Greek World

Prehistory (ca. 3000-1100 B.C.)
The Greek Bronze Age started around 3000 B.C. when the people were able to work metal. Their settlements grew and prospered because of, among other things, the cultivation of grapes and olives. The people of the Cyclades, the islands in the middle of the Aegean Sea, fashioned marble statues, the so-called Cycladic idols. Most of them represent naked women. Most probably they referred to fertility. Little is today known about this civilization, which flourished from around 3000 to 2000 B.C. In Crete the Minoan culture, named after the mythological king Minos of Knossos, started ca. 200 B.C. The focal point of the settlements were the palaces, with ground plans resembling labyrinths. Archaeological finds reveal that the bull played a major part in religious rituals. This would be the environment in which we would expect to find the origin of the Greek myth of the Minotaur, the bull-headed man who lived at Knossos in a labyrinth. When the palaces were destroyed in about 1450 B.C. only Knossos was spared. The material remains demonstrate that the new inhabitants were Mycenaeans who crossed over from the mainland . Around 1550 B.C. the Greek-speaking Mycenaeans, named after their main settlement Mycenae, arrived on the Greek mainland. This pugnacious people built huge citadels from stones which were so large that the later Greeks believed the legendary Cyclopes had constructed them. For a long time the Mycenaeans remained a major power in the eastern Mediterranean region. Later, in about 1100-900 B.C., a time of turmoil and migration began in Greece, the so-called Dark Age. The old Mycenaean culture, with its Cretan elements, was not entirely destroyed, however, and became mixed with that of other peoples. The result is the direct source of the Greek civilization, which emerged after the centuries of confusion.

Geometric period (ca. 900-700 B.C.)
The Geometric period is named after the geometric motifs of its pottery. In the eighth century B.C. the so-called city-state (polis) appeared. During the eighth century more trade steadily took place and the Greeks came into contact with other peoples. The alphabet was introduced, which the Greeks borrowed from the Phoenicians. At the same time Homer must have written his renowned Iliad and Odyssey. Olympia hosted the first Olympic Games in 776 B.C.

Orientalizing period (ca. 700-600 B.C.)
Widespread trading relations with the Near East brought not only Near Eastern objects, but also artisans themselves to Greece. The Greeks adapted for their own purposes many ideas, techniques and pictorial representations which were common in the Near East and Egypt. The process resulted in the so-called orientalizing period. At this time Corinth was the major centre of trade and manufacturing. Large amounts of Corinthian pottery have been discovered all over the Mediterranean basin. By the second quarter of the sixth century Athens assumed the role of leading pottery producer.

Archaic period (ca. 600-480 B.C.)
In the sixth century B.C. Solon laid down his reforms as law in Athens. His reforms laid the basis for the later Athenian democracy that was established in 510 B.C. A crucial point in western history is Athens' defeat of Persia. In 490 B.C. the Athenians routed the Persians in the famous battle of Marathon. But the Persians came back ten years later, in 480 B.C., and destroyed Athens. Nevertheless, the Athenians achieved a crushing victory over the Persian fleet near the island of Salamis. Persia's definitive defeat occurred a year later.

Classical period (ca. 480-323 B.C.)
The fifth century saw an extraordinary cultural bloom in Greece and especially in Athens. This period has also been characterized by the great philosophers, tragedians and historians. Additionally, an incredible artistic level was reached, which still counts as one of the highest levels of naturalistic art forms. Many examples of the splendid sculptures and pottery are on display in the museum. Athens lost its 'empire' in the Peloponnesian War between Athens and Sparta, which was ultimately won by the Spartans (431-404 B.C.). In the following period other cities fought for hegemony in Greece. In the north Macedonia gains power. The Greek cities underestimated the threat of the Macedonian armies and were overrun by the Macedonian troops. In 334 B.C. the Macedonian King Alexander the Great set out on his legendary campaigns in the east. He conquered all of Asia Minor, Phoenicia, Egypt and Mesopotamia where he died in Babylon in 323 B.C.

Hellenistic period (ca. 323-30 B.C)
Alexander championed the politics of ethnic integration across his diverse world empire. Culturally, the policy had far-reaching consequences for the Greek homeland: influences travelled back and forth between it and the east. This new culture is known as Hellenism. After several wars Alexander's empire was divided into three large regions: Macedonia/Greece, Syria and Egypt. With the Roman conquest of Greece in the second century B.C., this final period of prosperity came to an end. The Greek culture penetrated into Roman society to such an extent that Roman poet Horace wondered who conquered who.