Classical Greek Culture

Classical Greek culture is strongly evident as an influence on the Roman Empire; this has been extended too many parts of the Mediterranean and European areas.  Classical Greece is the culture which endowed the foundation of the Western culture.

The dates for the beginning or the end of Classical Antiquity are inexact and it is considered to have lasted for approximately 1,300 years.

With the beginning of Ancient Greece there brought a wealth of changes which among other things brought the alphabetic script to Greece, marking the beginning of Greek literature. There was an Archaic from which evolved into the Classical period around 500 BC, which was then followed by the Hellenistic period at the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC. The Archaic period is understood to end with the overthrow of the last tyrant of Athens in 510 BC.

The Classical period, c. 500 - 323 BC, is typified by a style which was considered to be commendable in its architectural designs for example the Parthenon and other designs. The politics the Classical Period was dominated by Athens during the 5th century, which then gave way for the Spartan authority during the 4^th century.

The Hellenistic period, 323-146 BC, is when Greek culture and power expanded into the near and middle east. This then remained in force until the Romans conquered the Grecian states.

Roman Greece is the period between Roman victory over the Corinthians in 146 BC and the establishment of Byzantium by Constantine as the capital of the Roman Empire in 330 AD.

Herodotus is known for his Histories written between the 450s and 420s BC, the Herodotus' work discusses 6^th century historical figures in the history of Greece.The author that succeeded were Athenians, which is why there is more known about the history and politics of Athens than of many other cities.

A mercantile class rose in the first half of the 7th century, with the beginning of the use of coinage in about 680 BC.  The aristocratic class which generally governed the states was threatened by the new wealth of merchants, who of course desired political power. From 650 BC onwards, the aristocracies had to fight not to be overthrown and replaced by the lower class dictators.

 By the 6th century BC several cities had emerged as dominant in Greek affairs: Athens, Sparta, Corinth, and Thebes. The surrounding rural areas and smaller towns were under their control, and in addition Athens and Corinth had become major maritime and mercantile powers.

With an increasing of  population in the 8th and 7th centuries there resulted an emigration of many Greeks to form colonies in Southern Italy and Sicily, Asia Minor and farther. The Greek world had, culturally and linguistically, become much larger than Greece of the present time. Greek colonies were not politically controlled by their founding cities, although they often retained religious and commercial connections with them.

From about 750 BC the Greeks began 250 years of expansion, settling colonies in all directions. To the east, the Aegean coast of Asia Minor was colonized first, followed by Cyprus and the coasts of Thrace, the Sea of Marmara and south coast of the Black Sea.

Eventually Greek colonization reached as far north as present day Ukraine and Russia. Settling to the west coasts of Sicily and Southern Italy, after which came Southern France, Corsica, and parts of Spain. Greek colonies in Egypt and Libya had been established.

The civilization of ancient Greece has been immensely influential on language, politics, educational systems, philosophy, science, and the arts. With the conquest of the Roman Empire their legacy spread through generations of scholars.  The heritage of their civilization created an inheritance for the world we know today.  Ancient Greece study is a wealth of information that is still being studied by historians and intellectuals and their myths have been passed down through the ages.