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Explore Ancient Greece

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Explore Ancient Greece - The Children's University of Manchester

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Persian Wars

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Persian Wars

History >> Ancient Greece

The Persian Wars were a series of wars fought between the Persians and the Greeks from 492 BC to 449 BC.

Who were the Persians?

ThePersian Empire was the largest and most powerful empire in the world at the time of the Persian Wars. They controlled land that stretched from Egypt all the way to India.

Map of the Persian Empire by Unknown
Click map to see larger version

Who were the Greeks?

The Greeks were made up of a number of city-states such as Sparta and Athens. Typically these city-states fought each other, but they united to fight against the Persians.

Ionians

The Ionians were Greeks that lived along the coast ofTurkey. They were conquered by the Persians. When the Ionians decided to revolt they asked Athens and other Greek cities for help. The other Greek cities sent ships and weapons, but were quickly defeated. The Persians didn't like this and decided to conquer the rest of the Greek cities in order to keep them under control.

First Invasion of Greece

Darius I, King of Persia, decided he wanted to conquer the Greeks in 490 BC. He gathered a vast army of soldiers that outnumbered any army the Greeks could muster. They boarded the Persian fleet and headed to Greece.

Battle of Marathon

The Persian fleet landed at the Bay of Marathon, about 25 miles from the city of Athens. The Persians had a lot more soldiers, but they underestimated the fighting capability of the Greeks. The army of Athens routed the Persian army killing around 6,000 Persians and only losing 192 Greeks.

After the battle, the Athenian army ran the 25 miles back to Athens in order to prevent the Persians from attacking the city. This is the origin of the Marathon running race.

Second Invasion of Greece

Ten years later, in 480 BC, the son of Darius I, King Xerxes, decided to get his revenge on the Greeks. He amassed a huge army of over 200,000 soldiers and 1,000 warships.

Battle of Thermopylae

The Greeks put together a small force, led by the Spartan King Leonidas I and 300 Spartans. They decided to meet the Persians at a narrow pass in the mountains called Thermopylae. The Greeks held off the Persians killing thousands, until the Persians found a way around the mountains and got behind the Greeks. King Leonidas told most of his troops to flee, but stayed behind with a small force including his 300 Spartans in order to allow the rest of the Greek army to escape. The Spartans fought to the death, killing as many Persians as they could.

Battle of Salamis

The Persian army continued to march on Greece. When they arrived at the city of Athens, they found it deserted. The people of Athens had fled. The Athenian fleet, however, was waiting off the coast by the island of Salamis.

The much larger Persian fleet attacked the small Athenian ships. They were sure of victory. However, the Athenian ships, called triremes, were fast and maneuverable. They rammed into the sides of the large Persian ships and sunk them. They soundly defeated the Persians causing Xerxes to retreat back to Persia.

Map of the Battle of Salamis
from the US Military Academy
Click map to see larger version

Interesting Facts about the Persian Wars

After the first invasion, the Athenians built up a mighty fleet of ships called triremes.

The Persian Empire would eventually be conquered by the Greeks under the leadership of Alexander the Great.

The movie 300 is about the Spartans who fought at Thermopylae.

The Gates of Fire by Steven Pressfield is a famous book about the Battle of Thermopylae.

Xerxes, king of Persia, had his golden throne carried along so he could watch the Greeks be defeated by his army from a nearby hillside. He must have been pretty disappointed!

Activities

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Works Cited

History >> Ancient Greece

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Kids learn about the Persians Wars of Ancient Greece fought between Persia and the Greek city-states.

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Trojan War Graphic Novel

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Trojan War Lesson Plan

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Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this lesson, students will be able to:

explain key events and battles of the Trojan War

list the people who were pivotal in the war

describe the significance of the Trojan Horse

Length

1 to 1.5 hours

Curriculum Standards

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.2

Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary of the source distinct from prior knowledge or opinions.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.3

Identify key steps in a text's description of a process related to history/social studies (e.g., how a bill becomes law, how interest rates are raised or lowered).

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.5

Describe how a text presents information (e.g., sequentially, comparatively, causally).

