ANCIENT GREECE: A NICE PLACE TO VISIT BUT WOULD YOU WANT TO LIVE THERE?

ARE YOU TOUGH ENOUGH?

Greece was not an easy place to live. The harsh terrain of Greece led people to settle in Egypt and Mesopotamia long before they attempted to make their homes in this region. Rugged mountains made travel hard, the soil was poor for farming and there was not enough fresh water available. The region was also geologically unstable with active volcanoes and earthquakes.

SMOOTH SAILING

What Greece did offer was a pleasant climate and many miles of coastline with easy access to the Mediterranean Sea. Naturally, sailors found their way to Greece and communities formed along the water's edge. Fishing, shipbuilding and sailing became the focus of these communities. The Greeks developed trade routes throughout the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea. Many Greeks made their living along these routes by selling, trading and buying goods.

RISKY TRADING

Greeks became known for their unique clay pottery, flavorful wine and quality olive oil. Clay perfume bottles from Corinth and Rhodes were popular. Shaped like hollow doughnuts, these novelty bottles were painted with decorative patterns and came topped with a clay stopper. These and many other types of pottery were exported in large quantities. Olive oil, which was used as both a cooking oil and a body oil, was widely used by the Greeks and was also made for export. The hillside landscape of Greece and the climate's moderate temperatures were also ideal for growing grapes. Vineyards produced enough grapes to make wine for use at home and for export.

Many natural resources were not available to Greeks living on the Aegean Sea. Greeks living in Athens and on the many islands to the south often traded goods with countries such as Egypt and with other more distant Greek city-states throughout the Mediterranean and Black Sea. Grain, ivory, flax and slaves were imported from Egypt. Grain was brought in from Sicily. Iron and copper came from northern locations such as Thrace and Etruria. Timber was shipped in from Macedonia and Sicily.

Trade routes were heavily guarded. Smaller and faster warships traveled with larger and heavier trade ships to fight off pirates and other enemies. The Greeks were excellent ship builders. Their fastest war ship was called a trireme (pronounced TRI-reem). This ship was higher in the front than most boats, which helped it to slice through rough seawaters. Large oars at the back of the boat, the stern, were used like rudders and helped to steer the boat. These ships also came equipped with a metal battering ram. This long spike-like weapon was attached to the front of the boat, at the bow, so that enemy ships could be rammed and sunk during combat.

Greek ships were powered by the wind with the use of sails but because the wind has always been unpredictable they also relied heavily on manpower. Slaves would sit in rows on both sides of the ship and worked together to push and pull the huge oars that stuck out from the side of the ship. Some ships had three levels or decks with as many as 30 oars on each side.

OVER THE MOUNTAINS AND THROUGH THE HILLS

Travel, other than by boat, was extremely difficult in Greece. Rugged mountain terrain separated most of the small independent city-states of Greece. Traveling by land was rarely done. Most communities were close to the water and traveling was done by ship. City-states governed themselves and life could be very different in each place. Sparta and Athens were not geographically that far apart but they were worlds apart in other ways.

People in Sparta were more interested in cultivating the characteristics of a good soldier. They emphasized self-sufficiency, strength and an overall toughness of mind, body and spirit. Male children in Sparta were taken away at the age of seven to live in harsh barracks where they started training for their required military service. In Athens, emphasis was placed on thought, communication and beauty. Male children in Athens enjoyed a normal family life with their mother, father and siblings at home where they were taught by private tutors.

Women in Sparta were fairly independent since the men were often away from home fighting. While the men were off at war, the women ran the farms and ruled the household. Spartan girls received athletic training so that they would grow up to be strong and healthy. In Athens, women were very restricted. They were encouraged to stay at home and discouraged from going out in public. Athenian girls were also encouraged to stay at home so that they could concentrate on learning household tasks and duties from their mothers.

THE PLACE TO BE

Just as people could easily sail out of Greece, they could also sail in. Soon wealthy and powerful Greek cities such as Athens became centers for education and the arts. Scholars, artists, musicians and philosophers all came to Athens.

