antikte

Antike, also spelled Antike or Antiquity, refers to the period of human history from the invention of writing and the rise of civilization until the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 AD. This era is often divided into three main periods: the Classical Antiquity, which includes the ancient civilizations of Greece and Rome; the Hellenistic period, which followed the conquests of Alexander the Great; and the Late Antiquity, which encompasses the fall of the Western Roman Empire and the rise of the Byzantine Empire.

The Classical Antiquity is characterized by the development of Western philosophy, science, and the arts. It saw the rise of city-states in Greece, such as Athens and Sparta, and the expansion of the Roman Republic, which eventually became the Roman Empire. The Hellenistic period was marked by the spread of Greek culture and language throughout the Mediterranean and Middle East, as well as the development of new scientific and philosophical ideas.

The Late Antiquity was a time of transition and decline, as the Roman Empire faced internal and external challenges. The fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 AD marked the end of the Classical Antiquity, but the Eastern Roman Empire, or Byzantine Empire, continued to thrive for another thousand years.

The study of Antike is known as Classical Archaeology, which involves the excavation and analysis of artifacts and sites from this period. The study of Antike also includes the study of ancient languages, such as Greek and Latin, and the interpretation of ancient texts and literature. The Antike has had a profound influence on Western culture, and many of its ideas and institutions continue to shape the modern world.