Materials

White paper

Tape

A worksheet created using the quiz associated with the text lesson

Instructions

Write the following words on the board: 'Trojan War.'

Now have the students read the 'Trojan War' and 'Fact or Fiction' sections of the text lesson What is the Trojan War? - Summary, Facts & Heroes.

Review the content of both sections with them through class discussion as you address the following question:
How did the discoveries of the ancient city change what we know about the Trojan War?

Ask the students to read the rest of the text lesson now.

As the students are reading, make four simple signs out of white paper, labeled as follows in large block letters: PEOPLE, EVENTS, HORSE, and BATTLES.

Tape the signs in the four corners of the classroom.

Divide the students into four groups.

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Upon completion of this lesson, students will be able to: explain key events and battles of the Trojan War list the people who were pivotal in the war describe the significance of the Trojan Horse 1 to 1.5 hours CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.2 Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary of the source distinct from prior knowledge or opinions.

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Peloponnesian War Explained

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Athens vs Sparta (Peloponnesian War explained in 6 minutes)

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Persians & Greeks

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The Persians & Greeks: Crash Course World History #5

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Places and Institutions - Children's Book/Novel

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Places and Institutions - Children's Book/Novel

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A History of Ancient Athens and Sparta

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Places and Institutions - Interactive Activity

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Places and Institutions - Interactive Activity

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Athens and Sparta Interactive Activity

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About

Both Athens and Sparta hold historic value for Greece and the world. Athens is the capital and the largest city of Greece. It is a center for economic, political, financial and culture life in Greece. Athens is the symbol of freedom, art, and democracy in the conscience of the civilized world. Athens took its name from the goddess Athena, the goddess of wisdom and knowledge.

Sparta, a town near the river Evrotas, is located in the center of the Peloponnese in southern Greece. Sparta was the Dorian Greek military state, considered as the protector of Greece as it was providing large army to Greece for many years. At present, Sparta is the administrative capital of the prefecture of Laconia.

History

Athens has been continuously inhabited for at least 3,000 years, becoming the leading city of ancient Greece in the first millennium BCE; its cultural achievements during the 5th century BCE laid the foundations of western civilization. During the Middle Ages, the city experienced decline and then recovery under the Byzantine Empire, and was relatively prosperous during the Crusades, as they benefitted from Italian trade. After a long period of decline under the rule of the Ottoman Empire, Athens reemerged in the 19th century as the capital of the independent Greek state.

Tradition relates that Sparta was founded by its first king, Lacedaemon, son of Zeus and Taygete, who named the city after his wife, the daughter of Eurotas, around 1000 BCE. Some eighty years after the Trojan War, according to the traditional chronology, Dorian migration from the north took place and eventually led to the rise of classical Sparta - famous as a martial power, foe of the Persian Empire, and eventual conqueror of Athens. After conquering many kingdoms and warring with many communities, Sparta spread to a major empire around 400 BCE. This was also the time of Athens' fall, which proclaimed Sparta superior in the constant war of the two empires. In medieval times, the city of Sparta was destroyed by many invasions. Modern day Sparta, which is known as Sparti in Greece, was rebuilt around 1834.

Beliefs and Culture

Athens and Sparta differed in their ideas of getting along with the rest of the Greek empires. Sparta seemed to be content with themselves and provided their army whenever required. That is why it considered itself as the protector of the Greek. On the other hand, Athens wanted to take control of more and more land in Greece. This idea eventually led to war between the Greeks. Sparta had a powerful army and Athens knew that they could not beat them but they had the power of a naval unit which Sparta didn't have.

What the two communities had in common was that they were both thinkers. They worshiped their gods and respected people. They loved beauty, music, literature, drama, philosophy, politics, art, and sports. It could be said that some even loved battle itself.

Where they differed was that while the Spartans had militaristic values, Athenians were democratic. The Spartans emphasized only on expanding their power and gaining control over other kingdoms while the Athenians also grew infrastructure wise in ancient times. They understood the importance of such growth and concentrated on them besides on military strength.

