Ancient Greece 101

Transcript

Art, philosophy, democracy, and heroes.

These are just a few achievements of the legendary civilization known as ancient Greece.

Ancient Greece was born on the shores of the Aegean Sea about 4,000 years ago.

In over a millennium, it expanded to lands as far west as Spain and as far east as India.

Throughout this age of empire, the ancient Greeks made political, militaristic, and cultural achievements that resonated long after their empire fell.

Part of the ancient Greeks’ legacy involved politics, one of which was the political system of Greece itself.

Unlike many nations that were under unified rule, Greece was a collection of over 1,500 territories that acted as sovereign nations.

Called city-states, these territories had their own rulers and sometimes fought each other.

Another political development was the institution of the first large-scale democracy.

Developed in the city-state of Athens, democratic rule was a way to give the Greek people representation and political power.

The Greeks also earned a strong reputation for their military.

The military helped expand the Greek Empire by establishing colonies overseas, and it protected Greece itself from foreign invaders like the Persian Empire.

When such a threat occurred, city-states united to defend their homeland.

Many Greeks, particularly in Sparta, took immense pride in their military and regarded their soldiers as heroes.

Their heroism was often turned into legend thanks to literary works like “The Iliad.”

War heroes also inspired the creation of the Olympics, which celebrated physical competition.

Of all aspects of ancient Greek civilization, their cultural contributions left a considerable mark on the western world.

Particularly noteworthy were the ancient Greeks’ art and architecture.

They created incredible sculptural works, such as standing figures and reliefs.

Plus, they developed three types of columns and incorporated them to structures like the Parthenon.

This artistry was imitated by other civilizations and spread throughout the globe for thousands of years.

How the Greeks interpreted the world was also reflected in other cultures.

Greek religion, which was comprised of many anthropomorphic deities, helped shape the spiritual beliefs of the Etruscans and, later, the ancient Romans.

Greek philosophy, which explored matters of reason, ethics, and natural law influenced later civilizations’ achievements and politics and science.

Greek language made quite an impact as well. Ancient Greek, at about 3,400 years old, provided the basis of many modern languages.

The English language alone has thousands of words with Greek roots.

Ancient Greece’s artistry, regard for heroes, and democratic rule left a considerable impression on world history.

With contributions that lasted for millennia, the civilization of ancient Greece is nothing short of legendary.

Vocabulary List

ancient
(adjective) of or from the very distant past

expand
(verb) to make or become larger or more extensive

resonate
(verb) to be in harmony with or evoke a strong response in someone

legacy
(noun) something handed down from the past, especially from an ancestor or predecessor

sovereign
(adjective) free to govern itself; completely independent

institution
(noun) the act of starting or introducing something such as a system or a law

earn
(verb) to get something that you deserve

occur
(verb) to happen or take place

immense
(adjective) very large or great in size, extent, or amount

celebrate
(verb) to praise somebody/something

considerable
(adjective) large in amount or extent

mark
(noun) an indication of something

noteworthy
(adjective) worthy of attention or notice

relief
(noun) a way of decorating wood, stone etc with a shape or figure that is raised above the surface, or the decoration itself

comprise
(verb) to consist of; be made up of

anthropomorphic
(adjective) having human form or characteristics

deity
(noun) a god or goddess

regard
(noun) a feeling of respect or esteem

Grammar Point

plural noun for nouns ending with ‘o’
Art, philosophy, democracy, and heroes.
Plurals of words ending in -o are usually made by adding -es.
potato -> potatoes
tomato -> tomatoes
hero -> heroes
torpedo -> torpedoes
veto -> vetoes

Exceptions to this rule includes:
photo -> photos
piano -> pianos
zero -> zeros

one of which
Part of the ancient Greeks’ legacy involved politics, one of which was the political system of Greece itself.

The phrase “one of which” is used to refer to one of a group of things that have already been mentioned. It is often used in a list or a series of items.

I have three books, one of which is a biography of Albert Einstein.
The phrase “one of which” refers to the biography of Albert Einstein, which is one of the three books that the speaker has.

The company has a number of divisions, one of which is responsible for marketing.
The phrase “one of which” refers to the marketing division, which is one of the divisions that the company has.

The museum has a collection of paintings, one of which is a masterpiece by Picasso.
The phrase “one of which” refers to a painting by Picasso, which is one of the paintings that the museum has.

verb pattern: help
The military helped expand the Greek Empire by establishing colonies overseas, and it protected Greece itself from foreign invaders like the Persian Empire.

A verb that follows the verb “help” can either be in:
– infinitive form (to + base form)
– base form

The military helped expand the Greek Empire . (correct)
The military helped to expand the Greek Empire . (correct)
Both are correct and have no difference in meaning.

The military helped expanded the Greek Empire . (wrong)
The military helped expanding the Greek Empire . (wrong)

Greece, Greek, Greeks
Many Greeks, particularly in Sparta, took immense pride in their military and regarded their soldiers as heroes.

‘Greece’ is a noun and is always singular.
It refers to the country.
We went to Greece last year.

‘Greek’ is a noun and can mean the language of modern or ancient Greece.
In this meaning, ‘Greek’ is uncountable noun, does not have a plural form and is used with singular verb.
He speaks Greek fluently.

‘Greek’ can also mean a person from Greece.
In this meaning, ‘Greek’ is countable noun, has a singular form (Greek) and plural form (Greeks).
Many Greeks were angry at their government.

‘Greek’ is also an adjective that means of or connected with Greece, its people or their language
– Greek language is very difficult to learn.
– There is a Greek neighborhood in the city.

noun clause
How the Greeks interpreted the world was also reflected in other cultures.

The clause ‘How the Greeks interpreted the world’ is a noun clause.
A noun clause is a clause that acts as a noun and can be a subject of a sentence.

We can form a noun clause with this pattern:
question word + subject + verb

What he did was terrible.
What he did = noun clause (subject)

Why he did that is still a mystery.
Why he did that = noun clause (subject)

Where he went is not important.
Where he went = noun clause (subject)

How he won the match was unbelievable.
How he won the match = noun clause (subject)

Common Expressions

thanks to
Their heroism was often turned into legend thanks to literary works like “The Iliad.”

The phrase “thanks to” can be used in two ways:
– To express gratitude or appreciation for something that someone has done. For example, you might say “Thanks to your help, I was able to finish the project on time.”
– To indicate that something happened because of a particular person or thing. For example, you might say “Thanks to the new software, we were able to increase our productivity by 20%.”

In both cases, the phrase “thanks to” means “because of.”

nothing short of
With contributions that lasted for millennia, the civilization of ancient Greece is nothing short of legendary.

The phrase “nothing short of” is an idiom that means “exactly or very nearly something.” It is often used to emphasize how extreme or impressive something is. For example, you might say “The party was nothing short of a disaster” to mean that the party was very bad.

The phrase “nothing short of” can also be used to describe something that is very difficult or challenging. For example, you might say “The exam was nothing short of grueling” to mean that the exam was very difficult.

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