3. Time Frame
The development of Ancient Greece began around 800
b.c and lasted until about 140 b.c. So the full
development of Ancient Greece took 660 years to
complete. There were several different periods
during this time frame though. There was the archaic
period in which the first large buildings and temples
were build and created, the classic period where the
arts such as painting and politics began, and the
Hellenistic period that was the time for war in
Ancient Greece and Rome
4. Background
Ancient Greece is a beautiful place known for it’s magnificent buildings
and statues, Greek myths, Greek gods and goddesses, art, and some foods.
Greek’s weather is also bautiful being most hot in the summer and dry in the
winter. The tribes of Ancient Greece began to distribute themselves around
1000 b.c and Ancient Greece’s empire had most power in 146 b.c. The two
most important cities of Ancient Greece was Athens and Sparta as they were
the most wealthiest and strongest. Ancient Greece contained several states,
and each had their own government and laws, although all shared the same
language, and religion. In fact several Ancient Greece words are used in
English today. For example the word aquarium comes from the Greek word
“aqua” meaning water. Also, the very popular sporting event, the Olympics
began in Ancient Greece in 776 b.c. The Greek Myths and Gods are also very
well known. Today some schools teach their students about Ancient Greek
religion and what they believed in when they didn’t understand a concept.
The Ancient Greeks were also fascinating at art, using the supplies they could
afford, they could create great masterpieces that are put up in display in some
museums.
5. SOCIAL STRUCTURE
Ancient Greece social structure was divided into two types of people: slaves
and free people. Slaves were used for labour, or personal assistants and had no
legal rights. Usually slaves were from other countries brought by slave traders.
Slaves lived with their owners, they were almost never paid. As the civilization
developed men were divided into two categories; Metics and Citizens. A citizen was
born in the country and had Athenian parents, they were allowed to take part in
the Government. A metic was born out of the country, but travelled to Greece.
They could never achieve status as a citizen, they weren’t allowed to own homes or
land in Greece, they were also not allowed to marry a citizen. Women took the
same status as their husbands. The Greek social structure took on a pyramid of
importance. Rich philosophers and heroes were at the top, then citizens, poor
citizens, women and children, then finally slaves. The upper class citizens always
had slaves and were exempt from trading. This elite class, as it was sometimes
called was very small, numbering only about 300 families. The middle class was
large, made up of mostly professional men like tradesman, artists, managers and
manufacturers. The lower class was mainly made up of liberated slaves.
6. HOUSING
Homes were designed to keep people cool and out of the heat. Men
and women usually stayed in different parts of the house. The women’s
room was usually upstairs. The majority of houses were made of stone or
clay and were two storeys. Most of the roofs were covered with tiles or
reeds. The floors were tiled, so the ground stayed cool. The houses have
strong walls and based around a courtyard. Women did their weaving in
the courtyard, which usually had an altar for the goddess Hestia, and a
well for collecting water. Most houses had a storeroom for food like olive
oil, wine and grain. Males had their own room called an Andron, which
they used for entertaining. Olive oil and grain were stored in large jars
called amphorae. Crafts like jewellery were usually created in a workroom
in the house. Water for baths was collected from a local fountain and then
heated over the fire. Slaves rooms were small and cramped with little
furniture. Gynaikons were special rooms for women where they
sometimes spun or wove, and entertained female guests.
7. HOW THE WEALTHY LIVED
The rich people in Ancient Greece had a more exotic, interesting diet
than those who couldn’t afford much. They ate roasted hare, peacock, or
iris bulbs in vinegar. Wealthy people also had slaves to cook for them, and
for dinner parties they ordered specially trained chefs. Poor people were
in bed when the sun rose, and set because lighting was expensive, but the
wealthy lit their homes with oil lamps. Even rich houses were simply
furnished, the wealthy lived in large homes with many rooms. In rich
houses, women were supposed to run and organize home. Wealthy
women were dressed by their maids, they could also afford finer
materials, and more expensive jewellery. The wore silk and cotton, their
hand maidens carried parasols over them to protect them form the sun if
they went out. Wealthy girls could not leave their homes. Wealthy people
always had slaves. In some states wealthy men, even if they were
unelected had some power and rule over land. Rich ladies were kept in the
back of the house to protect them from unknown men. Rich children had
tutors and nursemaids.
