antiquityGreece

Ancient Greece refers to a civilization in the southern Balkan Peninsula, the Aegean region, and colonies around the Mediterranean from roughly the 8th century BCE to the end of antiquity. It is conventionally divided into Archaic, Classical, and Hellenistic periods, each contributing distinct political, cultural, and intellectual developments.

City-states, or poleis, were the basic political units, each with its own institutions and laws. Major poleis included Athens, Sparta, and Corinth, among others. Governance varied: Athens is famous for early forms of democracy, while Sparta was a rigid military oligarchy. Other states practiced various mixed or aristocratic systems. Colonization and trade extended Greek influence across the Mediterranean.

Greek culture produced foundational achievements in philosophy, astronomy, mathematics, medicine, literature, and the arts. Thinkers such as Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle shaped Western philosophy; Herodotus and Thucydides advanced historical writing; Euclid and Archimedes laid groundwork for mathematics and mechanics. In drama, playwrights like Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides, and Aristophanes developed tragedy and comedy; architecture and sculpture established enduring aesthetic ideals.

Daily life varied by polis and era. Slavery was widespread. Citizens, especially male citizens, received formal education and military training, while women's legal rights were limited in most city-states. The economy depended on agriculture, crafts, and extensive trade networks across the Mediterranean and Black Sea. Religion was polytheistic, centered on major gods of Olympus and oracles such as Delphi.

Legacy: Ancient Greece profoundly influenced later Western thought and institutions, including political theory, philosophy, scientific method, drama, and art. The languages and literature of the Greeks shaped later European literary traditions, and Greek science and mathematics remained foundational for medieval and Renaissance scholars.