The Ancient Greek civilization started around 3,000 years ago in the northeastern Mediterranean region, the modern country of Greece. It was one of the most flourishing and well-developed civilizations of that time. It produced marvels in arts, philosophy, architecture, etc, and gave us the concept of the Olympics. Here are a few interesting facts about ancient Greece.
Ancient Greek civilization started around 3000 years ago followed by a Dark Age in Greece, which is believed to have concluded in 800 B.C. For most periods, Ancient Greece was distributed into numerous small city-states, each with its specific laws, customs, and sovereigns. Though, in the 300s B.C, these small city-states were enforced to unite under one ruler by Alexander the Great who unified and founded the Ancient Greek Empire, which extended into large parts of Europe, Egypt, and South-West Asia.
Did you know that the Ancient Greeks invented the theatre? They were fond of watching plays, and major towns of Greece had a theatre and the largest with a capacity of 15,000 people. Only men and boys were allowed to be actors and women were prohibited to perform in plays, and they wore masks, to convey to the audience whether their character was happy or sad.
Large parts of their population, about one-third were slaves. There were diverse types of slaves in various city-states. In Sparta, the state-owned slaves were termed ‘Helots’. They had to do agriculture and were required to give part of what they grew to the state. Athens treated slaves somewhat better and greeted them in family homes with a ceremony. They also did work like being a policeman, craftsman, and some also worked in the navy. Most of the slaves are not paid any money but given food and lodging.
