Ancient Greece - Antica Grecia

Exquisite-kfind.pngTo learn more, see: European history.

L'Ancient Greece or Classical Greece was a civilization that emerged around the eighth century BC. and was annexed toRoman Empire in the 2nd century BC Ancient Greece is remembered for its architecture, philosophy and other ideas, which have become the foundation ofEurope modern. THE Olympic Games they are originally an ancient Greek tradition.

History

Exquisite-kfind.pngTo learn more, see: Prehistoric Europe.

Classical Greece was not the first civilization around the Aegean Sea. By the 27th century BC, the Minoan culture had flourished to Crete, until it was carried on by Mycenaeans around the 16th century BC However, there are no surviving historical records of these companies.

The earliest written records of the Greek city-states, the poleis, date back to the 9th century BC. The period of the 5th and 4th centuries is today known as Classical Greece. During this period, the Greeks defended themselves against the powerful Persian empire in a series of wars that have become legendary in Western culture. Greece later entered the golden age of philosophy, theater and science. Through colonization and conquest, the Greek language and culture extended far beyond the territory of Greece modern, with particularly strong imprints in Sicily and throughout theAsia Minor (today, the Asian side of the Turkey). In the heyday of ancient Greece, the dominant cities of Greece were Athens is Sparta, who were often at war with each other.

Starting with the achievements of Alexander the Great in the 4th century BC, Greek culture spread until thefar East of today Afghanistan, and theEgypt (you see Ancient Egypt) which was ruled for three centuries by the Ptolemaic Greek dynasty, founded by one of Alexander's generals. This late flowering of Greek culture, which was later partially supplanted by theRoman Empire, is known as thewas Hellenic.

According to the biblical book of Acts, the apostle Paul traveled to the region in the first century AD. and brought the Christianity in the area.

Greek culture

Some elements of Greek culture persisted for centuries after the disappearance of the last political system. For example, Coptic, the language into which Ancient Egyptian evolved, was written in Greek-derived letters until its extinction in the 17th century. Other examples include Greek authors and philosophers, such as Homer and Socrates, who were and still are widely read by a certain group of Europeans. Greek terms have entered the general lexicon of many European languages, mostly relating to things that the Greeks were known for (theater, politics, democracy) or with scientific terms. Sometimes the Greek and Latin terms have been mixed, as in the case of "automobile" which derives from the Greek "autos" and the Latin "mobilis".

Although in modern times the Greek alphabet itself is used only for writing Greek (and individual letters as symbols in mathematics and science), the Latin and Cyrillic alphabets used by many other European languages ​​were originally derived from the Greek alphabet. The word "alphabet" itself also derives from the first two letters of the Greek alphabet (alpha and beta) and its importance in being the earliest known phonetic script, a script to encode all vowel and consonant sounds (as opposed to other scripts which are coded consonants or had ideographic and / or syllabic aspects).

The Byzantine Empire survived as a bulwark of Greek heritage until the fall in 1453. Some Byzantine scholars moved west and contributed to the Italian Renaissance. Since the 17th century, the Grand Tour became a customary trip in which northern Europeans visited Greek ruins in thesouthern Italy. Over time, tourism has expanded into Greece proper.

Greece became independent fromOttoman Empire in 1820, adopting a monarchical constitution largely at the urging of the great European powers, and initially enthroned a Bavarian prince of Wittelsbach, hence the blue and white colors - still used - of the Greek flag.