8. Food
Ancient Greek food was quite simple to make and serve, although a
good variety to keep a healthy body. The variety of food included fresh
vegetables, bread, milk, grapes, and more. The rich could afford better
quality food though. The food the rich would eat was cheese, fish, squid,
apples, olives, and more delicacies. Hunting brought in a lot of fresh game
and meat. Wine was contained inside goat skins that had been sewn up
and were transported by donkey or mule. The Greek God Dionysus was
the god of wine and many civilians drank wine to honour the God. To get
meat as a farmer in Ancient Greece you would have to kill your livestock. If
you lived in a town, you would be able to purchase meat from a butchers
shop. Because the fish and seafood industry in Greece was plentiful, ocean
food was a key part of their diet. Olive trees on the land were not
uncommon and olive oil was included in almost every meal. Greeks not
only ate their food, they also played games with it. The Greek men used to
play a wine game, where the men had to splatter wine on the wall
confirming ones true love.
9. Family Life
Family was significant in ancient Greece because it allowed them the
opportunity to have an education, a roof over their head, enough to eat,
training for a job, and gave you a better chance to find a husband or wife. The
father of the family was the head of the household. He was the person who
controlled the slaves and had the option of kicking anyone out of the house,
even forcing them to marry someone! The women in the family was expected
for being loyal to her husband and taking care of the home. If a women did
this she was valued for it. Although, the most important role a women played
was to give birth to continue your family line. As a boy in Ancient Greece, you
were sent to school to become strong and brave and encouraged by your
family to die rather thenface defeat. As a girl from a rich family, you had no
right to go to school or leave the house, and instead were taught calculations,
dances, songs and more special women skills. Poor families and rich families
were very different in certain parts of Greece. For example, if you worked on a
farm, and belonged to a poor family you may marry someone you fall in love
with, but as a rich noble girl, you did not have this opportunity, and instead
were arranged to be married by someone else.
10. MARRIAGE
Poor people had the ability to marry anyone they fell in love with, while the
rich and noble girls were forced to marry someone against their own will. The
wedding usually lasted three days. It was traditional for the bride to make an
offering to the Goddess of women, Artemis before every wedding. The parents of
the bride gave a gift of money or goods to the family of the groom. With the
wedding finished, the bride travels to her new home with the groom. Friends
came to the house of the groom a day later with gifts to give to the new couple.
Girls married between the ages of fourteen and eighteen, while men married in
their twenties or thirties. Fifteen was the most common age for girls to marry.
Divorces were allowed in Ancient Greece, the husband paid back the remaining
dowry to the family of the wife. Many Greek marriages took place in the month of
January due to the fact that it was a sacred month to the Goddess Hera, meaning
“The Wedding Month”. The day before the wedding a feast was held at the house
of the bride’s parents. Also that night, the bride would sacrifice toys and objects
from her childhood to symbolize that she was a young girl no more.
11. CHILDBIRTH
As a women the main expectation of you was that you would give birth to
many children. In Athens, children were always born in the houses of their
mother. It was not uncommon for both babies and mothers to die from
birth. In fact, the percentages were high. Occasionally a mid wife would
deliver the baby in wealthy families. In Ancient Greece, women would
notify the neighbours that a child had been born by hanging one of two
things on the front door. An olive branch for a male baby, and a woolen
strip for a female baby. Before the baby was accepted into the family, the
women had to show her husband, and it was the husbands choice of
whether the baby could stay or not.
