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Greek Architecture

Architecture is the art of designing and creating buildings. Greek architecture is a very specific and influential type of design, which was based off of the post-and-lintel system. The post-and-lintel system is made up of columns, which are large upright posts, with a roof, or architrave, over the top. This type of architecture began with the Greeks, but has persisted throughout the ages to live on today.

Ancient Greek Columns Facts

The Doric style is the most plain and simple.

The Ionic style is more slender and more ornate than the earlier Doric style column.

The Corinthian style is quite fancy and decorated with acanthus leaves and flowers.

Even though it may seem simple, the Greeks created a wonderful and lasting legacy of architecture. The columns and architraves were carved with leaves and flowers, scenes of battles, and mythological creatures. The columns were decorated with lines and bases, and capitals, which topped off the columns and connected them to the architraves.

These are some important terms to learn about Greek architecture:

Greek buildings were all built in a very methodical order. This means that there were many rules that they followed in order to make sure the buildings were all similar. These rules also helped to make sure that the buildings were safe and strong. Many Greek buildings were built so well that hundreds of them still exist today, even though they are thousands of years old!

The rules that Greeks used to build their buildings were precise, and said how wide the columns could be, how tall the columns could be, and how many columns a building needed. Eventually these rules became known as orders, and different types of orders developed, with different styles of architecture.

The three main Greek architectural orders are :

* Doric: The Doric order is the oldest and most simple order. The columns have no base and the columns have a very simple capital. In other words, Doric buildings were the least decorated. Archaeologists believe that Doric architectural buildings, which were built in stone, evolved from wooden buildings that were very similar.

* Ionic: The Ionic order is more decorative than the Doric. The columns are taller and thinner, and the capitals at the top of the columns are decorated with scrolls and other patterns. The bases of the columns are also decorated.

* Corinthian: The Corinthian order is a lot like the Ionic order, but the capitals are even more elaborately decorated, usually with leaves and floral patterns

Types of buildings: Besides just houses and marketplaces, Greek cities had many different types of specialized buildings. Many of these buildings can be found in most ancient Greek cities.

Temples: Temples are the most common type of public buildings in ancient Greece. The purpose of a temple was to store a religious statue. Some temples were very large, but others could be very small, depending on the size of the statue and how many people wanted to visit it. Perhaps one of the most famous of Greek temples is The Parthenon.

Stoas: Stoas were a lot like temples, but were extra long, and sometimes they were even two or three stories high. These buildings were big because they were used as large gathering places for the public, such as market places, public offices, and places where people could stroll and meet other people.

Theatres: Theatre performances and plays were a big part of Greek life, so theatres were an important part of Greek cities. Usually, they were built into a hillside, where the public could sit along the hills and watch the action. In large cities, some theatres could sit tens of thousands of people!

Assembly Hall: An assembly hall was similar to a theatre, but was much smaller. This building was used to have important town meetings.

Gymnasia: Gymnasiums are still a common part of most schools, and these buildings began with the Greeks. Parts of ancient Greek gymnasia were wrestling grounds, which were open to the outside, and running tracks. Other parts of the gymnasia were lecture halls and other smaller rooms where Greek athletes and warriors could train.

Greek architecture has had a long and important legacy in western history. Even now, people continue to copy Greek buildings, and many people go visit the ancient remains of the thousands of ancient Greek buildings still standing today.

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Ancient Greek Architecture and Columns Facts for Kids

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Architecture is the art of designing and creating buildings. Greek architecture is a very specific and influential type of design, which was based off of the post-and-lintel system. The post-and-lintel system is made up of columns, which are large upright posts, with a roof, or architrave, over the top.

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Ancient Greek Artifacts - Google Arts & Culture

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Explore collections and stories from around the world with Google Arts & Culture.

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People have been living in Greece for over 40,000 years . The earliest settlers mostly lived a simple hunter-gatherer or farming lifestyle.

The were the first great Greek civilisation. They didn't live on mainland Greece but on the nearby island of Crete , between 2200BC and 1450BC. They were known as the Minoans after their legendary king, Minos.

After the Minoans came the Mycenaean civilisation , from mainland Greece. They were fine builders and traders, but they were also great soldiers. They famously fought in the battle of Troy. , an important Greek writer, told stories of the Mycenaean age in his books and The Odyssey.

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People have been living in Greece for over 40,000 years . The earliest settlers mostly lived a simple hunter-gatherer or farming lifestyle. The were the first great Greek civilisation. They didn't live on mainland Greece but on the nearby island of Crete , between 2200BC and 1450BC.