Athens was named for Athena, the goddess of wisdom. This was a city where people had time and money to concentrate on the arts, beauty and enlightened thinking. New forms of government, architecture and entertainment began there.

THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT

ALL DAY PLAYS

Greeks were passionate about the theater. Almost every town had a large, open-air theater. Stages were circular and rows of seats formed a semicircle around the stage. Most often seats were built into the side of a hill so that each row was slightly higher than the one in front of it. This provided everyone with a good view of the stage. Greece's mild and pleasant weather encouraged people to spend much of their time outside. Going to the theater was a daylong event with plenty of food and drink. Ancient Greeks could watch two kinds of plays, a tragedy or a comedy. During the day they would usually see some of both.

Tragedies were serious or sad. They were intended to make a moral point that would make the audience think about a certain situation. Tragedies were often a retelling of one the many Greek myths. Comedies were funny with jokes. Sometimes the main character would find themselves in uncomfortable and humorous trouble. A Greek comedy might also poke fun at important public officials and personalities.

Greek plays were very structured. They were written in verse, like a poem and only three actors were allowed to have speaking parts. Since most plays had more than three characters, the same three actors would change masks to show what character they were playing. A chorus of around 15 actors would sing or chant parts of the story. The chorus gave more information about the plot and provided narration for the story.

All Greek actors were men and played both male and female characters. Women were allowed to go to the theater but they were not allowed to become actors.

Musicians playing an instrument called a lyre provided music for the plays. The lyre is similar to the harp but it is smaller and can be held in the musician's lap. A double flute was also a favorite instrument. It was played less often because it was a difficult instrument to master, requiring twice as much lungpower as a regular flute.

MORE FUN AND GAMES

Started in 775 B.C. as a great religious festival to honor the Greek god Zeus, the Olympic games continue today. Greeks felt that a fit and healthy body was very important, just as important as a developed and educated mind. Every four years a truce would be declared on any wars so that people from all over Greece could travel safely to Olympus for the festival and athletic competitions.

Athletes competed to honor Zeus and for prestige and glory. No prize money or other valuable awards were given. Winners received only a wreath of olive leaves to signify their victory. Today's Olympic games continue to honor this tradition. Athletes still do not win money or other prizes and they are given a gold, silver or bronze metal instead of olive leaves.

In Ancient Greece, most Olympic competitions were individual. Chariot racing was the only team sport. The most important event at the Olympics in Ancient Greece was the Pentathlon. This was considered the greatest test of an athlete's ability. There were five separate events that included running, throwing, wrestling, the long jump and the javelin.

At an opening ceremony, athletes would pledge to compete fairly as the Olympic flame was ignited. Athletes still make this pledge at today's Olympic games. The Olympic torch and flame continue to be a symbol of good will and good faith in Olympic competition.

DRESS FOR SUCCESS THE GREEK WAY

FASHION VICTIM

For both men and women in Ancient Greece there were only two basic garments, the chiton (pronounced KY-ton) and the himation (pronounced HIGH-mah-ton). These were both made from simple rectangles of fabric. The chiton was worn like a tunic and the himation was worn over the chiton like a cloak around the arms and shoulders. Great care was taken to drape and gather them properly, especially the himation. If a person draped or wore this garment improperly, letting it hang too short or too long, they could end up being laughed at and made fun of.

THE TRUTH

Clothing in Ancient Greece is most often thought of as pure white and undecorated because most of the Greek statuary in museums today are white marble. However, all of these statues were originally painted with brilliant colors that have just worn away with time over the centuries. The truth is that Ancient Greeks loved color!

Ordinary citizens wore dull colors such as pale green, grays and shades of brown. Wealthy citizens wore clothing colored a rich purple. Sea snails were used to make the purple dye. An insect larva was used to make a violet dye that was also a popular color. Bright yellows, reds and greens were also favorites.

Local sheep provided the wool for these garments. The wool was spun and woven into a very thin and lightweight fabric. Linen, made from spun flax, was also sometimes used. Extremely wealthy people would buy silk from the East to make their clothing.