Greek culture it developed in the Balkan Peninsula, located in southeastern Europe. In ancient times its limits were:Illyria and Macedonia to the north, the most Mediterranean to the south; the Aegean Sea to the east and the Ionian Sea to the west.
Geographical Mean of Greek Culture
Greece has a rugged territory due to the presence of mountain ranges, which separate narrow and deep valleys that divide the country and favor political division.
The relief of its soil played an important role in the history of the Greek people. This allowed the country to be divided into a large number of isolated cantons , where small independent states developed . Hence, republics like Athens arose , Sparta , Thebes , etc.
The climate of Greece is varied, from sudden cold snaps, as well as torrential rains in autumn. It is generally tempered thanks to the influence of its seas, which allowed its inhabitants to lead a life outdoors, under a bright, clear and clean sky.
periodificationofgreekhistory
Greek history begins, more or less, from the twelfth century BC. and lasted until the year 146 B.C. in which the Romans submit it and make it a province of their empire.
During this time, the Greeks developed their history in three periods:Arcadian or Primitive , Classical Greece and the Hellenistic Period .
Epoch of Archaic or Primitive Greece
This period of Greek culture is located between the 12th and 8th centuries BC In this period, Greece lived the Homeric era, because the poems attributed to Homer :the Iliad and the Odyssey , give us an image of what was the Greek Middle Ages , dark and legendary period of its history.
Classical Greece or Apogee Era
This period of Greek culture is located between the 5th and 4th centuries BC. Covers the events of the Medical Wars to Macedonian hegemony. This period of maximum cultural development in Greece , basis of Western culture.
Hellenistic epoch
It developed between the 4th and 1st centuries BC. Understand the events that have occurred since the death of Alexander the Great until the conquest of Greece by the Romans.
Heroic Age
The Homeric era is called the heroic age, because the poems attributed to Homer, the Iliad and the Odyssey , give us an image, albeit legendary, of what was the archaic or primitive Greek history.
This was characterized by the passage from the patriarchal regime, based on pastoralism and a mysterious and primitive religion, to urban life, with commercial and industrial development and an organized religion.
When the polis emerged or cities, family clans were organized into social classes, where the nobility detected political and economic power , based on land ownership and agricultural activity. The primitive monarchy was replaced by the oligarchy, government thus exercised by the Greek nobility.
During this dark and confusing period due to the invasions , indigenous and foreign cultural elements merged and the subsequent historical Greek States were formed. .
The Homeric Poems
It is known by this name of Homeric poems, the two great literary works of ancient Greece:The Iliad and the Odyssey that are attributed to Homer , a great poet of antiquity, also called The Divine Blind .
Initially, these poems were only known from oral tradition, but when the Greeks learned the Phoenician alphabet, they wrote them down. In about the 6th century B.C. the tyrant of Athens, Pisistratus, ordered the compilation of Homer's songs which are considered a jewel of universal literature.
Iliad-argument
In this poem, Homer recounts part of the war that the Greeks had with the Trojans .
The cause of the war was the kidnapping of Princess Helena , wife of the Greek king Menelaus , by the prince of Troy, Paris . The Greeks decided to avenge the offense and declared war on Troy, for which they prepared an army under the command of Agamemnon . Valiant soldiers such as Achilles, Ulysses, Patroclus, Ajax were part of the army. and others.
Almost at the end of the war, an argument arose between the Greeks Achilles and Agamemnon for having taken this from Achilles, his slave Briseis , which had touched him in the distribution of loot. Faced with this humiliation Achilles decided to withdraw from combat, thus taking the Greek triumphs in successive failures.
Faced with these misfortunes Patroclus , a great friend of Achilles, decided to enter the fight, but was killed by Hector Trojan prince. The death of Patroclus moved Achilles, who, enraged, re-entered the combat and killed Hector, then rescued the corpse of his friend from the hands of the Trojans.
The poem ends with the funeral of the Trojan leader, whose body was dragged over the walls of Troy, was delivered by Achilles to Priam King of Troy and father of Hector. Later in the heat of the war, Paris released a poisoned arrow that struck Achilles in the heel, the only vulnerable part of him, which caused his death.
The war continued and the Greeks could not defeat the Trojans. Reason why the Greeks resorted to a stratagem that consisted of the construction of a huge wooden horse where the most courageous warriors were locked up, then abandoned on the battlefield, they simulated a retreat. The Trojans, believing that it was a reward for his bravery, transported it as a trophy to the interior of the city and celebrated with a great party.
The Greeks took advantage of the darkness, got off the wooden horse and opened the gates of Troy for the Greek army to enter. The surprise was great; finally, after a great battle the Greeks seized Troy and recovered the captive Helen .
Odyssey plot
The Odyssey is an epic poem that consists of 24 songs, through which the author narrates the adventures that Ulysses or Odysseus went through, to return to his homeland, Ithaca after the Trojan War ended. His wife Penelope was waiting for him in Ithaca. and his son Telemachus .
Ulysses, also called Odysseus , persecuted by the wrath of Poseidon, was lost at sea for ten years, after which he was able to reach his homeland, thanks to his cunning that managed to save him from the difficulties that the enemy gods of the Greeks put him.
The Panhellenic Institutions
Despite the political differences of the States, there were national ties that identified them as Greek. These were:language, religion, amphicyonies and Panhellenic games .
The Language of Greek Culture
The language that was spoken in all countries it was Greek with its dialectal variants, of all of them, Ionian was the literary language. The Greek alphabet has its origin in that of the Phoenicians that after improving it, they added the five vowels.
The Religion of the Greek Culture
Features
Greek religion was characterized by being polytheistic, anthropomorphic and pantheistic.
