Ancient Greece: From Philip II to the Roman Empire
Ancient Greece: From Philip II to the Roman Empire
An overview of ancient Greek civilization.
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
Transcript
Ancient Greece advanced politics, philosophy and art in exceptional ways that influence Western civilization to this day.
The earliest parts of Greek civilization are not well-known. Written records from that time tend to focus on Athens alone. But at its height, Ancient Greece included Asia Minor (in modern Turkey), southern Italy, the island of Sicily, and the Greek islands. Greece was a land of city-states that usually functioned independently of each other. Athens and Sparta were among the most powerful. Wars often broke out between the city-states when rivalries arose. The Peloponnesian War (431–404 BC) and the Corinthian War (395–386 BC) are examples.
Starting in 358 BC, Philip II of Macedonia took on nearby city-states to expand his own territory. He ultimately unified Greece. When Philip was killed, his son, Alexander the Great, took power and then built Greece into an empire. Alexander conquered first Asia Minor and then Egypt and the eastern Mediterranean. He next conquered more lands through western Asia to present-day India. The Empire did not remain intact after Alexander died at the age of 33. But his empire's Greek culture left its imprint upon much of the known world.
The Greek culture produced ideas that would influence history for years to come, especially in the West. For example, democracy first took shape in ancient Greece. Yet over two thousand years later, democracy's revival inspired the American and French Revolutions of the late 18th Century.
Greek philosophy was a visible part of life in ancient Greece. Alexander's personal teacher was Aristotle. Aristotle's ideas influenced Western astronomy--and even the principles of the Roman Catholic Church--through the Renaissance. The writings of the ancient Greek philosopher Socrates still influence teachers today, and Hippocrates still influences doctors' ethics. In mathematics, the Pythagorean Theorem is taught in schools around the world. Theater, as seen today on a large public stage, was a Greek invention. The plays and books of great Greek writers, such as Sophocles and Plato, are still studied and debated.
The Roman Empire conquered ancient Greece in sections, and eventually absorbed it. But to the credit of the Greeks, their ideas were often admired. Greek architecture and sculpture enjoyed second lives in the hands of the Romans. Today, the Greek and Roman civilizations are seen beside each other in history, and both are considered part of Classical European civilization.
The earliest parts of Greek civilization are not well-known. Written records from that time tend to focus on Athens alone. But at its height, Ancient Greece included Asia Minor (in modern Turkey), southern Italy, the island of Sicily, and the Greek islands. Greece was a land of city-states that usually functioned independently of each other. Athens and Sparta were among the most powerful. Wars often broke out between the city-states when rivalries arose. The Peloponnesian War (431–404 BC) and the Corinthian War (395–386 BC) are examples.
Starting in 358 BC, Philip II of Macedonia took on nearby city-states to expand his own territory. He ultimately unified Greece. When Philip was killed, his son, Alexander the Great, took power and then built Greece into an empire. Alexander conquered first Asia Minor and then Egypt and the eastern Mediterranean. He next conquered more lands through western Asia to present-day India. The Empire did not remain intact after Alexander died at the age of 33. But his empire's Greek culture left its imprint upon much of the known world.
The Greek culture produced ideas that would influence history for years to come, especially in the West. For example, democracy first took shape in ancient Greece. Yet over two thousand years later, democracy's revival inspired the American and French Revolutions of the late 18th Century.
Greek philosophy was a visible part of life in ancient Greece. Alexander's personal teacher was Aristotle. Aristotle's ideas influenced Western astronomy--and even the principles of the Roman Catholic Church--through the Renaissance. The writings of the ancient Greek philosopher Socrates still influence teachers today, and Hippocrates still influences doctors' ethics. In mathematics, the Pythagorean Theorem is taught in schools around the world. Theater, as seen today on a large public stage, was a Greek invention. The plays and books of great Greek writers, such as Sophocles and Plato, are still studied and debated.
The Roman Empire conquered ancient Greece in sections, and eventually absorbed it. But to the credit of the Greeks, their ideas were often admired. Greek architecture and sculpture enjoyed second lives in the hands of the Romans. Today, the Greek and Roman civilizations are seen beside each other in history, and both are considered part of Classical European civilization.