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The ancient Greeks loved competitions and they loved to brag. To be fair, they had a great deal to brag about. The ancient Greeks gave us many gifts - the Olympics, democracy, the theatre, comedy, tragedy, the wheelbarrow, the alphabet, advances in medicine and science, architectural wonders like the ancient Greek columns, incredible myths, tales of legends, heroes, and fables, to name a few. Theirs was a culture envied and copied by other ancient civilizations. Come meet the ancient Greeks. Learn how the brave ancient Greek hero Theseus escaped the maze! Meet the god Apollo's Oracle, where things are not always as they seem. Argue with Socrates, the great teacher. Read Aesop's fables, a collection of very short stories that are still popular today. Play interactive games about ancient Greece.

But first, a little background: Over two thousand five hundred (2,500+) years ago, ancient Greece was made up of many hundreds of Greek city-states, grouped together at the southern end of a very large peninsula that jutted out from Europe into the Mediterranean Sea. Smaller peninsulas stuck out from the main Greek peninsula, forming a great deal of natural coastline and many natural harbors. It's no wonder the Greeks were great sailors and fishermen!

A huge mountain range ran down the middle of the Greek peninsula. The people believed that the ancient Greek mystical world was ruled by a small group of powerful gods called the 12 Olympians who lived at the top of the highest mountain, Mount Olympus. Although you could try to climb to the top, you'd never make it because the top of Mount Olympus was hidden in fog and snow and magic. When things had to be decided in the mythical world, the council of 12 gods met on Mount Olympus to discuss things, which was a very Greek thing to do - talk it over first, and then either sign a legally binding document with agreed upon terms, go to war, or get even! That was the Greek way of doing things.

The Greeks told wonderful myths about their gods. Poseidon, lord of the sea, could raise his hand and a new island would appear! Apollo brought up the sun every day, and his twin sister Artemis brought up the moon. Most of the gods avoided Ares. Nobody liked him much, not even his father, the mighty Zeus, but Ares was the god of war, so you had to keep him on your side if you could. Speaking of the mighty Zeus, king of all the gods, Zeus probably caused more trouble than any of them, even more than Aphrodite, the goddess of love. The Greeks did not limit their myths to stories about the 12 powerful Olympians. They told stories about all the gods and goddesses and the magical, mythical creatures in which they believed.

Many of their mythical beings looked like people, but some looked like monsters, because, well .. they were! Fortunately, the ancient Greeks found a way to beat monsters, nearly always with trickery and cleverness, two skills that were greatly admired by the ancient Greeks.

Ancient Greece was not a country. It was not an empire. It was a collection of over 1500 independent city-states (little itty bitty to great big sprawling villages and towns.) At one point, there were over 2,500 ancient Greek city-states on one peninsula, but some of them were taken over by another ancient Greek city-state, and some combined for safety. There was no central government, no central army, and no king or queen of ancient Greece that ruled all the city-states. Rather, each city-state had its own form of government with the power to rule only that city-state, and each city-state had its own way of doing things. Some city-states, like ancient Corinth, were ruled by kings, but each king only ruled that particular city-state. Some, like the warrior city-state of Sparta, were ruled by councils. Ancient Athens, the jewel of the ancient Greek city-states, experimented with an early form of democracy.

As varied as they were in the way they governed themselves, when it came to culture and beliefs, the ancient Greek people had a great deal in common. The ancient Greeks spoke the same language. They worshiped the same gods. They told the same myths. They believed in beauty and honor. The ancient Greeks were very loyal to their city-state. But because of their common culture, they also recognized themselves as Greeks.

The ancient Greek city-states did, on occasion, team up against a common foe. They also went to war with each other, unless the ancient Olympic Games were in progress . The Greeks invented the Olympics, and took the event quite seriously. Nearly all the ancient Greek city-states sent teams to participate. If two or more Greek city-states happen to be at war with each other when the game date arrived, war was halted for the duration of the games. The Greek Olympics were not the only games in ancient Greece - the Greeks loved competition of all sorts - but the Olympics were the most important. Every city-state wanted to brag that their athletics (their statues, their theatre, their fabrics) were the best!

Welcome to Ancient Greece!

