Ancient Greek Civilization Quiz

Ancient Greek Civilization

• Ancient Greece spanned from the Greek Dark Ages (12th-9th centuries BC) to classical antiquity's end (c. 600 AD).
• Composed of interconnected city-states and territories.
• Prior to Roman rule, these regions were briefly unified under Macedon (338-323 BC).
• Marked the transition from classical antiquity to the Early Middle Ages and Byzantine period in Western history.

Rise of Greek City-States

• Following the Mycenaean decline (Bronze Age collapse), Greek city-states (poleis) emerged in the 8th century BC.
• This marked the Archaic period and Mediterranean colonization.
• This era was followed by Classical Greece (Greco-Persian Wars to Alexander's death in 323 BC), including the Golden Age of Athens and the Peloponnesian War.

Hellenistic Period

• Macedonian unification under Philip II and Alexander's conquest of the Achaemenid Empire spread Hellenistic civilization extensively.
• The Hellenistic period lasted until 30 BC, when Ptolemaic Egypt became part of the Roman Republic.

Influence on Western Civilization

• Greek culture, particularly philosophy, profoundly influenced ancient Rome.
• Rome then disseminated Greek ideas throughout the Mediterranean and Europe.
• Classical Greece is considered the cradle of Western civilization, impacting Western politics, philosophy, science, and art.