Greece is a country that has been known for centuries with a very rich history and as the motherland of many famous personalities. In this section we provide information about the history of Greece:
From the Stone and Bronze Age to the 20th century, we will also provide information on other historical facts: such as famous quotes, famous figures of ancient Greece, the Olympic Games, flags, ancient sites, monuments and UNESCO sites in Greece. We also provide you with information on the history of Greece, for many places and islands in Greece.
History from the Bronze Age to the Modern Age
Bronze Age
Excavations show that the first settlement in ancient Greece dates back to the Paleolithic era (3000-11000 BC). During the second millennium BC, in Greece, two great stone and bronze civilizations were born:
The Minoans (2600-1500 BC), the Mycenaeans (1500-1150 BC) and the Cycladic civilization. They were among the first important civilizations in Greek history.
Classical period
The classical period (4th-6th century BC) is very famous all over the world. The peak of the classical period is the 5th century BC, when the foundations of Western civilization were established in Athens. This city-state at that time became the largest naval power of ancient Greece and developed all cultural fields including philosophy, music, drama, oratory and even a new regime called democracy. It is not an exaggeration to say that this period changed the history of the world.
Athens and Sparta were the most powerful cities in ancient Greece, and other city-states were allies of one of these two cities. In the 5th century, the united city-states of Greece managed to repel the attack of the Persians. However, the Peloponnesian War between Athens and Sparta led to the decline of the glory of classical Greece.
This was the time when the king of Macedonia defeated a tribe living in northern Greece and gained power by conquering other Greek cities. After the death of King Philip II, his son Alexander began a great campaign in Asia.
In 334 BC, Alexander the Great attacked the Persian Empire and his army conquered all the land of India. However, in 323 BC, he died in Babylon at the age of 33, and the Macedonian Empire was disbanded and ruled by his heirs.
Roman period
From 168 BC onwards, the Romans conquered Greece and a new era for Greek history begins. This is the period when Ancient Greece becomes Roman Greece. During that time, the country became the scene of many important battles and new cities were built, such as Nicopolis in western Greece. Athens and Greek culture in general declines, but Greek becomes the second official language of the Roman Empire. The Romans called upon the classical philosophers and based their religion on the Olympian gods. In the 3rd century AD, the powerful Roman Empire began to decline and was divided into two parts, the Eastern and Western Roman Empires.
Byzantine period
While the Western Roman Empire was gradually conquered by the barbarian tribes of northern Europe, the Eastern Roman Empire, with Constantinople, (Byzantium) as its capital, developed into the Byzantine Empire, which lasted for about 1,000 years.
At this point in history, Christianity becomes the official religion of the new empire, new lands are conquered, and new government laws are established. These laws would later form the first laws of the modern Greek state, as it was formed in the 19th century.
Ottoman period and war of independence
In 1453 BC, the Ottoman Turks conquered Constantinople and, gradually, the rest of Greece (which had previously been partially controlled by the Venetians and the Knights of St. John). This country, under the Ottoman occupation, saw a lot of suffering and frequent rebellions occurred in it. Because these revolutions were unorganized, they were all suppressed by the Ottoman army, until March 1821, when the Greek War of Independence began.
This year is the cornerstone of this country's history. After many conflicts, massacres and occupations, the country finally gained its independence in 1829, when the first independent state of Greece was formed and Ivans Kapodistrias, a Greek diplomat in the Russian compound, was elected governor. The first Greek state included the Peloponnese, Istria, and the Cyclades islands.
twentieth century
In the 20th century, after the assassination of Kapodistrias in 1831, Prince Otto of Bavaria became the first king of Greece, followed by George I of Denmark in 1863. At that time, the Ionian Islands were given by England as a gift to the new king of Greece, and then Thessaly was annexed to the Greek government by the Turks. In the early 20th century, Macedonia, Crete and the East Aegean islands were also annexed to the Greek government after World War I. This was just when the figure of an important Greek politician named Eleftherios Venizelos (who was the most famous prime minister in modern history) came forward.
The year 1922 was very troublesome for Greece because many Greek refugees came to the mainland from Asia Minor (part of Turkey). Although at first, it was very difficult for the refugees to adapt to the new life, but they gradually contributed a lot to the development of the country. During World War II, Greece resisted many forces, but eventually, most of Greece was conquered by the Germans and some parts by the Italians.
After World War II, the Dodecanese Islands, which had been under Italian occupation since the early 20th century, became part of the Greek government. Three decades of political turmoil also ensued, including a military junta from 1967 to 1974. Since 1975, the Greek regime has been a parliamentary republic.
Greek population
The population of Greece is approximately ten million seven hundred and twenty thousand people (according to 2019 statistics). 98% of the population of this country are Greeks. Literacy rate in Greek women is 89% and in men about 96%. Greek life expectancy is 72 years for men and 75 years for women.
The language and religion of the Greek people
The dominant religion of the Greek people is Orthodoxy. Despite centuries of Ottoman rule over the country, the Greek Orthodox Church preserved the language and cultural identity of the land and was an important point for the gatherings and independence struggles of the people. The religious minority of Muslims, which emerged with the migration of 300,000 Muslims to Greece, also live scattered in parts of Greece, and smaller religious communities include the old Orthodox, Catholics, Protestants, and Jews. In total, 97% of Greek people are Orthodox and 2% are Muslim.
The official language of the Greek government is Greek, which is used throughout the country and at all levels of education. Some Greek people also speak Armenian, Turkish and Macedonian languages. Of course, due to the large number of Europeans traveling to Greece in some areas, Greeks are familiar with English and French and speak these languages as well.
Greek culture and customs
The ancient land of Greece has a rich culture and diverse and unique customs, and as you know, Greece was the birthplace of great philosophers and its people are proud of themselves. Despite industrialization and urban population growth, Greeks have still maintained many of their traditional family and social values. For Greek people, family is very valuable and family members play an important role in life. Most Greek people treat travelers very well and are mostly warm and kind people.
Among the common customs and traditions in Greece is shaking hands when meeting each other, especially on the first meeting. Greek people usually like to talk to travelers and ask them questions that might be considered personal questions in many cultures, but they often ask such questions to get to know others and help them, and have no specific intentions. Greeks are often good-humored, joking and laughing, and even at the first meeting, they become close and feel close to other people.
Greek food culture is also very rich and they have very diverse foods and unique food style. Greeks use olive oil and fresh ingredients in most of their dishes, and their meals are elaborate. In general, they have a very healthy food style, to the extent that the Mediterranean diet style has emerged according to the culture and eating habits of the Greeks and has many fans in the world. The famous national dish of Greeks is moussaka. Greeks usually drink coffee after a meal, and coffee is one of the most popular drinks in this country.
Weather in Greece
The climate of Greece is warm and Mediterranean with hot summers. Its southern regions also have mild weather in winter, and many travelers who plan to travel to Greece travel to these regions in the cold season. In the northern and mountainous regions of Greece, winter is accompanied by cold and sometimes snow. The hottest month in Greece is July, which coincides with the days of July and August. Of course, on some summer days, especially on the coasts of Greece, the winds cause cool and mild weather.