Ancient Greek Gods & Goddesses

Ancient Greek Mythical Monsters

Ancient Greek Myths - retold by Lin Donn Here are some of them:
Zeus, Hera, and Little Io The Competition, Athena and Poseidon Theseus, the Minotaur, and the Maze Dionysus and Ariadne Hades, Zeus, and the King of Corinth Icarus and Daedalus, Wings Baby Hercules &
The 12 Labors of Hercules Demeter and Persephone, Reason for the Seasons Apollo's Oracle at Delphi Apollo and Cassandra
The Magic Rocks - a myth about Ares, the god of war
Perseus, Andromeda, and the sea god, Poseidon Orpheus and Eurydice Eros & Psyche Aphrodite and the Trojan War
Prometheus and the Gift of Fire

Pandora's Box
Zeus and the Great Flood Zeus, Helios & Phaethon Three Tales of Echo - Hera, Narcissus, and Pan King Midas and the Golden Touch King Midas and the Donkey Ears Story of the Just Plain Rotten King Tantalus
Artemis and the Deer Hunter
Hermes & Apollo (cartoon PowerPoint, how Apollo got his lyre)Hades and the River Styx Greek Monster Myths Perseus and Medusa The Cyclops Cave & The Sirens The Truth About Myths
Ancient Greek Gods by name and powers

And More:

Worship, Temples, Sacred Sites

Acropolis & Parthenon

Greek Legends
Greek Fables
Gifts from the Greeks:

Free Interactive Games for Ancient Greece

Free PowerPoints about Ancient Greece

Mr. Donn's Interactive Free Quizzes with answers - TEST YOURSELF

For Teachers

Free Lesson Plans and Units for Teachers

Free Classroom Activities and Projects

Investigate Real Life Artifacts

Other Ancients

Explore other ancient cultures

Online interactive free games

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Ancient Greece for Kids - City-States, Gods, Goddesses, Myths, Daily Life, Inventions, Geography, Achievements, and more - Ancient Greece for Kids

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The ancient Greeks loved competitions and they loved to brag. To be fair, they had a great deal to brag about. The ancient Greeks gave us many gifts - the Olympics, democracy, the theatre, comedy, tragedy, the wheelbarrow, the alphabet, advances in medicine and science, architectural wonders like the ancient Greek columns, incredible myths, tales of legends, heroes, and fables, to name a few.

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Ancient Greece was located in what is now southern Europe and is made up of a mainland peninsula and hundreds of small islands. These islands are in the Ionian, Aegean, and Mediterranean Seas.

Here are some original maps we asked our illustrator, Phillip Martin, to create as part of our study of ancient Greece. These maps are free to use for teachers and students in your classroom or for your homework assignment. Right click and save any map you wish to your computer.

Map of Early Civilizations
Mycenaeans, Minoans, and Dorians

The Greek City-States of
Athens, Sparta, Argos, Corinth, and Megara

Map of the Trojan War between Sparta and Troy

Theseus and the Minotaur -
Theseus travels from Athens to Crete

See also:

Geography of Ancient Greece for Kids (Donn)

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Maps of Ancient Greece for Kids and Teachers

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Ancient Greece was located in what is now southern Europe and is made up of a mainland peninsula and hundreds of small islands. These islands are in the Ionian, Aegean, and Mediterranean Seas. Here are some original maps we asked our illustrator, Phillip Martin, to create as part of our study of ancient Greece.

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What was Democracy like over 2400 years ago in ancient Athens?

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What was Democracy like over 2400 years ago in ancient Athens?

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Ancient Athens Democracy for Kids and Teachers - Ancient Greece for Kids

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Each year, there was a drawing. Five hundred (500) names were drawn from a pool of all the citizens of ancient Athens. Those 500 citizens had to serve for one year. During that year, they were responsible for making new laws and for changing old laws as they saw fit.

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Kids learn about the Government of Ancient Greece. The history of this world civilization.

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Every four years, athletes from around the world gather to compete in events such as sprinting, long jump, discus, snowboarding, and figure skating as part of the Olympics. Their prize? Bragging rights for their home country-plus, you know, a shiny gold medal. Winners didn't always get a medal, though. Victors in the earliest Olympics won a crown of olive leaves.

READY, SET, GO!

The first known Olympics were held in the summer of 776 B.C. at Olympia, a site in southern Greece where people went to worship their gods. In fact, the Olympics were created in honor of ancient Greece's most famous god: Zeus, king of the gods. Athletes prayed to Zeus for victory and left gifts to thank him for their successes.

Worshipping Zeus was one of the few things the ancient Greeks agreed on. Divided into different city-states, or settlements, the Greeks were often at war with each other. But even in times of unrest, dueling city-states declared a truce so their athletes could take part in the Olympics. But unlike today's games, only men were allowed to compete-and they did so naked!

