Ancient Greek Civilization and Macedonian Empire

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Ancient Greek Civilization and Macedonian Empire

The Greek civilization began where the Mediterranean Sea meets the Aegean Sea—an area dotted by a large number of islands. The peninsular and island culture of Greece meant a close relationship with the sea; trading was done by boat, and the Greek navy became the mightiest and most efficient of the era.

Greek culture of the Golden Age (roughly 750 to 400 BC) is the foundation of Western civilization. The Greeks provided the basis of Western art, architecture, literature, science, philosophy, and government. Succeeding civilizations would use and change all these elements, but the Greek foundation consistently shows through the outer layers.

Greek scholars and philosophers believed in the supremacy of human reason—that people could come to understand the workings of the universe by means of abstract thought. This belief is their most important contribution to the development of human society, particularly in the West. Many of the Greek scientific theories turned out in the long run to be mistaken, but this does not diminish the lasting influence of the Greek belief in the supremacy of science and rational thought.

In sharp contrast to the rest of the ancient world, ruled by the principle of the divine right of emperors, Greek civilization featured a new form of government called democracy. True popular democracy, of course, has never existed in any nation in history, including the Greek city-states; it is simply not possible for every member of a large community to play an equal part in deciding how it should be run. However, the concept of government by the people is one of the major founding ideals of the modern Western world; the adult citizens of almost all modern states have the right to vote and to participate in their own governments.

The conquests of Philip II of Macedon and his son Alexander the Great both ended Greek civilization and disseminated it as far east as the Indus River. Indeed, Greece would continue to affect the known world of the Mediterranean culturally, linguistically, and politically for many years to come.

Practice questions for these concepts can be found at:

Ancient Greek Civilization and Macedonian Empire Practice Test