Archaic Period

The Period A rcaic , between 800 BC. and 500 BC, corresponds to the third historical period of Ancient Greece, right after the Homeric period.

This epoch holds profound political and economic changes due to the consolidation of city-states, of which Sparta and Athens stand out.

Periods of Ancient Greece

For study purposes, the history of Greek society in Antiquity is divided into four periods:

• Pre-Homeric Period (20th - 12th centuries BC)
• Homeric Period (12th - 8th centuries BC)
• Archaic Period (8th - 6th centuries BC)
• Classical Period (5th - 4th centuries BC)

Characteristics of the Archaic Period

With the end of the Homeric period and the decline of the patriarchal communities of the Genos, the expansion of the city-states dominated this period of Greek history.

Studies show that in this period there were more than one hundred city-states in Ancient Greece.

Democracy begins to emerge, mainly in the city of Athens, and a systematization of legislation also emerges.

The concept of private society appears in Greek society, which was ruled by landowners.

Economy

It was from this period that the ancient genos were transformed into larger political units called the polis or city-state.

Controlled by a land-owning aristocracy, these urban centers gradually became important commercial centers in the Greek world. Each of them possessed autonomy and independence of which the largest and most prosperous were Sparta and Athens.

In addition, from an agropastoral economy that prevailed in the previous period, trade becomes one of the most important economic sources.

As the population increased and the arable land available was limited, Greek cities founded colonies along the Mediterranean Sea.

Culture and Philosophy

At this stage, Greek art reached its apogee with the construction of temples, the expansion of painting, sculpture and handicrafts (especially ceramic objects).

This is a crucial period for philosophy, as authors stop looking for explanations in myths and use reason to understand the world.

Religion

The archaic period is the heyday of consultations with the gods, especially through oracles.

The best known was the Oracle of Delphi, where people of all social conditions came to receive messages, spoken by the Pythonesses, from the god Apollo himself.

Olympics

The Olympic Games appear in the archaic period. In addition to bringing together competitors from different parties, a truce was declared in all ongoing conflicts.

Read more :

• Ancient Greece
• Athenian Democracy
• Antiquity
• Exercises on Ancient Greece
• Greeks