Government in ancient Athens and Sparta

The Athenian form of electing a government was a limited democracy. Athens was perhaps the earliest democracy, which means "rule by the people" - "demos" (people, or the masses) and "kratis" (rule). Every year, 5,000-6,000 men were narrowed down to a group of 500, who would then be divided into groups of 50. Each would take charge for about a month, and ten generals were automatically elected due to their experience. Others were chosen by a method called 'lot' voting. The Athenian assembly, known as the "ekklesia", sat to discuss political, militaristic and social matters and agendas in the pnyx. This was an area near the markets and social center of Athens, the "agora". Slaves and women did not have the right to vote, let alone be part of the ruling assembly.

The Spartan form of government was an oligarchy (rule by a few. The Ancient Greek "oligos" translates to "few", while "archia" means "rule".). Sparta had elements of monarchy (rule by kings), democracy (through the election of council/senators), and aristocracy (rule by the upper class or land owning class). Sparta had two kings, who ruled for life and passed on the crowns to their chosen sons. In addition, five Ephors were elected annually. The Spartan equivalent of the senate was its "gerousia", while Ephors and the kings would regularly attend the "apella" (general assembly) to develop and try to pass "rhetrai", or motions and decrees. Other purposes of the general assembly were to vote on and pass legislation and make civil decisions. The process by which this was undertaken was by a simple shouting of 'yes' or 'no'.

As a group, the five Ephors in Sparta had the power to overrule the kings, but tended to not use this power and limit themselves to religious and military duties. Sparta's system of government was very exclusive and open to members of only the highest social standing.

Lifestyle

Compared to the simple lifestyle of the Spartan people, Athenians had a very modern and open outlook. Unlike Sparta, in Athens, boys were not forced to join the army. As an Athenian, one could get a good education and could pursue several kinds of arts and sciences. Sparta people were not open to education and they only concentrated on military strength and obedience and they didn't interact much with the outside world.

Interaction with other Greek states

Sparta was content to keep to itself and provided army and assistance when necessary to other states. Athens, on the other hand, wanted to control more and more of the land around them. This eventually led to war between all the Greeks.

Climate

Athens had a Mediterranean climate with great amount of precipitation, whereas Sparta had fairly temperate but very dry climate. Due to soil erosion and less vegetation, water was a very scanty commodity in Sparta.

Women of Athens and Sparta

Family ties in Athens were stronger and women were legally the dependents of their husbands or their father. They could own no property apart from the family. In Sparta, women had rights that other Greek women did not have. In Sparta women were stronger and they formed liaisons with men as they chose. They could also own property by themselves. In Athens women did chores such as weaving or cooking, but in Sparta the women were free of all such chores.

War Between Athens and Sparta

Athens and Sparta were two rival city-states, while the latter had very well trained military and soldiers, the former boasted of a good navy. Athens and its allies, known as the Delian League, came into conflict with the Spartans and the Peloponnesian league, and in 431 BC a war broke out between the two cities - a war based on trade routes, rivalries, and tributes paid by smaller dependent states.

This conflict, the Peloponnesian War, essentially was a 28-year period of on and off civil war among Greek city-states. (A city-state was a city, such as Athens, and the surrounding country under its influence and protection; Athens and its surrounding area, known as Attica, was about the size of Rhode Island). Sparta had a clear military advantage on land, but the Athenian navy surpassed Sparta's capabilities at sea; neither side was able to seize and maintain the upper hand. Both sides experienced major victories and crushing defeats, and the war was frequently interrupted by periods of negotiated peace. The war ended in 404 BC with the defeat of Athens and its democracy.

Economy

Sparta was mainly an agricultural land because of its inland location. The most important imports were metals. In Sparta, men were mainly warriors; others were slaves. Their economy was mainly based on agriculture. Athens economy was dependent more upon trade. Athens became the foremost trading power of the Mediterranean by the 5th century BC.

Claim to Fame

Athens has found its name in Greek history for its undying wisdom and concentration on infrastructural development and Sparta for its military power.

