The expression Greece Antique returns to the civilization of the people of language and culture Greeks during the Antiquité. One sometimes more precisely understands by Greece Antique traditional Greece, in particular the Athens of the O C, that of Périclès and the Tragédie, and that of the IV E, Plato and Aristote. However, the Greek culture developed earlier: the epopees of the It and the Odyssée undoubtedly go back to the IX E. It also preserved a real dynamism at the centuries according to, during which it extended in many other areas. In the East, after the conquests of Alexandre, the Greek culture mixed with the former cultures to give rise to the original age of the kingdoms hellenistic. In the Mediterranean basin, the Greek culture played a decisive part, in particular because of influence which it had with Rome where the Greek became the language of the knowledge usually used by the elites.

Certain political and cultural productions of the Greek world had an important role in the development of Western civilization. It is often estimated that the Greeks are at the origin in a new manner of apprehending the world freeing the thought from the religious dogmas and putting the man in the middle of their reflections. One regards them as the founders of the philosophy (the présocratiques ones, Socrate, Plato), and of the scientific precursors of the investigation (physical, mathematics, astronomy). The Greek literature undoubtedly had a long time less influence than that of its Roman imitateurs. The Greek Art remains regarded as a model of traditional balance.

General history

See also: History of ancient Greece, Chronology of ancient Greece

History of Greece before the east rather badly known. The Civilization mycénienne lasted of 1500 to approximately 1100, it is strongly influenced by the Minoan Crete. The reasons of its disappearance are prone to controversy. The researchers believing in the historicity of the Trojan War locate it for this period. Times which follow, also badly known, are sometimes called obscure Siècles. Important cultural changes seem to be unrolled there.

It seems that starting from the VIII E appear the quoted , of the small independent and politically structured territories. The population strongly increases and of the Greek colonies is create, in the islands of the Aegean Sea and in minor Asia, then in other Mediterranean regions. The large thinkers live often overseas: Thalès and Xénophane lives in Asia; Pythagore founds a school in Italy South. It is the birth of the Grande Greece.

With the O C, the Greeks manage to push back the troops of immense the Persian Empire. Greece then knows a “golden age”. Certain thinkers, Parménide, Empédocle, Leucippe inaugurate new manners of considering the world. Athens, where a democracy was installation, occupies a dominating on the policy plans and artistic place. The tragedy develops to with it. Socrate almost never leaves the city.

After the Peloponnesian War (431-404), the Greek cities are weakened, but the intellectual life remains long-lived (Plato, Aristote). Towards 338, the Macedonia dominates Greece. Between 336 and 323, its king, Alexandre Large the, conquers an immense empire. With its death, its Empire is dismembered, its former generals reign as an absolute monarch on vast areas. One enters the hellenistic Period.

The Séleucides reign in Asia, on the old Persian Empire. One feels Greek influences until in the Buddhist sculptures of Afghanistan. The Ptolémée, which dominated Egypt, are however better known for us. Alexandria is a high place of the knowledge there. In Greece even, new philosophies develop: the epicureanism and the Stoicism. The political situation is rather difficult and, to the II E, Greece passes under Roman domination . Greece remains an arts center but loses in creativity.

Economy

See also: Economy of ancient Greece

The economy of ancient Greece is characterized by a strong pregnancy of the Agriculture, all the more important as the Greek grounds are not very fertile. More than one source of subsistence, it works part of the representations and reports/ratios social: the majority of the population of the Greek world is rural and the land and buildings represent an ideal. The Craft industry and the Trade, mainly maritime, develop as from sixth century BC in the cities. However, the Greeks test a great loathing for remunerated work, and in particular manual work: the policy is the only activity really worthy of the citizen, the remainder having to be as much as possible abandoned with the slaves.

Culture

Arts

See also: Art of ancient Greece

Greek art is the aspect most immediately significant of ancient Greece: it influenced Roman art, that of the Rebirth and most of the modern art and contemporary of Occident. Its monuments are admired by the tourists in Greece even like on the sites of the Greek colonies of Large Greece and minor Asia; its sculptures and its vases often occupy a choice place in the museums and the private collections. The Parthenon and its carved decoration, the Aurige de Delphes, the Group of Laocoon and the Victoire de Samothrace appear among the most known works of art in the world.

For as much, the Greek work of art is often badly included/understood. She is admired today for the esthetic pleasure which she gets, whereas its fine first is practical and/or nun. The ruins of monuments are in isolated places or are inserted in modern cities, whereas the Greek buildings were naturally integrated into a whole whole of surrounding buildings. The mural, one of the principal forms of expression of the Greek art, almost completely disappeared, whereas the Greek sculpture reached us mainly in the form of copies or Roman alternatives, for which it is difficult to decide between the genius of the original author of that of the copyist-adapter. It is thus important to replace Greek art in its context and to restore its origins, evolutions and influences.

Religion

See also: ancient Greek Religion, Greek Mythology

The ancient Greek religion has as a characteristic not to have neither crowned texts, neither Dogme, nor Église: it is Polythéiste. It attaches a great personal importance to the rites and little to the devotion. The various worships can be distinguished in three main categories: public worships, bringing into play the community of the citizens of a city; private worships, pertaining to the domestic sphere; worships with mysteries, which only promise to the initiates a happy life and beyond.

In addition to the fact that the religion comprises twelve God X principal, most important is Zeus.

See too

Related articles

To go further

  • Marie-Claire Amouretti and Francoise Ruzé, Le Monde Greek antique , Hatchet, collection “U”, Paris, 2003

  • Anne-Marie Buttin, traditional Greece , Beautiful Letters, collection “Guides civilizations”, Paris, 2000
  • Pierre Lévêque, the Greek Adventure , Livre Pocket, collection “References”, Paris, 1997 (1st edition 1977)
  • Robert Morkot, Atlas of ancient Greece , Otherwise, coll “Atlas/Mémoires”, Paris, 1999

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