Ancient+Greece

Activity One: Athens: Between the ages of 18-20 boys in Athens spent two years training as soldiers. Athenian soldiers always had the letter ‘A’ painted on their shield. They also had to pay for their own weapons.

Boys went to school at the age seven. They learnt how to read, write, sing, and recite poetry. They left school at the age of seventeen to start their military training.

The olive tree was a gift from the goddess Athena. She protected the city.

The people of Athens lived in houses below the Acropolis.

Girls did not go to school, their mothers taught them at home. Some learned to read and write, but most learned spinning, weaving and housework.

Democracy was invented in Athens. Foreigners and women were not allowed to vote. The men voted for what they wanted by raising their hands in a hand count. This took place on a hill called “The Pynx.”

The Acropolis is a hill in Athens; many beautiful temples were built on it to worship the many different Gods and Goddesses.

Parthenon is the largest temple on Acropolis. It was built almost entirely out of white marble and inside stood a huge 12 meter high statue of the Goddess Athena.

Gods Symbol Apollo-sun, music, and truth Harp Zeus- whether and ruler of the gods Thunderbolt Dionysius- wine, theatre Wine Ares- war Spear Hephaistos- fire, blacksmiths Hammer <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Hermes- travel, thieves Winged boots <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Poseidon- sea, earthquakes Trident <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Goddess <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Aphrodite- love, beauty Rose <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Hera- women, marriage Pomegranate <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Artlemis-moon, hunting, children Bow <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Demeter- grain, fertility Wheat <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Athena-war, wisdom, arts Olive tree

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Sparta: <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Sparta was surrounded by mountains, which helped to protect them from invaders.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Sparta boys did not go to school. They left home at the age of seven and were sent to a military camp. Conditions were tough and discipline was strict.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">The worst thing that you could call a Spartan was a “Trembler.” This meant that he was scared to fight. You could easily spot a trembler because of the one-sided moustache they had to grow.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">After battle Spartan soldiers used to hang their weapons and armor in trees to thanks the gods for victory.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">When you became 20 years old you had to join the army. Spartan soldiers always wore red cloaks, because they had a reputation of being the toughest warriors in Greece.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Spartan girls did not fight or go to school, but they had to keep fit to have healthy babies. They did gymnastics and danced and ran races. This shocked the rest of Greece.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Babies were taken from their mothers and were checked at birth. Weak babies were left to die, because all Spartans had to be fit.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Spartan boys were kept hungry and had to steal food to survive. This taught them to be sneaky, a useful skill in battle.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Time line

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">2800 B.C- Pyramids begin to be built. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">500 B.C- Greek classical age. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">0 B.C/A.D- Christ is born. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">410 A.D- fall of Rome. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">1066 A.D- Battle of Hastings. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">1952 A.D- Queen Elizabeth II is crowned.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Activity Two:

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;"> Birthplace of Western Civilization: <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">2,500 years ago a civilization was thriving <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Its people created the world’s first Democratic government <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Created the first Olympic Games <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Made important contributions to architecture, art, literature, math, and science <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Their mysterious religion has enriched countless generations with its many wonderful myths and legends

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;"> City States: <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Rarely under a single government instead have their civilizations developed many independent city states that were scattered across a large area <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">The City States: <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Corinth Ephesus <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Troy Sparta <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Thebes Rhodes <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Athens

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;"> Basically a Greek city state was nothing more than a tiny country made up of a single city and the land and villages that surround it. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Each state was unique; each had its own system of government its own laws and military but because the citizens of all the city states spoke the Greek language, had similar costumes, employed similar styles of buildings, and art, worshiped the same gods/ goddesses historians have combined them into one civilization known as Ancient Greece.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;"> Religion: <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">The Greek religion was very organized and yet it wasn’t based on sacred books or teachings such as the bible or the Corrhan instead it slowly grew and developed over thousands of years. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Religion was taught mainly taught through folk tales called myths; they were also passed down from one generation to the next. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Greek myths told of magical powers and adventures of the Gods. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">The Greeks worshiped nature, spirits, rivers, and streams, trees, caves, but most important to them were the gods and goddesses that came from the snow covered peaks of Mount Olympus. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">The ancient Greeks thought that the Olympian gods were a family of huge, all powerful beings who could change their shapes by magic. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">The Greek gods were believed to be immortal that is they could live forever. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Each god had a different world, some would control various areas of the world while others controlled different things in life for example- Poseidon- god of the seas brother to Zeus- king of the gods Zeus’ children- Apollo, Artemis, Athena.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;"> Democracy: <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Known as the government by the people <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Did not allow women to vote <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Proved to be successful <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Under it Athens thrived and with some of the great estates, artists, scholar in history the city grew in wealth, beauty, and power <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Religious festivals such as the one honouring Athena were very important to the ancient Greeks. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Most religious festivals included contests in which Athletes competed with one another which brought huge crowds.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;"> Olympic Games: <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Ancient Olympia- site of the first Olympic games- 776 B.C <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Olympia was a sanctuary or sacred town built for Zeus and originally the Olympic games were held in his honour, to this day the Olympic torch is still lit in Olympia and then is carried by runners to where ever the games are being held. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Every four years <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Midsummer <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">And only lasted a month

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;"> Theatre: <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Plays were held in open air theatres which were found in nearly all the Greek towns. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">In the center of each theatre stood a small round altar to the god Dionysus, because theatres were actually his temples. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">In fact the best seats were reserved for his priests.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;"> Activity Three: <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;"> <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Check out what I learned from a game!!!!!!!!!!!!!!