Destinations

Greece

Mainland Greece

The Parthenon in Athens
  • 1 Athens (Attica) - One of poleis most important in ancient Greece, Athens was a naval power and a center of learning and philosophy. Although it was eventually overtaken militarily by Sparta is Thebes, its immense wealth has meant that some of its classical architecture is still standing. Partly due to its history, Athens later became the capital of modern Greece.
  • 2 Argon (Peloponnese) - An important stronghold during the Mycenaean era, this city may be older than it Mycenae. In classical times it was a powerful rival of Sparta for dominion over the Peloponnese. Nowadays, there are still several interesting remains, including a ruined temple to the goddess Hera.
  • 3 Arta (Epirus) - Historical capital of Epirus, notoriously associated with King Pyrrhus, opponent of the Roman Republic, from which the phrase "Pyrrhic victory" was coined. There is a vast archaeological site, with ancient walls, the ruins of a temple of Apollo and a small theater.
  • 4 Corinth (Peloponnese) - One of the largest and most important cities in classical Greece, with a population of 90,000 in 400 BC. In classical and earlier times, Corinth had a temple to Aphrodite and rivaled it Athens is Thebes in terms of wealth.
  • 5 Delphi (Central Greece) - Famously nestled on a shoulder of Mount Parnassus, Delphi was believed to have arisen from Zeus when he tried to find theomphalos (navel) of his "Grandmother Earth" (Ge, Gaea or Gaia). This is also the site of the cult of Apollo, oracle and eternal flame.
  • 6 Dodona (about 6 km southwest of Ioannina, Epirus) - The oldest recorded Hellenic oracle. There is a well-preserved theater, built by King Pyrrhus, which hosts theatrical performances.
  • 7 Larissa (Thessaly) - Historical capital of Thessaly; the name means "fortress" in ancient Greek. One of the oldest settlements in Greece, with artifacts dating back at least to the Neolithic period (6000 BC) and two ancient theaters, one Greek, the other Roman.
  • 8 Mount Olympus (Thessaly) - The highest mountain in Greece (2917 m), home of the gods.
  • 9 Marathon (Attica) - Site of the famous battle against the Persians, 490 BC, and starting point of the homonymous foot race of the first Modern Olympics of 1896.
  • 10 Mycenae (Peloponnese) - Royal seat of Agamemnon, Supreme King of the Greeks and undisputed leader of the anti-Trojan coalition, according toIliad. Its importance from 1600 BC around 1100 BC about was such as to give the name to this period of Greek history, usually referred to as "Mycenaean". Its acropolis, continuously inhabited from the early Neolithic onwards, had already become a tourist attraction in Roman times.
  • 11 Nafplio (Peloponnese) - It is said that it was founded and named after Argonauta Nauplios, father of Palamidi who fought in the war of Troy, this city is a good base for visiting the many archaeological sites that surround it. Epidaurus, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with its splendid theater, Tiryns with mighty walls (in Homer's words) e Mycenae are just some of them.
  • 12 Olympia (Peloponnese) - Site of Olympic Games and the Temple of Zeus. It hosted the shot put event at the 2004 Olympic Games - the first time female athletes have competed at the venue.
  • 13 Piraeus (Attica) - Athenian port since time immemorial, it is still the main point of entry and exit by sea of ​​the Greek capital. There is a nice archaeological museum here.
  • 14 Pella (Central Macedonia) - Capital and place of birth of the fruit salad of Alexander the Great. In 168 BC was sacked by Romans and his treasure was carried to Rome. Nowadays it is a rich archaeological site.
  • 15 Pilo (Peloponnese) - The "Sandy Pylos" mentioned very often both inIliad that inOdyssey, home of King Nestor, the eldest of Agamemnon's advisers. The remains of the so-called "Nestor's Palace" have been excavated nearby.
  • 16 Sparta (Peloponnese) - Even contemporaries agreed that Athens it would have been perceived as much more important than Sparta. This is mainly due to the fact that Spartan society was very militaristic and invested in war rather than monuments or temples. A famous quote sums up the Spartan attitude towards building, albeit for war: "Sparta has no walls. The Spartans are the wall of Sparta".
  • 17 Thebes (Central Greece) - Since time immemorial, this city has been the protagonist of an abundant mass of legends that rival the myths of Troy. In classical times, it was the largest city in the ancient region of Boeotia, the head of the Boeotian confederacy and one of the main rivals of Athens. He sided with the Persians during the invasion of 480 BC and formed a solid alliance with Sparta during the Peloponnesian War (431–404 BC). The modern city contains an archaeological museum, the remains of the pre-Mycenaean citadel of Cadmea and scattered ancient remains.
  • 18 Thermopylae (Central Greece) - The battlefield where King Leonidas and his 300 Lacedaemonians lined up against the Persian army, immortalized in songs, prose, comics and films, in 480 BC. Today it is divided in two by a highway and right next to it is the burial mound of the Spartans, with a plaque containing the famous epitaph of Simonides: Ὦ ξεῖν ', ἀγγέλλειν Λακεδαιμονίοις ὅτι τῇδε κείμεθις τι τῇδε κείμεθις, ῇτι τῇδε κείμεθις. ("O stranger, announce to the Spartans that we lie here in obedience to their laws"). And a statue of Leonidas, under which an inscription reads: Μολὼν λαβέ ("Come and get them!").
  • 19 Volos (Thessaly) - Identified with Iolkos, the presumed birthplace of the mythical hero Jason, leader of the Argonauts. It has several archaeological sites nearby.

