Ancient Greece

Ancient Greece is famous for its amazing knowledge and civilization techniques that have
contributed to our world today.









Geographical Features
Ancient Greece was a mountainous piece of land as 70-80% is mountains. With few rivers,
transportation was made difficult. With the area of 131 940 km2 colonies also spread
around in neighbouring countries. As Greece has water on three sides the land type is
called peninsula. This peninsula sticks out into the Mediterranean Sea.

Social Hierarchy
The Upper Class
This class of people had the leisure of having no real labourer jobs that made them do hands
on activities. Only people born in Athens could be in this class. They handled the
government, the philosophy department and the war. Most people had slaves do all of the
cleaning as they didnt want to waste their precious time.
The Middle Class
These people were free men but had very little rights compared to the upper class. Most
worked as contractors, merchants, managers, manufacturers, tradesmen, artists and
craftsmen.
The Lower Class
These people were once slaves but managed to escape slavery or freed by their owners.
They were not allowed to become a citizen of Athens.
The Slaves
Slaves had no rights and were owned by people so they had no freedom in their life. Slaves
were often beaten by their owners.
Daily Life
Men
Only free men were allowed to become a citizen. Men were responsible for the
government, the farms and all of the jobs excluding household jobs.

Women
Women were often married at 13 or 14 to a man aged 30 or higher. The fathers arranged
the marriage. A womens life was based at home doing weaving, spinning, clothe making,
food preparation and looking after children, grandparents and the sick. A woman would
only socialise with other women when collecting water from a well. Few Greek women had
much freedom. In Sparta women had a more active life as it improved the ability to have
children.
Children
At the age of 3 children were given a mug signifying end of babyhood. Boys attended school
at the age of seven and were mainly taught reading, writing, arithmetic, music, poetry and
how to become fit for war. Girls learnt at home by their mothers how to do housework,
cooking, weaving and over skills.

Clothing
Women wore chiton which was a long tunic made from cotton or linen materials. A cloak
was draped over the shoulders, thin for summer and thick for winter. Men and women used
perfume created by boiling flowers and herbs. Men wore short tunics if they were young
and long tunics if they were old whilst slaves just wore a piece of cloth tied around the
waist. Barefoot was often seen but some had leather sandals. Wide-brimmed hats found
their way onto most peoples heads when outside.
Diet
With breakfast including bread dipped in wine with fruit, lunch consisting of mainly bread
and cheese and dinner porridge, cheese, fish, vegetables, eggs and fruit. The Ancient Greeks
ate healthy with an occasional serving of pudding. Only the rich ate meats like hares, deer
and wild boar. Octopus was a popular seafood for the rich. Slaves and the poor ate on the
streets.

Religion
The Ancient Greeks believed in more than one god so they were called polytheists. Mt
Olympus was the home to all Greek Gods. Gods were treated like humans and they acted
like humans as they fell in love; married; had children; argued and so on. The total amount
of gods is unknown.
Olympics
Starting as a one day event and then forming into a five day religious festival including
processions, prayers, sacrifices and competitive sports. The Ancient Greece Olympic Games
were held in southwest Greece at the Olympia (a valley near a city called Elis), starting in
776BCE.
These Olympic Games were held in honour of Zeus where only men were allowed to
attend. Competitors performed nude.
Events included: Boxing; chariot racing; pankration; pentathlon- discus, javelin, jump,
running, wrestling; running; and wrestling.

War
The most famous war was the Peloponnesian War which was when Sparta and Athens
fought a long war lasting from 431 to 404 BC. Spartan won. The only time cities and states
forgot their war was when there was a threat from Persia. The rich men wore metal armour
while the poor linen cloth with layers glued together to make a tough and bendy armour.
Greek soldiers had a shield, metal guards on his legs and a metal helmet with a crest on top.
Athens
As the largest city in Ancient Greece, Athens controlled a region called Attica. The city was
named after Athena, the Goddess of wisdom and knowledge so they created a statue of
Athena and put it in a temple called Parthenon which stood on rocky hill Acropolis. This site
was the most famous building in Athens. Athens became rich as Attica had valuable sources
of silver, lead and marble.
Democracy came to Athens in the early 500 BCE's as a new form of government. Only a
male citizen could vote for things which left the women, slaves and foreigners to have no
say in any matter. Citizens often met every 10 days on a hill called the Pnyx.
A quarter to a third of the population of Athens were slaves who had been captured, born
into slavery and some didn't have enough money to pay the bills. Most slaves had the jobs
that no one would want to do. Some were lucky enough to pay their way out of slavery.
Yearly festivals were held in Athens for athletics, drama and religion.
Sparta
Sparta had two Kings. One was at war while the other one stayed at home. Spartans focused
on war and most men were trained for battle. When the men were at war slaves would
have to look after farms and any other chores. Spartan boys left home at 7 to learn at an
army camp until they were 20 when they became soldiers. Women and the old were given
more respect than any over Greece city.
Inventions
The Brazen Bull
The Brazen Bull was an execution device invented in Ancient Greece. It was a hollow brass
structure resembling a bull. With the victims tongue cut off first so there was no loud
screaming. Then the victim would be locked inside the bull which heated roasting them
alive.
The Alarm Clock
Invented in Ancient Greece the alarm clock would drop pebbles onto a gong at the indicated
time. This was invented around 200 BCE.
Famous People
Alexander the Great
Alexander the Great created the largest Greek Empire. He was a military commander and
under his command he never lost a battle.
Archimedes
Archimedes was a Greek Mathematician who discovered how to figure out area and
volume. He figured out that the volume of a sphere is two thirds of the volume of a cylinder
with the same circumference. His life was devoted to research and experiment.


Interesting Facts
In 230 BCE a Greek philosopher Eratosthenes figured out the circumference of the Earth by
studying the shadows and the suns position.
The Ancient Greeks used electric shocks created by torpedo fish for medicinal purposes.
The Greeks play a vital role in our alphabet today as the first two letters of the alphabet are
alpha and beta.
They never ate meat unless it was sacrificed to a god
They didn't eat beans as they thought beans contained souls of the dead.
The Ancient Greeks invented theatre as the enjoyed watching plays and only men could be
actors.
Olympians often ate sheep testicles to improve their performance.
Over 2000 people still practise the Greek Religion with all the gods.
The first record of giving someone the rude finger dates back to Ancient Greece as it was
seen as a symbol for the phallus and it was used to insult others.

I believe that it would be tough growing up in Ancient Greece with so many wars, laws and girls
having little freedom. They have had a lot of influence on our lives today, with the alphabet,
maths, science and many more. I hope you found this piece of information useful.

Bibliography and Resources
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<http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/primaryhistory/ancient_greeks/growing_up_in_greece/>.
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Written by Lucy Vaiente
Final version 27/03/2014