civilization · c. 1200–146 BC
Ancient Greece
Ancient Greece was a Mediterranean civilization of independent city-states whose achievements in philosophy, democracy, art and science form the foundation of Western culture.
Key Takeaways
- Ancient Greece was organized around independent city-states like Athens and Sparta.
- It originated democracy, Western philosophy, and rational science.
- Greek culture spread across the Mediterranean and Near East after Alexander's conquests.
- Type
- Civilization of city-states
- Cultural center
- Athens
- Famous for
- Democracy, philosophy, theatre
Spanning the Archaic, Classical and Hellenistic ages, Ancient Greece gave the world democracy, philosophy, theatre, the Olympic Games, and the rational study of nature.
Ancient Greece was not a single state but a constellation of fiercely independent city-states sharing a language, religion and culture. From this competitive landscape emerged the foundations of Western civilization.
In Classical Greece, Athens nurtured the philosophers Socrates, Plato and Aristotle, while Greek art, theatre and political thought set patterns the West follows still.
Key Achievements
- Invented democracy in Athens.
- Founded Western philosophy and formal logic.
- Created enduring forms of drama, sculpture and architecture.
Notable Figures of Ancient Greece
Socrates
95Socrates was a classical Greek philosopher credited as a founder of Western philosophy, famous for the Socratic method of questioning and for his trial and execution in Athens.
Plato
96Plato was a Greek philosopher who founded the Academy in Athens, wrote the foundational dialogues of Western philosophy, and developed the influential theory of Forms.
Aristotle
98Aristotle was a Greek philosopher and polymath whose writings on logic, ethics, biology, politics and metaphysics shaped Western thought for over two millennia.
Alexander the Great
96Alexander the Great was the king of Macedon who built one of the largest empires in history by his early thirties, spreading Greek culture across three continents.
Archimedes
94Archimedes was an ancient Greek mathematician, physicist and inventor, widely regarded as the greatest mathematician of antiquity and a founder of mathematical physics and engineering.
Aristotle
98Aristotle was a Greek philosopher and polymath whose writings on logic, ethics, biology, politics and metaphysics shaped Western thought for over two millennia.
Euclid
91Euclid was an ancient Greek mathematician, the "father of geometry", whose treatise the Elements is the most influential mathematics textbook ever written.
Hippocrates
88Hippocrates was an ancient Greek physician regarded as the father of Western medicine, who established medicine as a rational discipline distinct from superstition and inspired the Hippocratic Oath.
Homer
95Homer was the legendary ancient Greek poet to whom the great epics the Iliad and the Odyssey are attributed, foundational works of Western literature.
Plato
96Plato was a Greek philosopher who founded the Academy in Athens, wrote the foundational dialogues of Western philosophy, and developed the influential theory of Forms.
Pythagoras
90Pythagoras was an ancient Greek mathematician and philosopher who founded the Pythagorean school and is remembered for the Pythagorean theorem and the idea that number underlies the cosmos.
Socrates
95Socrates was a classical Greek philosopher credited as a founder of Western philosophy, famous for the Socratic method of questioning and for his trial and execution in Athens.
Zeno of Citium
86Zeno of Citium was an ancient Greek philosopher who founded Stoicism, teaching that virtue and reason are the path to a good life, in lectures given at the Painted Porch (Stoa) in Athens.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Ancient Greece known for?
Ancient Greece is known for inventing democracy, founding Western philosophy, and pioneering drama, art and science.