Polis
Posted on | February 16, 2008 | 1 Comment
The Polis refers not necessarily to a single city, but rather to a form of governance for Greek communities, known as city-states. Following the Mycenean Age, the Greeks lived in small tribal or nomadic groups. This period, known as the Greek Dark Ages, lasted from around 1200 BC until between 800 and 700 BC. As [...]
Corinth
Posted on | February 16, 2008 | No Comments
The city of Corinth was originally founded around 6000 BC, during the Neolithic Age, by Corinthos, a descendant of the sun god Helios. Other myths claim the city was founded by Ephyra, daughter of the Titan Oceanus. The city is known both as Corinth and as Ephyra.
During the Mycenaean period Corinth may have also been [...]
Thebes
Posted on | February 9, 2008 | No Comments
Thebes was an important city in Greek myths as the site of the stories of Oedipus, Dionysus and others. Thebes was the largest city of the region of Boeotia and a major rival of Athens. It sided with the Persians during the invasion led by Xerxes. Theban forces started the decline of Spartan power at [...]
Sparta
Posted on | February 9, 2008 | No Comments
The city of Sparta lay at the southern end of the Peloponnese. Largely hemmed in by mountains, it was a strategic site. This meant that invading armies had a hard time reaching Sparta. Its distance from the sea–27 miles–made it difficult to blockade.
The state and culture known as Sparta was formed by the Dorian Greeks, [...]
Knossos
Posted on | February 9, 2008 | No Comments
The Minoan civilization flourished during the Bronze Age (2700 to 1450 BC) on the island of Crete. Knossos was the Cretan ceremonial and political center of the Minoan civilization and culture. Here was the location of the Palace of Minos (the house of King Minos). Knossos was a complex collection of more than a thousand [...]
Athens
Posted on | February 9, 2008 | No Comments
Athens was the leading city of classical Greece. A myth states how Athens acquired its name. Both Athena and Poseidon wanted to be its patron, so they offered the city one gift each. Poseidon struck the ground with his trident and created a spring. This symbolized naval power, but the spring was salty, so not [...]