12. CHILDHOOD
Ugly or deformed babies were sometime abandoned by their
families on a mountain. Children spent most of the time with their mother
while they were young. This means they mainly stayed in the women's
part of the house. Girls rarely left the house and received all of their
teaching and learning at home. Boys on the other hand were allowed to
attend school when they reached the age of 7. Kids played with toys like
rattles, dolls, and toy animals. As it is today wealthier families could
affords more and better toys for their children. Children from poor
families began to work for the family at a young age. At the age of twelve
or thirteen, girls were viewed as adults and were legal marrying age. They
took their toys from when they were younger and left them in a temple of
Artemis. This action symbolized they were young ladies and it was time to
let go of being a child. Soon after marriage, girls were expected to produce
a child. If they were unable to do this, it would be considered a curse. At
eighteen, it was necessary that boys joined the army for two years.
13. GREEK VS. CANADIAN CHILDHOOD
Greek childhood is very similar to Canadian. Young children
played with toys, but wealthier families could afford better. This fact is
the same in both cultures and many others around the world. Children
are not left on mountains if they are deformed, nowadays as they did in
Ancient Greece. Now, parents can offer up their children for adoption,
but it is illegal to abandon them. Young children play with similar toys
now as they did in Ancient Greece, dolls, and animals are not
uncommon. Now, in Canada it is mandatory that all children, boys and
girls attend school. This was not the case in Ancient Greece, this is one
of the many things that have changed. Girls are not considered adults
until around the ages of 18-19. Twelve or thirteen year olds are still in
elementary school now, and would not marry for another few years.
Girls were expected to marry between the ages of 14-18, and now, in
Canada it is illegal to marry before the age of 16. In Canada, girls are
not expected to leave all their childhood toys like they were in Ancient
Greece. Many married women now, still have some of their childhood
keepsakes. Now being a teenage mother is frowned upon. Boys are not
required to join the army now, like they did in Greece. Sports are also
slightly different for each civilization. In Canada sports are safe and
inlcude things such as basketball and soccer that both boys and girls
can play. In Ancient Greek sports were dangerous and included
wrestling and javelin throwing and were for the boys only.
14. EDUCATION
Family gave you the ability to have an education, so if you had no family you
wouldn’t get an education. If you were a boy at school, you were taught how to read
and write. You would also be taught mathematics using a special tool called an abacus.
Boys would also learn how to memorize and present poems, how to sing, and how to
do gymnastics, which actually included running, jumping, wrestling, and throwing
javelins. During these activities a boy may be beaten due to not trying hard enough, or
a lack of spirit. The races were run on sand in rooms called the gymnasium, which
meant exercise room. Here the boys were taught to never be afraid, and to die rather
then face defeat. A schoolboys goal was to become well-balanced, strong, and smart. As
a rich girl, going to school was disallowed, and instead they were taught women roles
by their mothers. These activities included weaving, spinning, reading and writing, and
calculating. You also had the special opportunity to be taught secret, and special dances
and dances by your mother. Knowing these dances and songs allowed a special pass for
women to enter extraordinary women festivals. In Sparta, women’s education was quite
different. Women were well-educated, allowed to take part in politics, and were even
allowed to participate in sporting events, while wearing very few pieces of clothing that
was shocking to other Greeks.
15. RELIGION
The ancient Greeks believed in a system of 12 main gods and goddesses that lived in
the clouds on mount Olympus. Also, many other Gods and Goddesses were patron saints of
smaller matters. Greeks would often say prayers and worship Gods in their designate
temples. Sometimes sacrifices were made in order to earn respect of a God. Zeus was the
head God and the Lord of the Sky. He and his two brothers Poseidon and Hades were the
Gods of the sea and the underworld. Zeus had a wife called Hera, and a daughter Athena.
Hera was the Goddess of marriage, Athena was the Goddess of crafts, war, and wisdom.