References

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What's the difference between Athens and Sparta? The cities of Athens and Sparta were bitter rivals in ancient Greece. Geographically they are very close to each other, but have sometimes had very different values, lifestyles, and cultures. About Both Athens and Sparta hold historic value for Greece a...

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Places and Institutions - Class Activity

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Places and Institutions - Class Activity

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Library of Alexandria Lesson Plan

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Learning Objectives

Upon completion of the lesson, students will be able to:

identify the importance of the Library of Alexandria

describe the reasons Alexandria became a popular location for Hellenistic scholars, philosophers, and historians

Length

1 hour

Materials

Curriculum Standards

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.11-12.1

Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources, connecting insights gained from specific details to an understanding of the text as a whole.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.11-12.2

Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary that makes clear the relationships among the key details and ideas.

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library of alexandria lesson plan | study.com

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Library of Alexandria Lesson Plan | Study.com

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Upon completion of the lesson, students will be able to: identify the importance of the Library of Alexandria describe the reasons Alexandria became a popular location for Hellenistic scholars, philosophers, and historians 1 hour CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.11-12.1 Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources, connecting insights gained from specific details to an understanding of the text as a whole.

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Places and Institutions - Primary Source

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Places and Institutions - Primary Source

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Athens and Sparta: Similar Yet Different

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Athens and Sparta: Similar Yet Different

The two rivals of ancient Greece that made the most noise and gave us the most traditions were Athens and . They were close together on a map, yet far apart in what they valued and how they lived their lives.

One of the main ways they were similar was in their form of government. Both Athens and Sparta had an Assembly, whose members were elected by the people. Sparta was ruled by two kings, who ruled until they died or were forced out of office. Athens was ruled by archons, who were elected annually. Thus, because both parts of Athens' government had leaders who were elected, Athens is said to have been the birthplace of democracy.

Spartan life was simple. The focus was on obedience and war. Slavery made this possible by freeing the young men from household and industrial duties and allowing them to focus on their military duties. Young boys were trained to be warriors; young girls were trained to be mothers of warriors.

Athenian life was a creative wonderland. As an Athenian, you could get a good education and could pursue any of several kinds of arts or sciences. You could serve in the army or navy, but you didn't have to. (This applied only to boys, however: Girls were restricted to other pursuits, not war or business or education.)

For many years, Spartan armies provided much of the defense of the Greek lands. The Spartan heroism at the Battle of Thermopylae , during the Persian Wars , inspired all of Greece to fight back with all their might against the invading Persians. Athenian and Spartan fought side by side in the Battle of Plataea , which ended Persian invasions of Greece.

One way that Athens and Sparta really differed was in their idea of getting along with the rest of the Greeks. Sparta seemed content to keep to itself and provide army and assistance when necessary. Athens, on the other hand, wanted to control more and more of the land around them. This eventually led to war between all the Greeks. This was the Peloponnesian War. After many years of hard fighting, Sparta won the war. In true Greek spirit, Sparta refused to burn the city of Athens. Rather, the culture and spirit of Athens was allowed to live on, as long as the Athenians no longer desired to rule their fellow Greeks. In this way, the influence of Athens remained and grew stronger. Other city-states had the same kinds of temples, buildings, and meeting-places, but it was Athens that became most famous.

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Athens and Sparta: Similar Yet Different

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Athens and Sparta: Similar Yet Different The two rivals of ancient Greece that made the most noise and gave us the most traditions were Athens and . They were close together on a map, yet far apart in what they valued and how they lived their lives.

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Learn About Minoans and Mycenaeans

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Learn About Minoans And Mycenaens | Animated Fact of World | World Civilization Facts for Kids

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Alexander the Great Lesson Plan

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Build on What You Know While the Greek city-states were busy fighting each other, a new power was rising in the north. The king there was strong. You have learned that a strong ruler can often unite a divided people.

Philip II, King of Macedonia - Philip had dreams of defeating both the Greeks and the Persians.

ESSENTIAL QUESTION Who conquered the Greek city-states?

The new power to the north of Greece was the country of Macedonia (MAS*ih*DOH*nee*uh). Its king, Philip II, was 23 years old, strong and fearless. He had plans to build an empire that included the lands of Greece and of Persia.