Greek islands

  • 20 Aegina - From this island came the famous Aegina treasure (between 1700 and 1500 BC), now in the British Museum. Here are the remains of three Greek temples.
  • 21 Corfu - An island linked to the history of Greece from the beginnings of Greek mythology. Famous places, such as the cave where Jason and Medea got married (Argonautics) or the beach where Ulysses met Nausicaa (Odyssey), remain very popular tourist attractions.
  • 22 Delo - This island is the alleged birthplace of Apollo and Artemis. In it there was already a sanctuary a millennium before the establishment of this part of Greek mythology of Olympus; a very significant archaeological site.
  • 23 Heraklion (Crete) - Known in antiquity as Knossos it was the ceremonial and political center of Minoan civilization and culture (3650-1400 BC).
  • 24 Kos - Famously associated with the native physician Hippocrates of Kos, the "father of Western medicine". Major historical attractions include the sanctuary of Asclepius, where he most likely studied, and the plane tree under which he taught his students the art of medicine.
  • 25 Lindo (Rhodes) - Beautiful hilltop town with a nice archaeological site in the acropolis.
  • 26 Mytilene (Lesbos) - The historic capital of the island of Lesbos was briefly the home of the master philosopher Aristotle. The island was also the home of Sappho, famous for its homoerotic poetry, which gave rise to the term "lesbian" hence the name of the island. Nowadays, there is more than one archaeological museum worth visiting.
  • 27 Naxos - Herodotus describes Naxos around 500 BC. as the most prosperous of all the Greek islands. According to Greek mythology, the young Zeus grew up on his mountain near the cave of Zas. In addition to some beautiful ruined temples of Apollo and Demeter, the island is considered perfect for windsurfing and kitesurfing.
  • 28 Samo - Place of birth of Pythagoras, the famous mathematician. It contains the remains of a sanctuary once famous for the goddess Hera.
  • 29 Samothrace - Site of the Sanctuary of the Great Gods, the center of a mysterious cult that rivaled Delo is Delphi. Here the statue of the Victory of Samothrace, a highlight of the Louvre.

