Sheet produced by Jo Pearson
Unit 5: Ancient Greece
Statutory Unit 1200BCE – 500CE (Classical period: 490BCE-350BCE)
Period Overview
The first thing to realise is that this a long chronological period: Ancient Greek culture begins with the Minoan
civilisation in around 2700 BCE and ends with the collapse of the Hellenistic period in 150 BCE. Most units focus
however on the period known as Classical Greece: 490-350 BCE. The second thing to appreciate is that the
Ancient Greeks did not think of themselves as belonging to a single country; what made you Greek was a shared
culture and language. Your citizenship was of your town or city; you were Athenian first and Greek second. The
geography of Greece, dominated by the sea and by mountain ranges, created and supported this local identity.
Finally it is vital to appreciate the huge legacy the Ancient Greeks have given to modern Europe: civilisation,
democracy, scientific and mathematical knowledge, written history, satire and bras to name but a few!
Life in Ancient Greece: farming and food Homes and families
Greece was primarily an agrarian society with most Greek homes were simple. The door from the street
people, even in the classical period, spending every day opened onto a courtyard and all rooms opened off
growing cops and tending animals. The most important from this. A main living room for the family, the
crops were: wheat, barley, grapes, olives and andron (men’s room) where visitors would be
vegetables. Small numbers of animals were kept such received and the women’s quarters. Cooking was
as sheep and goats, useful for their milk, wool and for done outside and washing in private quarters. The
sacrificing in religious ceremonies. Oxen, for ploughing, Greeks used the word Oikos to describe the home,
and some pigs and cows were also kept. Hunting all their possessions there and the people living in it.
supplemented the food for many, wild boar and hares Women were second class citizens at best in most
were hunted with traps, bows and spears which proved cities. They were expected to spend most of their time
in the home and in some households veiled in front of
useful in maintaining skills for warfare. Fishing was a
guests. They could not own property and any the held
vital industry to the Greeks, most fish were caught upon marriage became part of their husband’s oikos.
close to shore with large nets but huge prices could be Poorer women however had to work, often working
gained for fish caught further out in deeper waters. alongside their husbands in the markets or farms.
The Greeks loved fish (our word oesophagus comes Marriage was an important feature of Greek life, girls
from the Greek oesophagus meaning fish eater). They married at around 14 and men at 25. Divorce was
possible for men and women. Many boys were formally
ate a fish sauce with many other foods. A typical
educated but only within rich families. Girls received a
breakfast would be bread dipped in olive oil, lunch
domestically focused education teaching them skills
cheese or beans, lentils, chick peas with bread with the such as needlework. Slavery was fundamental to Greek
main meal, including meat for the more wealth being society. In 431BC Athens had 50,000 male citizens and
in eaten in the evening. They drank lots of wine but 100,000 slaves. Religion formed a central part of
mixed it with water everyday life throughout the region.
Possible Enquiry Questions Key Individuals
What mattered to Ancient Greeks? This question Philosophers: Plato, Socrates, Aristotle.
allow children to explore ideas around empathy, why Scientists/mathematicians: Euclid, Archimedes,
people thought and felt as they did. Anaximader, Aspasia the Physician
How similar was life in Ancient Greece to today? Writers: playwrights (Aeschylus, Euripides, Sophocles.
This change/continuity question allows children to Aristophanes) poets (Sappho) historians (Thucydides,
compare disparate time periods. Herodutus)
Which individual was the most important? (to the Athletes: Milo of Criton, Cynisca of Sparta, Theagenes of
Ancient Greeks/to us today). This explores the idea Thasos
of significance, what makes some individuals more or Gods/Goddesses: Zeus, Athena, Apollo, Demeter,
less important can and does change over time. Poseidon, Artemis, Ares, Hera (women in italics)
w. Downloaded from michaelt1979.wordpress.com/freeresources
Timeline of Key Events:
All dates are approximate:
505 BCE Cleisthenes introduces democracy in
Athens
490 BCE Greek/Persian wars led by Xerxes
468 BCE Sophocles writes his first tragedy
461 BCE Peloponnesian wars begin between
Sparta and Athens (to 446 BCE)
449 BCE Construction of Parthenon begins
443 BCE Pericles leads Athens (to 429 BCE)
441 BCE Euripides writes his first tragedy
Parthenon on the Acropolis, Athens5 431 BCE Second Peloponnesian wars
430 BCE Outbreak of Bubonic Plague in
What have Ancient Greeks Athens
420 BCE Construction of Temple of Athena
ever done for us? 399 BCE Socrates executed for his opposition
An obvious discussion point in this unit is the
development of democracy, often considered a great to the Thirty Tyrants
gift from the Greeks. In addition, much of mathematics 386 BCE Plato found the Academy
has its roots in the work of Greeks in this period. 384 BCE Aristotle born
359 BCE Philip II becomes King of the Greeks
Many towns and cities will have some elements of 356 BCE Alexander the Great born
architecture in Greek style, including Ionic, Doric and
356 BCE Alexander the Great defeats Persians
Corinthian columns. There are also plenty of Greek
myths which have lasted until today. at Issus and is given Egypt
323 BCE Alexander the Great dies at Babylon
Athens vs. Sparta
Sparta: a region on the Peloponnesian peninsula known as Laconia; the only state to have a professional army. A fixed
and unchanging system of government: 2 kings took the role of general and priest; elected officials (ephors) and a
council (gerousia) administered the state. A huge population of slaves allowed the economy to function whilst the
male citizens fought and ruled. Boys began military training at 7. Spartan women had an education and married later
(around 18), owned property and ran the business affairs of the family whilst men fought.
Athens: on the Greek mainland in the region known as Attica. State most associated with democracy. Ekklesia was the
general assembly open to all male citizens over 18, the boule was the council of 500 that administered the decisions
made by the ekklesia. Athens formed a defensive league of Greek states to protect against the Persians, the Delian
league. This helped to spread Athenian power and influence.
The Peloponnesian Wars lasted 30 years from 431BC but lead to the weakening of both states. Following the end of
the war it was Thebes who became the dominant state until Macedonia under Philip and Alexander took over.
Places to Visit: Further Information:
Inevitably there are relatively few places to visit in the
UK relating to the Ancient Greek period. However, British Museum: http://bit.do/bmgreece
some museums do include interesting artefacts:
BBC Primary History: http://bit.do/bbcgreeks
British Museum, London BBC History: http://bit.do/bbcancientgr
Greece4Kids http://bit.do/greece4kids
Leeds City Museum, Yorkshire
Children’s University: http://bit.do/cuman
World Museum, Liverpool
5
Image of the Parthenon is in the public domain, having been released by ‘Mountain’. The Wikimedia page can be
seen at http://bit.do/parth
