Culture Reading One The Ancient Greek Empire lasted from about 800 BC to 529 AD. Greek culture has

many revolutions of a sort, and rapid changes were occurring in the civilization. Ancient Greek civilization is traditionally split into 5 time periods: the Archaic Period (800-500 BC), the Classical Period (500-323 BC), the Hellenistic Period (323-146 BC), Roman Greece (146 BC- 330 AD), and finally a period of Christianization (330-529 AD).

The Ancient Greeks were unique in that they were the first ancient society that we have a fairly accurate historiography, which is due to Herodotus, who is widely known as the father of ancient history. He wrote broad scale overviews of the way that Ancient Greece was developing. This differs from our prior history of Ancient society, which was primarily based in circumstantial evidence. Herodotus lived in the fifth century BC and wrote “The Histories”, which is the only work he is known to have produced. Little is known about his personal life, and some of his stories are stretching the truth, but he was using the word of mouth stories that he heard and produced a fairly accurate history of his lifetime.

However, regardless of these histories, most of what we know about Ancient Greece is based in myth rather than fact. The Greeks had a tradition of spoken stories, which led to tales being passed down from generation to generation in words, rather than in writing. Although this makes our histories far more inaccurate, it lends an eye into the way that the Greeks thought, and it shows a lot about Greek religion and beliefs. Some of the most famous stories from Ancient Greece are mythical stories that have lived on to become fun reading for us. What we often don’t account for, however, is the gravity with which the Greeks took these stories.

The Archaic period of Greece came after the Greek Dark Ages. The main advancement of archaic Greece is the formation of the Polis (πόλις), or the city state. This is the basis for modern day notions of nations and states. The Archaic period is characterized by massive increases in population size and in material goods produced overall. The Archaic period is also a time of some famous literature- the Iliad and the Odyssey, two of the most famous spoken epic poems, were first read by Homer during Archaic Greece. The end of Archaic Greece is usually referred to by the invasion of Xerxes in 480 BC.

Our book will focus mostly on Classical Greece, as that is when Alexander the Great lived. Classical Greece lasted the majority of the 5th and 4th century BC, often times having been said to end at Alexander’s death in 323 BC. Classical Greece is widely known to be one of the most influential periods in history. The rapid progression in maths, sciences, and the arts is known as having a huge influence on the way that Western civilization would view these subjects thousands of years later. Most of the famous philosophers, mathematicians, and scientists we look to for modern day principles lived and worked during the Classical period of Greece.

Not only was classical Greece a time of art and progression, but it also symbolized a time of war. The Classical Greek period is characterized by the Great War with Persia. Athens and Sparta led the Greeks to attack the Persian city of Sardis in 498 BC. Although the Athenians were winning several battles by a large margin, the Persians refused to give up. The wars lasted until 479 BC, when the Greeks finally defeated the Persians at the battle of Salamis.

The final defeat of the Persians marks Athens ascent to become the great city we see it as today. One of the principles we seen in modern government today was started in this period.

In 507 BC an Athenian nobleman Cleisthenes led the final overthrow of the autocratic leaders of Athens and enforced a new system: Demokratia(δημοκρατία), which is where modern democracy comes from. Athens was seen as the head of Greek cultural and political growth- the people of Athens were higher up in class and wealth, which led them to increasing interest in education. This higher education prompted more thought about the basic principles by which the Greeks were living and how that could be changed to create progress.

Our stories will take place in Macedonia, which is located North of modern day Greece, around where modern day Macedonia, Bulgaria, and Albania are located. Ancient Greece was smaller than modern day Greece, although it was located in around the same place. Rather than taking up a majority of the peninsula, Ancient Greece was the lower half of the Balkan Peninsula at the time. There are three notable bodies of water surrounding the Balkan peninsula. To the East is the Aegean Sea (Αιγαίο Πέλαγος), to the south the Mediterranean, and to the West the Ionian sea.

Macedonia was originally inhabited by the Mackednoi tribe, after which the city takes its name. For a very long time, Macedon prefered to stay independent from Greece, as it did not want to partake in the small fights that happened between the Greek city states. This changed under the father of our main character, King Phillip II. King Phillip conquered the southernmost city states, bringing them under Macedonian rule and bringing them together. Macedonians spoke Greek and often considered themselves Greek, but those living in the more centralized parts of Greece did not consider them to be Greek at all.