Italy

  • 30 Agrigento (Sicily) - Site of the ancient Greek city of Akragas (Ἀκράγας), famous for its seven monumental Greek temples in the Doric style, built during the 6th and 5th centuries BC. Now excavated and partially restored, they constitute some of the largest and best preserved buildings in Ancient Greece outside of Greece itself.
  • 31 Toast (Puglia) - Presumably founded by King Diomedes of Argos, after losing his way home from the siege of Troy. Its name derives from the Greek Brentesion (Βρεντήσιον) which means "deer head", which refers to the shape of its natural harbor. Some columns, most likely from the Roman era, are still standing.
  • 32 Crotone (Calabria) - The city was founded by Greek colonists from the region ofAchaia in the second half of the eighth century BC in the place of a pre-existing indigenous settlement, and thanks to the diffusion of the Italic-Pythagorean phenomenon it represented one of the most important centers of Magna Graecia. Here lived the great mathematician Pythagoras.
  • 33 Cuma (Campania) - Kumai (Κύμαι) was the first Greek colony in mainland Italy, founded by colonists fromEuboea, presumably led by the legendary Daedalus, in the 8th century BC. It is most famous as the seat of the Cumaean Sibyl, priestess of Apollo with prophetic powers, highly respected and consulted among the Romans. Its sanctuary is open to visitors.
  • 34 Erice (Sicily) - Ancient Eryx (Eρυξ) is today a stunning hilltop destination, where fewer than 500 people live near a medieval fortification ("Castle of Venus", built on the foundations of a temple to Aphrodite) on top of 715-high Mount Eryx m. Local tradition places the lair of the Cyclops Polyphemus, the enemy of Ulysses in the Odyssey, on the side of this mountain. The city itself has wonderful views. There is a cable car that goes up from Trapani to the hill.
  • 35 Gela (Sicily) - Founded around 688 BC by settlers of Rhodes is Crete; the playwright Aeschylus, the "father of tragedy", died in this city in 456 BC.
  • 36 Paestum (Campania) - Widely considered the site with the best and largest relics of Ancient Greece in the former Magna Graecia thanks to its mighty temples.
  • 37 Reggio Calabria (Calabria) - The first Greek colony, with the name of Rhégion (Ῥήγιον, "Head of the King"), Reggio is the seat of the National Archaeological Museum of Magna Graecia, one of the most important archaeological museums in Italy.
  • 38 Segesta (Sicily) - It is said that it was founded by Trojan refugees, welcomed by the Elimi, immediately after the end of the war of Troy, Segesta is home to a beautiful Greek theater and an unusually well preserved Doric temple.
  • 39 Selinunte (Sicily) - His Greek name was Selinous (Σελινοῦς). It contains a vast archaeological site in the acropolis with several temples, one of which has been rebuilt.
  • 40 Syracuse (Sicily) - Notoriously besieged by an Athenian expedition (415-413 BC) during the Peloponnesian War. The siege was a failure and marked the fate of Athenian hegemony over the Greek world. It is also the birthplace of Archimedes, the famous philosopher and mathematician.
  • 41 Taranto (Puglia) - Taras (Τάρας) was founded as a Spartan colony. The modern city was built on the Greek city; some ruins remain, including part of the walls and two columns of the temple dating back to the 6th century BC. and tombs.
  • 42 Trapani (Sicily) - Founded as early as the 13th century BC, as Drepanon (Δρέπανον), by the same Greeks who called themselves the Elimo people and also founded Erice is Segesta. Recent studies formulate the hypothesis that Princess Nausicaa, a prominent character of the Odyssey, is the true author of the epic poem, and was born and raised in Drepanon.