Many events, including sprinting and wrestling, are still part of the modern games. Other sports such as chariot racing are history. Here's another one that's long forgotten: Called the pankration, the event was known as the ultimate fighting sport. There were no weight classes, no time limits, and only two rules: no biting and no eye gouging. Ouch! Competitors fought until one gave up or died. Hm ... wonder why this sport disappeared?

TAKING HOME THE GOLD

The Romans eventually banned the Olympics in A.D. 393, after Rome conquered Greece in the second century B.C. But the games were revived in 1896 in Athens, Greece, and have been celebrated every four years since. And in 1924, the Winter Olympics were added to showcase chillier sports such as cross-country skiing, speed skating, and ice hockey.

Today thousands of athletes from hundreds of countries all over the world compete for the gold (or silver or bronze) in the summer and winter events. The modern Olympics aim to bring people from different parts of the world together and encourage friendly competition and peace among neighboring nations. Game on!
Want even more sports? Download this fun pack, filled with sports-themed games, quizzes, and more.

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Every four years, athletes from around the world gather to compete in events such as sprinting, long jump, discus, snowboarding, and figure skating as part of the Olympics. Their prize? Bragging rights for their home country-plus, you know, a shiny gold medal. Winners didn't always get a medal, though.

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Ancient Greek Olympics

In 776 B.C.E, about three thousand years ago, the first Olympic Games took place.

Originally, the games were part of a religious festival to honor Zeus.

He was the god of the sky and the leader of the Greek gods who lived on Mount Olympus, the highest mountain in Greece.

Where Were the Ancient Olympics Held?

The Olympics was one of four all-Greek (Pan Hellenic) games.

Even though the games were named after Mount Olympus they weren't played there. Instead they were held in the religious sanctuary of Olympia near Greece's southwest coast.

The land there was beautiful and rich with olive trees.

What Events and Awards Were Part of the Ancient Olympics?

At the beginning, the games were just short foot races designed to keep Greek men fit for the intensity of war.

The path for the foot races was about 700 feet long and straight.

It was also wide enough for twenty men to run side by side.

Only men who spoke Greek were allowed to take part in the races.

Men ran the races without any clothes on. Gradually, other events were added but there were no team sports like in the modern Olympics.

Prizes

There were no medals like the gold, silver, and bronze medals we have today.

There was only one winner and he was given a wreath of olive leaves as a prize.

But these weren't just any olive leaves. These olive leaves were taken from a sacred tree that was located at Olympia behind the temple dedicated to Zeus.

To reward his mastery of the events, a statue was built in the winner's honor.

The games were held once every four years in August.

Over time other events were added.

Horse races, chariot races, boxing, and wrestling were all popular events in addition to the foot races.

There was also a special event that consisted of five different sports activities: wrestling, running, the long jump, disc throwing, and spear throwing.

Were Women Allowed to Participate?

Married women were not allowed to attend the Olympics and women weren't allowed to compete in any of the events.

There was a separate women's festival that was called Heraia and was dedicated to the honor of Hera, the wife of Zeus.

A Special Truce

At the height of the games over 20,000-40,000 people attended.

The Olympics were so important to Greek culture that the city-states stopped all their battles and observed a special truce for a full month before the games started.

During this time, men could train for the events and participants could travel to the games without fear.

Merchants also traveled to the games to sell food and other items.

The Ancient Olympic games were held for over a thousand years and ended in 393 AD when the Roman emperor Theodosius banned them.

He had outlawed the worship of the ancient gods because of new beliefs in Christianity.

The buildings were eventually torn down and the city was buried under earthquakes and floods.

The Modern Olympics

The modern Olympics were started in 1896 by a French educator and historian by the name of Pierre de Coubertin.

Pierre loved sports and felt that the world's countries would have more of an opportunity for peace if they gathered together to play sports.

He designed the five color rings that are used to represent the Olympic Games today.

The rings stand for North and South America, Africa, Asia, Europe, and Australia.

At the beginning of the games a flame is lit.

The flame begins in Olympia and is passed from torch to torch until the location of the games is reached. The location changes every time the Olympic games are played.

Today the Olympic games are the largest sporting event in the world.

There are summer and winter games and over 30 sports are played.

Men and women from all over the world compete to win the gold, bronze, and silver medals.

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In 776 B.C.E, about three thousand years ago, the first Olympic Games took place. Originally, the games were part of a religious festival to honor Zeus. He was the god of the sky and the leader of the Greek gods who lived on Mount Olympus, the highest mountain in Greece.