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GENERAL INFORMATION ON GREECE

History

During the fifth century BC, there was a blossoming of art, architecture and writing in Athens.Beautiful sculptures, pottery and jewellery exist from this time, and can be seen in museums in Greece and around the world.  Athens was very rich, and about a quarter of all working people there were slaves.

The Greeks had a fierce spirit of independence and love of freedom. This enabled them to defeat the Persians in battles that are famous in the history of civilization such as the battles of Marathon, Thermopylae and Salamis.

Theatre was very important for the ancient Greeks.   Many beautiful open air theatres still remain in good condition.  Most of the plays were either tragedies or comedies, and plays by Sophocles, Aeschylus and Euripides are still performed. A large number of theatres, all across the world today, are based on the ancient Greek plan. You can still go today and watch classical Greek plays performed at the ancient theatre of Epidaurus, in the Peloponnese.The stone seated amphitheatre holds 14000 people and is built into the hillside.

Ancient Greeks liked to be fit and exercised in gymnasiums. The most famous sports event was the Olympic Games. These games started in 776 BC and after that were held every four years at Olympia, lasting five days each time.  All the Greek city-states attended this important athletic and cultural festival.Sports included foot races, wrestling and horse racing.  Olympic winners were given crowns or wreathes and were treated as heroes.The first modern Olympics were held in Athens in 1896.  The games have continued until today and are held in a different country every four years, attracting the world’s top athletes.

The most famous leader of Athens of the fifth century was Pericles.He was responsible for building the Parthenon, the temple on the Acropolis that was dedicated to Athena, the goddess of wisdom.  Many buildings such as museums and government buildings around the world follow the ancient Greek architectural style. The Parthenon was built between 447 BC and 432 BC. Inside it stood a huge gold and ivory statue of the goddess Athena.This and other sculptures were made by the famous sculptor Pheidias.A marble frieze showed scenes from a festival, the Great Panathenaic, which took place every four years.

Many of the Parthenon’s carvings were cut down in 1801 by Lord Elgin, who shipped them back to England.The Greeks have been unhappy about this ever since, and are campaigning to bring them back to Athens.So far, the British Government has not agreed, and the frieze is still exhibited in the British Museum.The new Acropolis Museum in Athens will have an empty room waiting for the marbles.

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