The end of the Classical period is often denoted by Alexander the Great’s death in June of 323 BC. Alexander’s death sent ripples through the Ancient world- he didn’t have any direct heir, his first son being born after his death. It is said that when asked who he wanted to succeed him, on his death bed, Alexander said “tôi kratistôi”- meaning to the strongest. The controversy over the next leader led to political strife among the Macedonians, and after the assassination of Perdiccas, the leader of the Macedonians along with Phillip III, the Macedonian states fell out of unity.

Model Sentences

1. Alexander resides in Macedonia. Αλεξανδερ ρεσιζ ν Μακεδονια.

2. Alexander has four sisters. Αλεξανδερ ἁς φουρ σιστερς.

3. Alexander’s father is often gone in battle. Αλεξανδερς φαθερ ις οφτεν γον ιν βαττλ.

4. Alexander’s mother spends most of her time at home.Αλεξανδεῥς μοθερ σπενδς μοστ οφ ἑρ τιμε ατ ὁμε.

5. Alexander had been born in the Pella region of Macedonia.Αλεξανδερ άδ ϐεν βορν ιν θε Πελα ρεγιον οφ Μακεδονια.

6. Alexander is the son of Phillip of Macedon. Αλεξανδερ ις θε σον οφ Φλλιπ οφ Μακεδον. 7. Macedonia is a large kingdom.

Μακεδονια ις α λαργε κινγδομ.7. Alexander the Great had been an honorable king of Macedonia.

Αλεξανδερ θε Γρεατ άδ ϐεν αν ὁνοραβε κινγ οφ Μακεδονια. 8. Alexander has brown hair.

Αλεξανδερ ἁς βροων ἁρ. 9. Ancient Greece had been a time of great cultural growth.

Ανκιεντ Γρεεκε άδ ϐε α τιμε οφ γρατ κυλτυραλ γροθ.

Story One Once upon a time, in a land called Macedonia,a young boy named Alexander lived.

Alexander had curly hair and glittering dark eyes, and he is destined to do fantastic things. Regrdless, as a child, all Alexander desired is to play. Come to a day in Alexanders life:

Alexander ran into the house, carrying the sticks he had been using to fight outside earlier. He bumped into his slave, * appropriate slave name here??* and he scolded him for running in the house. “But, insert slave name here, I am going to present my sticks to mother! I am a great fighter!” Alexander said, brandishing the sticks at *insert slave name here* “Alexander!” she scolded, throwing down the sticks, “It is time for dinner, come sit at the table.”“SLAVE will father be here today?” asks Alexander. Alexander doesn’t see his father often because his father is frequently away in battle. His father is busy conquering rebellious cities and making Macedonia proud, but Alexander misses him a lot. “Father is out in battle today, Alexander. You will be eating alone.” Alexander sits at the square table with legs shaped like lions, and sighs. He often ends up eating dinner alone, being the only male in the room. Alexander has four sisters, but they eat separately, with Alexanders mother. They always eat in the female quarters, which is split away from the place Alexander lives. Alexander is still accustomed to spend time in the quarters because he is a child, but soon, as he starts his education, he’ll no longer be able to spend so much time with his siblings. Alexander patiently pauses as *slave* puts porridge in front of him, along with some small bits of cheese and vegetables. There is fish today. It isn’t often on the menu, but when his dad is doing a really good job conquering they occasionally have fish and sometimes better food, like octopus.

Ονκε υπον α τιμε, ιν α λανδ καλλεδ Μακεδονια, α υουνγ βου ναμεδ αλεξανδερ λιυεδ. Αλεξανδερ ἁδ κυρλυ ἁιρ ανδ γλιττερινγ δαρκ ευες, ανδ ἑ ις δεστινεδ το δο φανταστικ θινγς. Ρεγαρδλεσς, ας α χιλδ, αλλ Αλεξανδερ δεσιρεδ ις το πλαυ. Κομε το α δαυ ιν Αλεξανδεῥς λιφ:

Αλεξανδερ ραν ιντο θε ὁυσε, καρρυινγ θε στικκς ἑ ἁδ βεεν υσινγ το φιγ-τ ουτσιδε εαρλιερ. ἑ βυμπεδ ιντο ἱς σλαυε, Ξανθιαϛ, ανδ ἑ σκολδεδ ἱμ φορ ρυννινγ ιν θε ὁυσε.

