
Over time, new colonies arose in southern Greece and the islands of the Aegean Sea. Thus, a new culture was born, combining the achievements of the Cyclades and Crete. Around 1700 B.C. the palaces were destroyed by a violent earthquake; their restoration marked the beginning of the brief golden age of Minoan culture. Later, by 1450 BC, it loses its significance. For a long time, there was an opinion among scientists that the cause was a volcanic eruption that destroyed all life on Santorini.
Even though it is not possible to say with certainty whether the tsunami caused by the volcanic eruption really destroyed the Cretan cities, it is likely that it caused irreparable damage to maritime trade and caused irreversible climatic changes that contributed to the decline of the Minoan civilization. It is also possible that she became a victim of a foreign invasion: the island, left without fortifications, could not defend itself from enemies.
Mycenaean civilization
While the Cyclades and Crete were experiencing their golden age of urban flourishing, mainland Greece was filled with waves of migration from Central Europe: Achaeans, Ionians, and Aeolians. As a result of the assimilation of these first Greeks (proto-Greeks) with the local population, starting from 1650 BC. one of the most outstanding civilizations in the history of mankind is born - Mycenaean. Fortified citadels are built in Argolis (Peloponnese). War remains the main occupation. Far from the eyes and ears of the people, as the tragedies tell, court intrigues and a struggle for power are being waged, resulting in bloody feuds and fratricide. Despite the fragmentation, by 1400 BC. Mycenae become an undeniable force in Mediterranean Greece and the Aegean - and take part in the Trojan War. Their triumph, however, did not last long. By the XII century BC. they were presumably absorbed by another people who flooded Greece from the north, the Dorians. Perhaps the reason for this was social upheaval.
Greek Middle Ages
This little-known period, often referred to as the Dark Ages, lasted until the end of the 9th century BC. Among the few objects of this era found during excavations, there are often vases painted with concentric lines. For this reason, that time is sometimes called geometric.
Later, gigantic migrations of the population from one coast of the Aegean to the other take place. The invaders push back the Ionians to the borders of Asia Minor, where, under the auspices of the tyrants, the first city-states arise: Miletus, Ephesus and Phoenicia. Ionia, the birthplace of the first Greek scientists, poets and philosophers, will soon give the world Homer and his famous epic poems (the creation of the Iliad and Odyssey date back to the 8th century BC), large marble statues of kouros (boys) and kors (girls).
City-state rule
The formation of Greek civilization begins after the first Olympic Games (776 BC), simultaneously with the strengthening of maritime trade and colonial expansion. The first settlers, presumably, were Ionians from Miletus, who in 756 BC. they found Cyzicus in the Sea of Marmara, a little later the Euboeans settled in southern Italy. Very soon the Greeks establish control over all the surrounding territories. From the 7th century BC. Miletus owns four ports, 200 ships and 24 colonies stretching from the Black Sea coast to Egypt. The Phoenicians found Marseille, conquer Etruria, Sardinia, Corsica and the Iberian coast. The Corinthians and Athenians do not lag behind, as, indeed, other peoples of archaic Greece that began to change rapidly. Incomes are so high that the region of Caria becomes home to two fabulous fortunes: Midas, king of Phrygia, and Croesus, king of Lydia. During the 7th century BC. sanctuaries are being built at Delphi and on the island of Delos.
Golden Age of Athens
Gradually, the center of Greece is transferred to the mainland, where completely dissimilar big cities: warlike Sparta, commercial Corinth, intellectual Athens. In political terms, the kingdoms here give way to a regime of military oligarchy, then tyranny, and finally to a democratic system established in Athens by the local legislator Solon in the 6th century BC.
At the very beginning of the 5th century BC. Greek cities located in Asia Minor become part of the Median state. Athens sends a fleet in support of the Milesian uprising, unleashing the first Median war. In 490, the conquerors landed in Marathon, but the local troops managed to repulse the attack. Ten years later, the second Median war begins. Greece is invaded by the Persian army, which, according to Herodotus, has up to two million soldiers and 1200 ships. Athens is sacked, but thanks to an alliance with other cities, they again manage to defeat the enemy. Since then, Athens has continued to play a dominant role in the life of the country.
The "age of Pericles" becomes an era of unprecedented flourishing of art, architecture, science and philosophy. In 477 B.C. the city prudently forms the League (confederation) of Delos, a long-term military and political alliance with the Ionian cities and islands of the Aegean. The third Median war ends in 449 with the complete liberation of Asia Minor cities. But within Greece itself, the flames of a new conflict are already flaring up: the confederation becomes an instrument of influence for Athens, the city imposes tribute on its allies ... In 446 BC. the Greek world is divided into spheres of influence: the eternal rival Sparta gains power over land, and Athens - dominion at sea. But this cannot change anything: Sparta will win two Peloponnesian wars, and in 404 BC. Athens will fall.
