The document provides an overview of classical Greek civilization and its influence. It discusses the Minoan and Mycenaean civilizations that preceded classical Greece. The classical period saw the rise of city-states like Athens and Sparta between 1200-750 BCE. Athens developed democracy in the 5th century BCE under Pericles but later fought the Peloponnesian Wars with Sparta. Greek drama and the works of playwrights like Sophocles and Euripides emerged in this period. Greek philosophy also developed, laying the foundations of Western thought.

1. The Classical Greeks The Hellenic Roots of Western Culture

18. Greek City States: Principal Sites