History

SUMMARY

Greco-Roman Civilization

• The Greeks were highly civilized. The Romans learned from the Greeks and developed their own civilization.


• The conquest of Alexander the Great and the Romans spread the Greco-roman civilization to other parts of Europe and Asia Minor

Origins of the Greek Civilization

Minoan Civilization

• The Minoans lived on the island of Crete


• They were the first highly civilized people in Europe

Mycenaean Civilization

• The Mycenaeans conquered Crete. The Minoan civilization ended


• The Myceanaeans copied the minoan civilization

Life in City-states

• There were many city-states in ancient Greece


• The Greek city-states had different kinds of government. Some of them had a king . Some had a democratic form government.


• Citizens could voted and hold office in democratic city-states.

The two most famous city-states in ancient Greece were:

1. Athens ~ It was te first democratic city-state in Greece. It was a rich trading port and had a strong navy.


2. Sparta ~ The Spartans were warlike people. Men were trained to brave soldiers.

• The Greeks city-states started colonies when trade grew. The colonies supplied raw materials and bought Greek goods.


• The Greeks worshipped many gods and goddesses.

Persian Wars

• The Greeks helped their colonies to rebel against the Persians. The Persian Wars broke out .
• From 500 to 449 BC , the Greek states fought against the Persians.
• The Wars ended in 449 BC.

Alexander the Great

• In 334 BC, Alexander the Great began to conquer the Persian Empire. He conquered Egypt, Syria and Persia.
• As a result of Alexander's conquest, the Greek civilization spread all over Europe.

Treasures of Ancient Greece

• The English alphabet came from the Greek alphabet.
• The most famous Greek poems were 'Iliad' and ' Odyssey' written by Homer.
• Greek plays influenced all later plays.
• The most famous Greek thinkers were Socrates, Plato and Aristotle.
• Herodotus was the Father of History.
• Greek temples were usually tall and supported by columns. The Parthenon in Athens is the most famous temple.
• The Greeks were good at making statues with bronze and marble.
• Famous Greek mathematicians were Pythagoras, Euclid and Archimedes.
• Hippocrates was the Father of Medicine.
• The Greeks started the Olympic Games.