A Military Genius As a teenager, Philip had been a hostage in the Greek city of Thebes. There he observed its army and its military tactics. Philip learned of the advantages of a professional army, or an army of full-time soldiers, rather than one made up of citizen-soldiers.
Philip organized a well-trained professional army. He devised new battle formations and tactics. He experimented with the combined use of cavalry and infantry. He supplied his soldiers with new weapons, like the catapult. A is a military machine that was used to hurl stones at enemy forces and city walls. His soldiers also used battering rams to smash through closed gates.

Alexander the Great - The detail is from this mosaic. It shows Philip's son, Alexander, in battle.

Philip Conquers Greece After conquering the lands around Macedonia, Philip focused on the Greek city-states. After the Peloponnesian War, the Greeks were too weak and disorganized to unite against Philip. In 338 B.C., Philip completed the conquest of the Greeks. Philip became the ruler of the Greek city-states. His dictatorial rule ended Greek democratic practices. He brought Greek troops into his army and prepared to attack Persia.

Alexander Takes Over However, in 336 B.C., Philip was assassinated at his daughter's wedding. His 20-year-old son Alexander took the throne. Many wondered if such a young man was ready to take control of Macedonia.
Alexander Tries to Conquer the World
ESSENTIAL QUESTION How did Alexander build an empire?

Alexander was well-prepared for the job of king. He had been tutored by the finest Greek scholars and trained in the Macedonian army. He continued his father's plan of creating an empire.

Before Alexander could attack Persia, the Greek city-state of Thebes rebelled. Alexander destroyed the city. His cruel tactics made other Greek city-states too fearful to rebel. Next, Alexander moved his troops to Anatolia, where he attacked and defeated Persian forces. He used bold tactics, such as using thousands of troops to charge straight at the enemy. In the beginning, Alexander met sharp resistance from the Persians, but he was successful. Alexander Defeats Persia
Next, instead of going directly to Persia, he turned south and entered Egypt, which the Persians controlled. The Egyptians welcomed Alexander because they hated the Persians. They even chose him to be their pharaoh. Alexander then moved his forces from Egypt across Mesopotamia toward Persia. Finally, he struck Persepolis, the royal capital of the Persians. By 331 B.C., Alexander controlled the Persian Empire.

Alexander - Alexander rides his favorite horse Bucephalus.

In the next three years, Alexander pushed his armies eastward to conquer parts of Central Asia. In 326 B.C., they reached the Indus River Valley and India. Alexander urged his armies to continue eastward, but they refused to go any further. They had been fighting for 11 years and had marched thousands of miles from home. Alexander was forced to turn back. Alexander's Other Conquests
In 323 B.C., Alexander and his armies returned to Babylon. While they paused there, Alexander fell ill with a fever and died within days. He was 32 years old. Although he did not live to an old age, he managed to create a great empire. Because of his achievements, he is remembered as .
Alexander did not have time to unify his empire. After he died, military leaders fought among themselves to gain control of the empire. Not one of Alexander's generals was strong enough to take control of the entire empire. Eventually, three key generals divided the empire.

ESSENTIAL QUESTION How did culture change under Alexander's rule?

Alexander and his armies carried their culture and customs everywhere they went. As Alexander conquered one land after another, he set up colonies. He also built cities based on Greek culture. He named many of them Alexandria, after himself. The historian Plutarch, who lived a few centuries later, wrote that Alexander actually named 70 cities Alexandria.

Alexander left Greeks behind to rule his lands. Greek became the common language in the lands he controlled. At the same time, Alexander adopted Persian clothing styles and Persian customs. He urged his armies to do the same. Some of the Greek settlers married Persian women and adopted Persian ways. In Egypt, the Greek rulers accepted Egyptian culture and blended it with Greek styles. In India, the same blending occurred. A Blend of Cultures
This blend of Greek, Persian, Egyptian, and Indian styles and customs became known as culture. Hellas was the Greek name for Greece. This culture influenced the lands of the empire for hundreds of years. Learning was especially affected by the mingling of cultures. The combined knowledge of the Greeks, Egyptians, Arabs, and Indians made new discoveries possible in science and medicine.

