The Minoans
l The Myceneans
l Classical Greece
l The Hellenistic Age
l Seven Wonders
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Greek civilization arose around 2000 B.C. on the island of Crete. Civilization later spread to the mainland of Greece, resulting in the art, architecture, literature, philosophy, science, medicine, etc., that still influences our modern society.
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Minoan Civilization: Island of Crete
1 The Minoans were reknowned palace builders. The palace above was located in the ancient capital city of Knossos. Large red pillars were the trademark of Minoan builders.
2 The inside of the Palace of Knossos.
3
This fresco depicts a scene of a popular Minoan
4
This painting shows an octopus,
5
This is a statue of a Minoan snake-goddess. Minoan civilization disappeared due to unknown causes. Some scholars have suggested possibly an earthquake or tidal wave. In its abscence arose the Mycenean civilization on the mainland of Greece. The Myceneans built palaces in the Minoan tradition, and constructed a huge fleet of ships.
6
The lion symbolized the dominance of the Myceneans, and are prominantly displayed on the gate above.
7 These daggers were used by Mycenean soldiers.
8 The "Mask of Agamemnon" was found in the ancient ruins of Mycenae. It was the burial mask of an ancient Mycenean king.
The Classical Greek period was one of advancement in art, architecture, science, mathematics, sports, law, government, and many other areas. SCULPTURE Several of the statues below are Roman copies of Greek originals.
9 This type of statue is known as a Kouros. It portrays a young boy.
10 This type of statue is known as a Kore. It portrays a young girl.
11 This sculpture depicts the god of messengers, Hermes.
12 This sculpture depicts the winged-goddess of victory, Nike.
13 This sculpture is called "Diskobolos", and portrays a Greek Olympic athlete. The Greeks felt that the human body was an object of great beauty.
14 This sculpture depicts the goddess of love, Aphrodite.
15
This statue represents either the sea-god,
16
This is a bust of Pericles, a leader who lead the ARCHITECTURE Greek architecture continues to influence our society today. Buildings with tall columns proudly stand along the streets of our communities today, just as they did in the ancient Greek city-states. These Greek columns typically fall into three categories: DORIC, IONIAN, CORINTHIAN
17 Doric
18
Ionic - Later on came the flowery Corinthian columns,
19 The acropolis was a group of important temples constructed by the ancient Greeks on a hill in the city-state of Athens.
20 The Parthenon was the most important temple in Athens, for it was dedicated to the city's patron deity, Athena. Athena was the Greek goddess of wisdom and war.
21
This sculpture depicts this important goddess, Athena.
22 This is the temple of Athena-Nike, the goddess of victory.
23
This temple is known as the Erechtheum. POTTERY Greek pottery was important for two reasons. First, it was often used to store grain, olive oil, or wine. Second, the paintings made on pottery often depicted scenes from a famous Greek myth or legend.
25 This vase portrays a chariot from Greek mythology.
Hellenistic
Age
The Hellenistic Age was a period of time where Greek culture spread throughout the ancient world. Alexander the Great, a Macedonian ruler, helped to spread Hellenistic, or Greek-like, culture to lands as far away as India, through conquest.
26
This is Alexander the Great. He was taught by the famous Greek philosopher, Aristotle. He began his quest for empire at the age of 20. He conquered lands from Egypt to India, creating one of the world's largest empires. He died at the age of 33 in Babylon.
The Seven Wonders of the
Alexander the Great sent his servants throughout his empire to search for the greatest man-made structures in the ancient world. Seven "Wonders" were named.
27 The Great Pyramid of Khufu
28 Hanging Gardens of Babylon
29 The Lighthouse of Alexandria
30 The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus
31 The Statue of Zeus at Olympia
32 The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus
33 The Colossus of Rhodes
34 Map of the ancient world showing location of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
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