Other Gods include Apollo, God of music, Artemis, Goddess of Maidens and hunting, Ares
the God of war. Aphrodite, Goddess of love and beauty, Demeter, Goddess of corn, Hermes,
God of thieves messages, Dionysus, God of wine were some of the main twelve too. Any
important event taken place in your life were thought to be the result of the Gods actions.
The people of Greece believed when it was sunny, Zeus was in a good mood, when there
were thunderstorms Zeus was angry. In the winter, the people believed that the Goddess
Demeter was grieving from the loss of her daughter Persephone. During the day people
would make prayers, offerings and sometimes sacrifices for the gods to keep the god
pleased, and male your life well. Or if you would like to make an apology to a god for
doubting them, similar actions would be taken. This god religion affected daily life of the
people in Greek because it changed the way weddings and festivals worked, buildings were
created from hard work in life, and this religion also took up parts of their day for praying.
16. ATHENA
Athena was the favourite child of Zeus, the Goddess of wisdom, war and
crafts. She was the daughter of Zeus’ first wife Metis, Zeus ate her while she
was pregnant with Athena and she was born from him. The Goddess was born
from the head of Zeus, fully dressed in battle armour. Two Gods, Athena and
Poseidon both loved an unnamed city in Greece. Both of them wanted the city
for their own, and it was decided there would be a contest, whoever created
the finest gift would win. Poseidon created the fountain, which was beautiful,
but not very useful. Athena created the olive tree. This gift was perfect because
it supplied the people of the city with food, oil and wood. She won the contest
and the city was named Athens. The Parthenon, one of the most famous
temples in the world was dedicated to the Goddess. She almost always wore
armour, so she would be ready to battle at a moments notice, a gray owl was
always on her shoulder, signifying wisdom. Athena had no children and
remained unmarried. In Rome, Athena was called Minerva.
17. CLOTHING
Ancient Greek men often wore no clothing as the climate in Greece was very
warm. When women were around they were well covered, though athletes at
sporting events were always nude. Women were always told to be properly
clothed and were not allowed outside naked unless you were a dancing girl. When
leaving the house, rich or noble women wore veils which covered their heads and
part of their face. The clothing of the Ancient Greeks was simple and did not
require much sewing. Usually Greek women were either barefoot or wore simple
sandals. Most sandals were red or yellow. The material of men's sandals were
leather and polished with olive oil. Men wore tunics and women wore dorics, or
chitons. Chitons were made of light fabric or linen and were sometimes worn with
belts. Men and women's clothing were very similar. Greek women's hair was
always long because it was considered disrespectful for it to be short. Women had
personal maids to arrange gold and silver pins in hair. Men wore their hair many
different ways, from beards to full-faced helmets. If you were a wealthy Greek
women you would wear gold jewellery and earrings. Only the servants ever got
sun tanned because they weren't covered as well as the rich and noble. But the
wealthy preferred it that way as it was undamaging to the skin and part of
tradition.
18. ART AND MUSIC
The ancient Greek’s creativity was amazing and they could even make wine
glasses look beautiful. Ancient Greek art consists of 5 main types. These groups
were architecture, sculpting, painting, painted pottery, and music. Greek music
included the lyre, pipes and vocals. Ancient Greek architecture consisted of
temples, houses, city walls, theatres, and tombs. In fact, Greeks built five world
wonders. Only a few paintings over the centuries, so most of the art was on
pottery like vases. Many sculpture muses were animals, Greek Gods and
Goddesses, everyday scenes and ordinary people. Typical Greek paintings were
called panel paintings and were portable and painted on wooden boards. Ancient
Greek sculptures were mainly bronze and stone, sometimes they used wood or
other materials. Greeks also put on several plays, as well as dances. The plays were
entertaining for the whole community, and many people came to watch them.
Men played all parts, even those of girls. Tambourines were used for dances to
keep the beat. Panpipes, the double flute, and kitharas were common orchestra
instruments. Ancient Greeks also made beautiful, and colourful pictures using tiles,
called mosaics.