- He was a polytheist because he worshiped many gods. They believed that the phenomena of nature such as the sun, the air, the sea, etc. they had been created by superior beings who had their abode in Olympus whom they called gods.
- It was anthropomorphic , because the Greeks were certain that their gods were in human form, provided with the same passions, virtues and defects as men. Of course they were conceived much taller, more beautiful, more intelligent and happier than men.
- He was a pantheist , the Greeks worshiped the phenomena of nature, such as light, the sun, the sea, etc.
main divinities
The Greek divinities are classified in Panhellenic or universal, in particular or domestic and in demigods or heroes.
Panhellenic or Universal Gods
They were the major gods, to whom all the Greek people worshiped. They lived on Olympus (Mount of Greece 2919 meters high). Among the main panhellenic or universal gods we have:
- Zeus , considered as the highest authority; father of all gods and the men, possessor of the lightning .
- Hera , wife of Zeus, protector of marriage and births . She was identified as the sky.
- Apollo , god of truth and protector of the fine arts . He was identified as the sun or light.
- Artemis , goddess of hunting and nature . She was the moon, the goddess of the night.
- Demeter, goddess of agriculture and protector of farmers :
- Dionysus, god of wine and drunkenness and dramatic art.
- Poseidon , brother of Zeus, god of the sea and storms .
- Amphitrite , wife of Poseidon and goddess of the calm sea .
- Hades , reigned over the underworld and the world of the dead .
- Hephaistos , god of fire and metals, patron saint of blacksmiths.
- Athena , goddess of the military art , culture and science. She symbolizes intelligence and reason.
- Aphrodite , goddess of beauty and love.
- Ares , the bloodthirsty god of war .
Private or domestic gods
Like other ancient peoples, the Greeks believed that a person's life did not end with death. They thought that the dead man continued to live in another dwelling , where he had the same needs as the living, so it was necessary to worship his ancestors and offer them food at their graves.
The domestic cult was under the direction of the head of the family who officiated as a priest before an altar, in which the sacred fire burned. in an oil lamp before which no impure act could be practiced.
The Demigods or Heroes
They were legendary characters who had distinguished themselves so much for their great deeds, their courage and heroism in the various battles. These characters were declared heroes. They were usually children of a god and a mortal. Among them we have:
- Heracles , later known as Hercules, possessed extraordinary strength. He was a defender of good and justice.
- Theseus , which killed the minotaur in Crete, a monster that devoured seven maidens and seven young men as an Athenian offering.
- Perseus , killed the jellyfish, whose gaze turned anyone who tried to see it to stone.
- Achilles , the bravest of the Greek heroes who stood out in the Trojan War.
- Orpheus , with his enchanting melodies; he civilized men and even attracted the beasts.
- Jason , who with his ship Argos, after mythological adventures, recovered the golden fleece .
The Amfictionías
This was the name given to the closest and most enduring associations of city-state groups. In reality, they constituted leagues of cities , whose inhabitants periodically congregated around a common sanctuary in order to hold parties and celebrations related to a common cult . In passing, they took advantage of the occasion to establish a common market and above all, to solidify the friendship with the neighbors, for the sake of a mutual border protection .
The Panhellenic Games
They were athletic and artistic contests organized by the amphictyonies, as a way of strengthening the bonds of national solidarity.
There were four main games:the Pythian, the Nemeic, the Isthmic and the Olympic .
The Pythians
In the sanctuary of Delphi , the Pythian games took place , in honor of the god Apollo. The mythological victory of Apollo over the Python serpent was remembered. It was done every 5 years. The winners received a laurel wreath.
The Nemeicos
So named because they are held near the Nemes forests , in the town of Argolis , in honor of Heracles, were intended to honor the memory of the patriots who had succumbed defending the homeland against the Persians.
los isthmicos
On the Isthmus of Corinth These games were held in honor of Poseidon. The contestants, artists or athletes, chased the prize of a crown of pineapple and olive tree. Five sports entered the contest:running, jumping, discus throwing, archery and boxing .
The Olympians
They were the ones with the greatest impact and brilliance in Hellas, held in honor of Zeus . They commemorated the contest of the gods, in Olympia . Every four years the Greeks gathered in that city from the most distant towns, forgetting their wars or problems for five days, keeping a strict truce.
Before the competitions, all athletes swore before the altar of Zeus , to not corrupt or kill their opponents and accept the decisions of the judges.
The tests included the following exercises:single or double running, wrestling, boxing, javelin and discus throwing, pentathlon (jumping, running, wrestling, discus and javelin throw) and finally chariot races , the same ones that constituted a show of great enthusiasm and hubbub.
The winners were awarded with an olive crown, as a symbol of victory.
The city-states of Greece
The rugged geography of Greece prevented the formation of a powerful and unified state. Instead, it led to the formation of a set of independent city-states , located in different regions and with an autonomous government.
Each city, with its small territory and scarce population, constituted a nation, the rivalries between them, in general, ended in wars and permanent disturbances. On the other hand, they identified themselves by the similarity of customs and beliefs, that is why they gave themselves the name of Hellenes and called barbarians to the peoples of other races. In this case, we are talking about the Greek or Hellenic civilization; but not of the Hellenic State.
The main cities of the Greek world were:
- In European Greece:Sparta , located in the center of Lakonia; Corinth , on the isthmus of the same name; Athens , in the Attica region; Thebes , in the region of Boeotia.
- In Asiatic Greece, Mytilene , located on the island of Lesbos, the most important in the Aeolian region. In Ionia, Smyrna, Ephebo and Miletus , on the coast; Chios and Samos in the islands. In the Dorida, Cnidos and Halicarnassus .
From the 6th century BC political and cultural supremacy fell on Sparta and Athens.