Check out curiosities, duels and challenges on the best quiz platform in the world

Classic antiquity

Greece is located on the Balkan Peninsula and is washed by the Mediterranean Sea. Its civilization emerged from the 8th century BC, having its roots in mainland Greece, the islands of the Aegean Sea and the coasts of Asia Minor. It later expanded to the shores of the Mediterranean Sea, establishing colonies that contributed to economic and cultural links.

Greece is marked by its mountains, with few plains and a coastline full of gulfs and bays. The climate is predominantly dry, with hot summers. This geography, combined with rivalries between Greek groups, resulted in the formation of city-states, or polis, each with its own government, army and laws, which contributed to the isolation of populations.
Each city-state Greek was divided into three parts:
- The acropolis, located on a hill surrounded by walls, housed public and religious buildings;
- The urban area, with housing neighborhoods and a central square called the agora, used for commerce and meetings;
- The surrounding countryside, with farmland and pastures to supply the city.
Despite political differences, city-states such as Athens, Sparta and Corinth shared language, religion, customs and games, creating a sense of unity among the Greeks.

Despite the poor soil in Athens, agriculture was the main activity for the majority of the population, who cultivated wine, olive oil, cereals, honey and practiced livestock farming. In handicrafts, they produced ceramics, objects and were involved in metallurgy to manufacture weapons, in addition to shipbuilding. Located on the Attica Peninsula and close to the port of Piraeus, Athens prospered from trade along the Mediterranean and Black Seas. Initially based on direct exchange, trade gradually adopted the use of currency (drachma), facilitated by the silver mines in Athens that allowed coinage to be minted.
Athens emerged as the most powerful city in the Greek world due to its prosperous economy commercial, maritime and monetary, developing a robust naval and commercial fleet. The agora, a public space that functioned as the city's economic, social and political center, housed the market where currency was widely used.

Athenian society was formed as follows:
Citizens: male individuals, free, over 20 years old, children of an Athenian father and mother, who performed military service, had political rights and land. They corresponded to around 10% of the population of Athens;
Metecos: Free foreigners who resided in Athens, without political or civil rights, but obliged to perform military service and pay taxes. They generally dedicated themselves to crafts and commerce and could not own land;
Slaves: The most numerous group without rights, they carried out heavy tasks such as work in mines, domestic work or construction of public works, and were generally prisoners of war.
Athenian society was marked by profound inequalities, where citizens held political and property privileges, while slaves were treated as commodities devoid of individual rights.

In the 5th century BC, in Athens, democracy was born, a political regime where all citizens are free and equal before the law. Cleisthenes was its founder and Pericles consolidated it, allowing everyone to participate in political life and granting remuneration to the poorest.
The main bodies of power were:
Ecclesia (or Assembly of the people): formed by all citizens, approved laws, appointed magistrates and decided on issues of war and peace;
Bulé (or Council of Five Hundred): drafted laws to be approved by the Ecclesia;
Helieu: judged most public and private issues;
Aerópago: responsible for judging homicide crimes and religious issues.

The originality of Athenian democracy lies in the fact that it is a direct democracy, that is, all citizens participate in the government of the polis through their participation in the Ecclesia, without the existence of representatives. However, it had contradictions: only citizens had political rights, excluding metics (foreigners), women and slaves. Furthermore, there were restrictions on freedom of expression, such as ostracism (expulsion from the city-state of Athens for 10 years) and the death penalty (an aspect that is not acceptable in light of current democracy). Athens also exercised imperialism over the city-states allied with the Delian League (a defensive alliance of city-states against the Persians). Despite its limitations, it inspired current democracies. Using the comparative method between the Athenian government and current democratic governments, showing an evolution over time, having its origins in Ancient Greece.

Artistic manifestations constitute one of the most significant aspects of Greek civilization. Greek art, known as classical art, reached its peak in the 5th and 4th centuries BC, profoundly influencing European culture at different times. Art is closely linked to religion, through the construction of temples, sculptures and paintings. Its main characteristics were perfection, balance, order and harmony of forms. Art is tailored to man, that is, the artist's main concern was to value and enhance the characteristics of the human being. The Greeks defended the idea that even useful things must be beautiful to awaken the feeling of admiration, therefore, even in everyday objects, they sought to awaken admiration and respect.

The temples and stadiums represent excellent examples of classical Greek architecture, which is distinguished by the characteristics of the base, support and roof of the buildings, defining three architectural styles: Doric, Ionic and Corinthian. Columns played a central role in the structure of Greek temples, supporting the entire building, often constructed of marble. Some notable examples of this architecture include the Parthenon, the Erechtheion, the temple of Athena Niké, and the theater of Dionysus, all located on the Acropolis of Athens.

Ancient Greece left significant legacies for Western societies. Its democracy, although with limitations such as the exclusion of slaves and women, introduced equality before the law and the political participation of citizens. Furthermore, Greek art, with its architectural and sculptural influence, inspired later movements such as the Renaissance and Neoclassicism. The Greek language was one of the unifying elements of the Greek people, despite the existence of several poleis, and constituted a vehicle for transmitting erudite culture (values and ideas) until today. Contributions in fields such as history, medicine and philosophy also endure, especially in reflection on the nature of the universe and the human being. The emphasis on comprehensive education, present in Athens, which should allow for integral and harmonious development, both physically and intellectually, remains relevant in contemporary societies.

Greek sculpture reached its peak in the 5th century BC, standing out in statues and bas-reliefs that portrayed gods, military leaders, politicians, heroes and athletes. These sculptures represented the ideal of human beauty, characterized by naturalism, anatomical perfection, serenity, harmony of forms and a sense of movement. Phidias, Polycletus and Myron were the main sculptors of this period, and their works often complemented architecture, decorating pediments and friezes of theaters, public buildings and temples.
As for Greek painting, it practically disappeared, being preserved only in ceramics, in dishes and vessels used to store wine or olive oil. Main themes included scenes from everyday life, myths of gods and heroes, and sporting competitions. The figures were painted in black on a red background, or vice versa, using the clay itself as a canvas.

Greek theater originated in festivals in honor of the god Dionysus, god of wine. During the spring, during these festivities, two theatrical genres were represented: comedy and tragedy. The performances took place outdoors, with actors (always men) wearing masks in keeping with their characters. Tragedies portrayed dramatic scenes from the lives of gods and heroes, with authors such as Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides. The comedy satirized the political and social life of Athens, led by Aristophanes. These plays contributed to civic and religious reflections in the lives of the Greeks.

The Olympic Games began as a cultural expression of the Greeks. Held every four years around the Temple of Zeus in Olympia, they featured sporting competitions that attracted athletes from all over Greece, including racing and wrestling. In addition, they included religious ceremonies and music and theater competitions. These games reflected the religiosity and unity of the Greek people, as Zeus was worshiped throughout the Greek territory and during the games there was no rivalry between the poleis.

In ancient Greek literature, Homer's masterpieces, "The Iliad" and "The Odyssey", stand out, which narrate the history of the Greek people in the form of epic poems. In addition, Hesiod also stood out with works such as "The Theogony" and "The Works and the Days". The Greeks stood out in several areas of knowledge. Their rational search for the origins of humanity, the universe and natural forces led them to the development of philosophy, with figures such as Socrates, Plato and Aristotle. This search for wisdom also boosted advancement in other areas, such as Mathematics, with Pythagoras; Medicine, with Hippocrates; Oratory, with Pericles and Demosthenes and History, with Herodotus and Thucydides.