Alexander the Great
Weakened by endless wars, in the 4th century BC. Greece is surrendering to the conquest ambitions of one of history's greatest strategists, Philip II of Macedon, king of a small province in the north of the country. A staunch Hellenist, Philip plans to unite Greece and go to war against Persia. After his assassination in 336, his twenty-year-old son Alexander followed in his footsteps. During his reign, an era of unprecedented conquests begins for Greece, which brought its soldiers to the borders of India. After Alexander's death in Babylon in 323, his empire was divided into three kingdoms: Macedonia, Syria, and Egypt.
The Roman Empire
As the rebellion against the Macedonians matures, the Greeks are enslaved by a new conqueror - Rome. In 146 BC. Legionnaires capture Corinth and establish Roman rule over Greece. After 60 years, Sulla plunders rebellious Athens and sends to Rome a huge amount of valuable works of art. The Mediterranean of Alexander's descendants becomes Mare Nostrum ("our sea", lat.). In 130, under the auspices of Emperor Hadrian, Athens, once again prospering thanks to the "Roman Peace", undergoes a grandiose reconstruction for the last time. After the fall of the Roman Empire in the 4th century, the Mediterranean loses its unity.
Byzantine Empire
Christianity gradually spreads in the region, especially after the coming to power of Emperor Constantine, who renames the city of Byzantium to Constantinople and in 330 makes it the capital. The rightful successor of the Roman Empire in the East, the Byzantine Empire returns to Greece its unity based on Christianity and the Greek language, but its opponents are pushing it from all sides. Later, enmity brews between Christians and Muslims. The raids of the Arabs who dominate the Eastern Mediterranean are becoming more frequent. The coast and islands are devastated by pirates. Two centuries later, in 1054, the Christian Church split into Eastern Orthodox and Western Catholic. After this separation, the powerful Western European maritime powers head for the Greek lands. The Normans, who came from Sicily in the middle of the XII century, the Venetians and the Franks capture the country. Three years after the capture of Constantinople by the crusaders (1207), Greece is divided among the allies: Venice takes the lion's share - the Ionian Islands, part of the Cyclades, Crete, Euboea. The Genoese settle on the islands of Lesbos and Chios, while the Peloponnese (renamed Morea) and the islands of the Saronic Gulf go to the Franks. In 1306, the Order of the Knights of St. John captures Rhodes. The network of military fortresses is designed to support the territorial ambitions of the "guardian of Christianity" against the Ottoman Empire.
Turkish rule
In 1453, the Turks captured Constantinople, putting an end to the second Byzantine Empire, established at the beginning of the 13th century. Three years later, Athens suffers the same fate, and then comes the turn of the Greek islands. Venetian Crete resists until 1669, and the island of Tinos (Cyclades) until 1714. The European fleets at that time were heading west: their attention was captured by America. Greece is forgotten, which is only partly compensated by the development of trade with the Ottoman Empire. The Turks did not oppress the locals, but demanded from the Greek peasants a soul tax - a fifth of the harvest. In the 18th century, a resistance movement gradually emerged.
Path to Independence
The decline of the Ottoman Empire contributes to the strengthening of nationalist sentiments. In 1821 an uprising broke out. European volunteers from among the philhellenes in love with classical Greece, who went in search of their roots, join the fighting following the example of Lord Byron. The great Greek armorers, who became rich at the end of the 18th century, donate their ships to the liberation movement. But the uprising is in danger of defeat, and the intervention of France, England and Russia is required. In 1832, the tiny Kingdom of Greece, having lost the lion's share of its historical territories, finally received the right to exist. Two years later, Athens becomes the capital of the new state. One of the sons of Louis I of Bavaria takes the throne under the name of Otto I of Greece. The Greeks, removed from power, unite against him, and in 1862 seek his removal. He is succeeded by George I, who was imposed on the country by the British. During his reign in 1896 Athens hosted the first modern history of the Olympic Games. In 1912, Crete returned to the national bosom, and after the end of the First World War, Macedonia, Thrace and the islands of the northern Aegean Sea.
Modern era
The dream of restoring Great Greece (Enosis) was already realized in the 20th century. In 1923, the country, destroyed by the Turkish leader Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, is forced to agree to a population exchange: one and a half million Orthodox Greeks emigrate from Asia Minor to Greece, while 400,000 Muslim Turks make their way in the opposite direction. The population of Athens is growing exponentially. Nevertheless, this exchange contributes to the formation of a new nation, rare in its homogeneity, both culturally and geographically. In 1924, the Hellenic Republic was proclaimed. The country goes through a period of destabilization, characterized by numerous coups d'état until it is occupied by Italian troops in 1940 and then a year later by the Wehrmacht army. There are bloody battles. At the end of the war, a kingdom is formed. But soon a civil war (1947-1949) breaks out, ending with the defeat of the communist rebels. In 1967, a military coup sends King Constantine into exile, the junta establishes a "regime of colonels". Democracy is restored in 1974, and in 1981 Greece joins the EEC. In January 2002, it will be among the first countries to adopt the euro.