19. FESTIVALS
Greek festivals were usually religious and related to the Gods, usually one
God in particular. A common festival was the special women's festival in
honour of the goddess Athena, that only rich and noble girls and women could
attend. Only noble’s were allowed in because, to gain entry, they must know
secret songs and dances that rich girls were taught. The biggest sporting event
in all of Ancient Greece was the Olympics, wars were cancelled in order for the
games to be enjoyable.. Olympic events included boxing, wrestling, running,
jumping, pankration, equestrian events, and the pentathlon. The pentathlon
included two sports, javelin throwing and discus. At a variety of festivals
musicians and actors took part to entertain spectators and guests. Different
festivals included religious, sporting celebrations and military parades. The
festival for the Goddess Demeter was called Themophoria. Aphrodite’s festival
was called Apaturia. Other festivals were in honour of the various gods on
Mount Olympus. Often festivals were joyfully celebrated and everyone who
attended was in a bright a good mood, although there were some festivals that
were to be celebrated seriously.
20. Conclusion
Ancient Greece was a wonderful place that offered sports
and education. Although if you lived in Ancient Greece, being
wealthy was a huge advantage in most areas as only the rich
and noble good afford delicacies such as rich food, maids, and
a healthy family. Ancient Greek’s are well known across the
world for beautiful sculptures, the most famous of Greek gods
and goddess, and for their creation of the Olympic Games.
Children in Ancient Greece were brought up well and were
told to be strong, which may be why Greece was very
successful during war. So, do you think you could survive as an
Ancient Greek?
21. Bibliography
Books:
How Would you Survive as an Ancient Greek? By Fiona MacDonald, David Salariya
Scholastic Canada Atlas of the World By Philip Steele
Websites:
Ancient Greece Social Structure-
http://projects.cbe.ab.ca/glendale/showcase/utopia/class_structure.htm
Ancient Greek Art-http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/greeks/art/greekart.htm
Ancient Greek Olympics-http://greece.mrdonn.org/olympics.htm
Ancient Greek Period-http://www.the-artfile.com/ArtFile/history/greek/greek.shtml
Children of Ancient Greece-http://historylink102.com/greece3/children.htm
Everyday Life in Ancient Greece-http://www.localhistories.org/GREECE.HTML
Greek Art-http://www.visual-arts-cork.com/greek-art.htm
Houses in Ancient Greece-
http://www.woodlandsjunior.kent.sch.uk/Homework/greece/houses.htm
Marriages in Ancient Greece-http://www.historylink102.com/greece3/marriage.htm
The Greek House-http://www.ancientgreece.co.uk/dailylife/challenge/cha_set.html
22. Title
Picture Bibliography
http://www.flickr.com/photos/27432548@N08/5532644784/sizes/m/in/photostrea
/
Map-
http://www.bitsofnews.com/images/graphics/map_ancient_greece_large.jpeg
Background-
http://www.freakingnews.com
http://www.britannica.com
Social Structure-
http://www.truthtree.com
Housing-
http://www.archaeolink.com
How the Wealthy lived
http://www.resourcesforhistoryteachers.wikispaces.com
Food-
http://www.movies-gradyjordanmartin.blogspot.com
Family
http://www.rainbow-theatre.com
Marriage-
http://www.aperfectcelebration.com
Childhood-
http://www.ookaboo.com
http://www.ihs.issaquah.wednet.edu
23. Picture Bibliography
Canada vs. Greece-
http://www.partytimedirect.co.uk
http://www.hamiltoncroatia.com
Education-
http://www.websters-online-dictionary.net
Religion-
http://www.freethoughtpedia.com
http://www.wallpaperphotoshare.com
Athena-
http://www.hranajanto.com
http://www.theoi.com
Clothing-
http://www.new-twinspace.etwinning.net
http://www.jokingaround.co.uk
Art and Music-
http://www.stores.myvillagemusic.com
http://www.grahamart.com
Festivals-
http://www.factoidz.com
http://brads-healthy-lifestyle.com