“ΒυT, Ξανθιαϛ , Ι αμ αβουτ το πρεσεντ μυ στικκς το μυ μοθερ. Ι αμ α γρεατ φιγ-τερ!" Αλεξανδερ σαιδ, βρανδισἱνγ θε στικκς ατ Ξανθιαϛ. ασκς Αλεξανδερ. Αλεξανδερ δοεσν'τ σεε ἱς φαθερ οφτεν βεκαυσε ἱς φατἑρ ις φρεκυεντλυ ιν βαττλε.

"Αλεξανδερ," ἑ σκολδεδ, θροωινγ δοων θε στικκς, "Ιτ ις τιμε φορ διννερ, κομε σιτ ατ θε ταβλε."

“Ξανθιαϛ, ωιλ φατἑρ βε ἑρε τοδαυ;"ασκς Αλεξανδερ. Αλεξανδερ δοεσν'τ σεε ἱς φαθερ οφτεν βεκαυσε ἱς φατἑρ ις φρεκυεντλυ ιν βαττλε.

ἱς φατἑρ ις βυσυ κονκκυερινγ ρεβελλιους κιτιες ανδ μακινγ Μακεδονια προυδ, βυτ Αλεξανδερ μισσες ἱμ α λοτ.

"Φαθερ ις στιλλ ιν βαττλε τοδαυ, Αλεξανδερ. Υου ωιλλ βε εατινγ αλονε."Αλεξανδερ σιτς ατ τἑ ακυαρε ταβλες ωιθ λεγς σἁπεδ λικε λιονς, ανδ ἑ σιγ-ς. ἑ οφτεν ενδς

υπ εατινγ αλονε, σινκε ἑ ις θε ονλυ μαλε ιν θε ὁυσε. Αλεξανδερ ἁς φουρ σιστερς, βυτ θευ εατ σεπερατελυ, ωιθ Αλεξανδεῥς μομ. Τἑυ αλωαυς εατ ιν τἑ φεμαλε κυαρτερς, ωἱχ ις σπλιτ αωαυ φρομ θε πλακε ωἑρε Αλεξανδερ λιυες. Αλεξανδερ ις στιλλ ακκυστομεδ το σπενδ τιμε ιν τἑ κυαρτερς βεκαυσε ἑ ις α χιλδ, βυτ σοον, ας ἑ σταρτς ἱς εδυκατιον, ἕλλ νο λονγερ βε αβλε το σπενδ σο μυχ τιμε ωιθ ἱς σιβλινγς.

Αλεξανδερ πατιεντλυ παυσες ας Ξανθιαϛ πυτς πορριδγε ιν φροντ οφ ἱμ, αλονγ ωιθ σομε σμαλλ βιτς οφ χεεσε ανδ υεγεταβλες. Τἑρε ις φισ- τοδαυ. Ιτ ισν'τ οφτεν ον θε μενυ, βυτ ωἑν ἱς δαδ ις δοινγ α ρεαλλυ γοοδ ηοβ κονκυερινγ θευ οκκασιοναλλυ ἁυε φισ-, ανδ σομετιμες βεττερ φοδ, λικε Οκτυπυς.

This is Herotodus, the ancient historian that provided us with a more accurate depiction of Ancient Greece.

A depiction of Medusa, one of the figures in Mythology.

Athens, the most famous of the Ancient Greek polis.

A depiction of the scene from the Odyssey in which the sirens are attempting to lure Odysseus to his death.

Alexander the Great, the main character in our stories and son of Phillip.

A drawing of Archimedes, one of the mathematicians from the Classical period of Greece.

Ancient Macedonia, the home of Alexander the Great.

Ancient Greece, composed of several city states South of Thrace. To the West of Greece you can see Italy and the Ionian Sea. To the south is the Mediterranean Sea, and to the west the Aegean sea.

A statue of King Phillip II, the father of Alexander the Great.

The Amphora of Exekias, an example of an Ancient Greek piece of art.