Alexandria The most famous of the Hellenistic cities was , Egypt, which Alexander founded in 332 B.C. The city was an important center of learning until the second century A.D. A library there contained major collections of Greek, Persian, Egyptian, Hebrew, and other texts. Scholars from the Mediterranean area and from Asia came to Alexandria to study.

Iranian Manuscript - This manuscript depicts Hellenistic art. Aristotle, a Greek thinker, teaches astronomy to Persians. He is dressed in Persian-style clothing.

Also located in Alexandria was the Temple of the Muses. Muses are goddesses who rule the arts and sciences. Many examples of the arts and sciences were stored there. Today we call such a location a museum. Alexandria also had an enormous lighthouse whose light could be seen 35 miles away. It is considered one of the Seven Wonders of the World.

Lighthouse at Alexandria - The image above is an artist's idea of what the lighthouse may have looked like.

Summary
* Philip II, king of Macedonia, conquered Greece.
* Alexander the Great conquered the Persian Empire and parts of Central Asia.
* Hellenistic culture-a blend of Greek, Persian, Egyptian, and Indian cultures-was created.

Why It Matters Now . . .
The blended culture created by Alexander's empire forms a basis for culture in the countries that exist in those lands today.

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Build on What You Know While the Greek city-states were busy fighting each other, a new power was rising in the north. The king there was strong. You have learned that a strong ruler can often unite a divided people. Philip II, King of Macedonia - Philip had dreams of defeating both the Greeks and the Persians.

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Aesop's Fables for Children

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Aesop's Fables is a collection of fables written by a slave and story-teller who lived in Ancient Greece between 620 and 560 BC. Aesop's Fables are mostly short animal stories with each fable ending with a moral advice. His fables are some of the most well known in the world. The fables remain a popular choice for moral education of children today. Many stories included in Aesop's Fables, such as "The Fox and the Grapes", "The Tortoise and the Hare", "The North Wind and the Sun", and "The Ant and the Grasshopper" are well-known throughout the world. In this first book of the series, there are about 80 fables written by Aesop and are heavily illustrated. These stories teach moral lessons, often with animals. It is a pleasure to publish this new, high quality, and affordable edition.

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Aesop's Fables - Book 1: 80 Short Stories for Children - Illustrated|NOOK Book

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Aesop's Fables is a collection of fables written by a slave and story-teller who lived in Ancient Greece between 620 and 560 BC. Aesop's Fables are mostly short animal stories with each fable ending with a moral advice. His fables are some of the most well known in the world.

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Greek Philosophers Interactive Matching Activity

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Learn about Socrates, Aristotle, and Plato, three great thinkers who all lived in a similar time period. These Greek philosophers influenced wars, politics, and lifestyles. All three lived in Greece during an age of philosophy and while they shared some similar thoughts, some were very different. Can you match each statement to the men they refer to?
Click here for full screen More 6th-8th Grade History Activities
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K12 Intermediate World History A surveys the story of the human past from the period before written records, prehistory, through the fourteenth century. The course is organized chronologically and, within broad eras, regionally. The course focus is the story of the human past and change over time, including the development of religion, philosophy, the arts, and science and technology. Geography concepts and skills are introduced as they appear in the context of the historical narrative. Students explore what archaeologists and historians have learned about the earliest hunter-gatherers and farmers and then move to a study of the four river valley civilizations. After a brief writing unit, they study the origins of Confucianism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Judaism and the eras in which they developed. The second half of the course traces the story of classical Greece and Rome, the Byzantine Empire, the origins of Christianity and Islam, and then continues through the fourteenth century in Europe, North Africa, and East Asia. Historical thinking skills are a key component of Intermediate World History. Students practice document and art analysis, conduct research, and write in a variety of formats. They also practice map reading skills and look at how historians draw conclusions about the past as well as what those conclusions are.
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6th-8th Grade History Learning Activity: 3 Great Greek Philosophers - Learning Liftoff

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Learn about Socrates, Aristotle, and Plato, three great thinkers who all lived in a similar time period. These Greek philosophers influenced wars, politics, and lifestyles. All three lived in Greece during an age of philosophy and while they shared some similar thoughts, some were very different.