Turkey

  • 43 Aphrodisias (Southern Aegean region) - Site of the Temple of Aphrodite. It is now one of the best preserved ancient cities in the Turkey, and without the usual crowd of Ephesus.
  • 44 Ace (Northern Aegean region) - The Doric order columns of the Temple of Athena at the top of the hill are the only ones of this type on the Asian mainland. Asso was also the site of the academy founded by the philosopher Aristotle.
  • 45 Bergama (Northern Aegean region) - Bergama, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was once the capital of the Kingdom of Pergamum, ruled by a Hellenistic dynasty that dominated most of western Anatolia. The ruins of Pergamum are among the most popular archaeological sites in Turkey and there is much to see in two separate areas, although the imposing altar was brought into Germany at the end of the 19th century and is now on display at the Pergamon Museum in Berlin.
  • 46 Çavdarhisar (Central Anatolia) - Contains the impressive ruins of Aizanoi, site of the fantastic Temple of Zeus.
  • 47 Didyma (Southern Aegean region) - The sanctuary of the then great city of Miletus was once the site of an oracle as renowned as that of Delphi. Go there to see the ruins of the colossal Temple of Apollo, adorned with much ancient Greek art.
  • 48 Ephesus (Central Aegean region) - A famous and prosperous polis in classical times, the birthplace of the philosopher Heraclitus, today a major archaeological site declared a World Heritage Site and one of Turkey's main tourist attractions.
  • 49 Seal (Central Aegean region) - Phocaea was the homeland of sailors who sailed the waves in the most remote areas of the western Mediterranean, founding numerous colonies along the coasts of Iberia,Italy and of France, Marseille is one of them. Some believe that the offshore islands were the domain of mermaids, beautiful sea fairies who sentenced sailors to death, found in Homer's Odyssey along with other Greek stories. Only a few ruins of Phocaea exist today on a hill some distance from the modern city, but the cobbled streets of Foça are lined with 19th-century Greek civic architecture.
  • 50 Gülpınar (North of Babakale, in Northern Aegean region) - The site of the lonely ruins of the Temple of Apollon Smintheion, the main sacred site of the Troad peninsula which extends south of Troy.
  • 51 Smyrna (Central Aegean region) - Ancient Smyrna has always been famous as the birthplace of Homer, who is thought to have lived here around the 8th century BC. Its agora (central market square) is now an open-air museum.
  • 52 Cnidus (Southern Aegean region) - This was the site of the Aphrodite of Cnidus, a statue depicting a naked goddess of love created in the 4th century BC, which became so famous that it triggered one of the earliest forms of tourism in the classical world. Knidos doesn't have that many visitors these days, as it is located at the far end of a remote peninsula and its statue has long been lost in oblivion.
  • 53 Miletus (Southern Aegean region) - Considered the largest and richest of the Greek cities before the Persian invasion of the 6th century BC, Miletus is also the birthplace of the mathematician and philosopher Thales.
  • 54 Phaselid (south of Kemer, in Lycia) - Once the main port of the region, the ruins of Phaselis covered by a pine forest are now the destination of numerous daily cruises departing from the nearby tourist resorts.
  • 55 Priene (Southern Aegean region) - The first city built on a grid plan, Priene was once an important port on the Ionian coast. Its hillside ruins now overlook a fertile plain, meanwhile formed by the silting up of its harbor by the Meander River.
  • 56 Sinope (Black Sea region) - Σινώπη (Sinōpē), where an important stage of the journey of the Argonauts to Colchis took place, is also the birthplace of the philosopher Diogenes the Cynic.
  • 57 Trebizond (Black Sea region) & mdash Τραπεζοῦς (Trapezous) was the first Greek city reached by Xenophon and the Ten Thousand Mercenaries, as they fought to get out of Persia, as described in the Anabasis.
  • 58 Troy (Southern Marmara) - The scenario of all the action contained in Homer's Iliad.

Cyprus

  • 59 Paphos - Renowned in antiquity as the birthplace of Aphrodite, the goddess of love. A few kilometers from the city, Aphrodite's rock (Petra tou Romiou , "Pietra del Greco") emerges from the sea. According to legend, Aphrodite rose from the waves in this extraordinarily beautiful place.

Georgia

  • 60 Batumi - This was the Greek colony of Bathys in the land of Colchis, the final destination of Jason and his Argonauts in search of the "golden fleece" around the Pontos Axeinos, "the inhospitable sea". Although not much remains of Bathys, in 2007 the city erected a large statue in honor of Medea, the mythical princess of Colchia and wife of Jason, depicting her holding what appears to be the golden fleece.
  • 61 Kutaisi - Identified as Aea, the king's capital Eete in Colchis, from which the golden fleece was seized. Nearby, the so-called Prometheus Cave is said to have amazing stalactites.

Bulgaria

  • 62 Beglik Tash (7 km north of Primorsko) - A megalithic sanctuary of the Thrace used for more than a millennium, from the 14th century BC. to the 4th century AD
  • 63 Burgas (Bulgarian Black Sea coast) - The territory of the present city is characterized by thermal springs Aquae Calidae, already used in the Neolithic between the sixth and fifth millennium BC. In the 4th century BC, Philip II of Macedon conquered the region and, according to legend, was a frequent visitor.
  • 64 Nesebar (Bulgarian Black Sea coast) - Founded as a Greek colony, the ancient city of Mesembria was located on an ancient island, sunk underwater. However, some remains from the Hellenistic period are extant, including the acropolis, a temple of Apollo, a market and a fortification wall, which can still be seen on the north side of the peninsula.
  • 65 Plovdiv (Northern Thrace) - Ancient Philippopolis was the historical capital of Thrace. Several ruins can be seen in or near the city center, including an aqueduct and a very well-preserved theater.
  • 66 Sozopol (Bulgarian Black Sea coast) - Formerly known as Apollonia Pontica (ie "Apollonia on the Black Sea", the ancient Pontus Eusine) and Apollonia Magna ("Great Apollonia"), founded in the 7th century BC. by settlers of Miletus. A part of the ancient maritime fortifications, including a gate, have been preserved, along with an amphitheater.
  • 67 Varna (Bulgarian Black Sea coast) - It began to exist as a Greek colony called Odessos (Ὀδησσός). It houses the remains of a large spa complex and an archaeological museum.

Romania

  • 68 Constance (Dobruja) - Originally a Greek colony, called Tomis.
  • 69 Mangalia (Dobruja) - It began to exist as a Greek colony called Callatis in the 6th century BC. Today it is a rich archaeological site, with ruins of the original Callatis citadel and an archaeological museum.

Crimea

  • 70 Cherson Taurica (Sevastopol, about 3 km from the city center) - Χερσόνησος ("Taurica" ​​is the ancient name of the Crimean peninsula) was founded by the settlers of Heraclea Pontica in Bithynia in the 6th century BC. There are various Byzantine basilicas on the site, including a famous one with marble columns. It is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
  • 71 Feodosia - Founded as Theodosia (Θεοδοσία) by Greek colonists of Miletus in the 6th century BC It was destroyed by the Huns in the 4th century AD. At the end of the 13th century, the city was bought by the Republic of Genoa fromGolden Horde in power; the main historical attractions of the present city date back to this period.
  • 72 Kerch ' - Greek colonists of Miletus founded Panticapaeum (Παντικάπαιον) in the 7th century BC. Panticapaeum subdued the neighboring cities and in 480 BC became the capital of the Kingdom of the Bosphorus. Later, during the reign of Mithridates VI of Pontus, Panticapaeum briefly became the capital of the much more powerful and extensive Pontus kingdom. Its archaeological site features ruins from the 5th century BC. until the 3rd century AD
  • 73 Yevpatoria - An ancient city with more than 2500 years of history, named after King Mithridates VI of Pontus; the first recorded settlement in the area, called Kerkinitis (Κερκινίτις), was built by Greek colonists around 500 BC.

Egypt

  • 74 Alexandria of Egypt - Egyptian capital until the Islamic conquest, the best known of several cities founded and named after Alexander the Great, which he dubbed "my window on Greece". A center of learning in antiquity, as well as the seat of the Ptolemaic dynasty.

Libya

  • 75 Cyrene - Ancient Cyrene was the oldest, largest and most important of the five Greek cities ("pentapolis") of the great Cyrenaica region. Thriving with the trade of its rich agricultural products, the city became one of the most influential centers of ancient Greek culture and art, gave rise to the "Cyrenaic" hedonistic movement and was nicknamed "the Athens of Africa". Ruins of several temples dedicated to the Greek gods dot the site.

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