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The Minoans

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The Minoans lived on the island of Crete. They were a very advanced people. They were ruled by a king, so they had a central government. They had a really strong navy, being an island culture. They had beautiful art and statues. They had running water for drinking and bathing. They even had toilets that flushed! The Greeks never conquered the Minoans. But they knew each other. The Greeks traded with the Minoans.

The Minoan capital city was the city of Knossos. That's where the king lived. His palace was amazing. It supposedly had 1500 rooms. But even the poor people on the island of Crete had beautiful homes, decorated with drawings of the sea. Most had 4 bedrooms. Minoan kings shared their wealth with the people in the form of art, surplus food, and architecture.

The Minoans had a written language. Scholars and archaeologists have discovered a great deal about their daily life from the records they left behind. They also learned about them from the pictures they found painted on the ruins of the walls of their homes.

Scholars believe that the ancient Minoans enjoyed a rather odd sporting event. There are paintings of both boys and girls jumping over the horns of snorting bulls. It would appear that this was a most popular sport.

About 2,500 years ago, much of the island was destroyed by an earthquake, but the Minoans rebuilt. About 200 years later, much of the island was destroyed by tidal waves, triggered by an erupting volcano. After the volcano, there is no record of the Minoan civilization. Perhaps they moved to some other place. No one knows.

The ancient Greek storytellers had a lot of fun with stories about the Minoans. One of our favorites is about the Minotaur, the horrible beas - half man, half bull - who made his home at the heart of a maze near the king's splendid (1500 room!) palace.
Theseus and the Minotaur (Greek myth) Icarus and Daedalus, Wings The Cretan Bull, the 7th Labor of Hercules
QUIZ: Early Ancient Greece (Interactive with answers)

QUIZ: Ancient Greek Gods, Goddesses, and Myths (Interactive with answers)

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report this ad The Minoans lived on the island of Crete. They were a very advanced people. They were ruled by a king, so they had a central government. They had a really strong navy, being an island culture. They had beautiful art and statues. They had running water for drinking and bathing.

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British Museum, Ancient Greece Interactive Timeline

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Ancient Greece - Time - The British Museum

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Origins of the Olympics Video

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The ancient origins of the Olympics - Armand D'Angour

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Classical Greece Lesson Plan

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Ancient Greece Lesson Plan for 6th Grade

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This Ancient Greece Lesson Plan is suitable for 6th Grade. Sixth graders study and engage in a variety of activities surrounding the many aspects of Ancient Greece. They discuss the controversy surrounding The Elgin Marbles and write a letter to the museum curator persuading him to agree with their solution.

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Percy Jackson's Greek Gods - Rick Riardon

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Series: Percy Jackson and the Olympians

"A publisher in New York asked me to write down what I know about the Greek gods, and I was like, Can we do this anonymously? Because I don't need the Olympians mad at me again. But if it helps you to know your Greek gods, and survive an encounter with them if they ever show up in your face, then I guess writing all this down will be my good deed for the week."
So begins Percy Jackson's Greek Gods, in which the son of Poseidon adds his own magic-and sarcastic asides-to the classics. He explains how the world was created, then gives readers his personal take on a who's who of ancients, from Apollo to Zeus. Percy does not hold back. "If you like horror shows, blood baths, lying, stealing, backstabbing, and cannibalism, then read on, because it definitely was a Golden Age for all that." Dramatic full-color illustrations throughout by Caldecott Honoree John Rocco make this volume-a must for home, library, and classroom shelves-as stunning as it is entertaining.

Disney Hyperion 9781423183648

Rick Riordan is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, the Kane Chronicles, the Heroes of Olympus, and Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard

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Series: Percy Jackson and the Olympians "A publisher in New York asked me to write down what I know about the Greek gods, and I was like, Can we do this anonymously? Because I don't need the Olympians mad at me again.

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Ancient Greek Government for Kids

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