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World Heritage 0009: Ancient Greece

Learn More: Cook assorted stuffed figs & peaches in spiced wine from Movie Menus. Create character cards for Aspasia, Jason, Pericles, Plato, Sappho, Socrates, the Amazons, & Troilus. Dress paper dolls from Ancient Greek Costumes, Great Characters From Shakespeare, or Stage Costume. Listen to Ancient Greek music. Map art of the Cycladic White Style, Kamares Style, Minoan, Late Cycladic Period, Early Mycenaean Period, Marine Style, Late Mycenaean Period, & Early Geometric Period.

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a statue in front of an old building with columns and a man holding a spear

Ancient Greek Costumes

VALLE DEI TEMPLI, Italy: Founded as a Greek colony, Agrigento became one of the leading cities in the Mediterranean world. The tyrant Thero extended his rule to the northern and eastern coasts of Sicily in 480BC. The wealth this brought to the city is illustrated by the great temples built at this time. Many of these still lie intact under today's fields and orchards. Selected excavated areas throw light on the later Hellenistic & Roman town.

two large rocks sticking out of the ocean next to a beach with people swimming in it

PAPHOS, Cyprus: has been inhabited since the Neolithic period (10,000BC). It was a faith center for pre-Hellenic fertility deities. Aphrodite's mythical birthplace was on this island, where her temple was erected by the Myceneans. There was unbroken continuity of faith in the goddess from that time until Emperor Theodosius I outlawed all traditional religion & the sanctuary fell into the ruins in which we find it today.

the parthenon is lit up at night with lights on it's sides

ACROPOLIS OF ATHENS, Greece: In the second half of the 5th century BC, Athens, following victory against the Persians & the establishment of democracy, took a leading position amongst the other city-states of the ancient world. In the age that followed, as thought and art flourished, an exceptional group of artists put into effect the ambitious plans of Athenian statesman Pericles and, under the inspired guidance of the sculptor Pheidias, transformed the rocky hill into a unique monument.

an old roman temple with columns and trees in the background

Olympia Greece

The Olympic Games

Socrates

OLYMPIA, Greece: became, in the 10th century B.C., a centre for the worship of Zeus. The Altis – the sanctuary to the gods – has one of the highest concentrations of masterpieces from the ancient Greek world. In addition to temples, there are the remains of all the sports structures erected for the Olympic Games, which were held in Olympia every four years beginning in 776 B.C.

an aerial view of a city next to the ocean with mountains in the back ground

Eastern Mediterranean

Samos

PYTHAGOREION, Greece: The ancestors of the classical Samians arrived from the Epidauros region following the turmoil of the Trojan War. By the 6th century BC, Samos had become a major nautical power in the eastern Mediterranean. The fortified port of Pythagoreion is situated round a good natural harbour. One of its most famous elements, the Eupalineio tunnel, used to bring water to the port, served as a model for engineering and public works throughout the Hellenistic world.

an old building with stone walls and arches

The Acropolis

Stone Blocks

The Theatre

BUTHROTUM, Albania: became an important stop along ancient merchant trade routes & reached the height of its glory in the 4th century BC as one of the major maritime and commercial centres of the ancient world. The hill on which the acropolis stands is encircled by a wall built from huge stone blocks. The amphitheatre, dating from the 3rd century BC, had stone banks of seating which would have held an audience of 1,500. The theatre is situated at the foot of the acropolis, close by two temples.

an old stone building sitting on top of a hill next to grass and rocks with steps leading up to it

Ancient Greece Landscape

Ancient Sparta City

Ancient Greek Village

Ostia Antica Italy

Cyprus Old Photos

VELIA, Italy: was founded in 540 BC and was to become one of the most influential centres of learning in the ancient world. The most striking feature is the monumental Porta Rosa, the oldest and most complete example of a Greek arched town gate. Among other noteworthy features are the imposing defensive walls of the acropolis, the fine paved street, & the remains of several temples.

an aerial view of the old city walls and its surrounding area, with boats in the water

TROGIR, Croatia: is a remarkable example of urban continuity. It was established in the 4th century BC as an Hellenistic & then Roman city. After the fall of Rome, it became part of the Byzantine theme of Dalmatia, with its capital at Zadar, then was occupied by Venice for about 800 years with a period under the Huns. The Treaty of Campo Formio in 1797 handed Trogir over to the Austro-Hungarian Empire, to which it belonged, apart from a short period under Napoleonic rule.

the ruins are surrounded by water and mountains

LETOON, Turkey: was a sanctuary of Leto, the mother of the art god Apollo, & of the forest goddess Artemis. The Letoon dates back to the late sixth century BCE. In earlier times, the site was probably already sacred to the cult of an earlier mother goddess which was superseded by the worship of Leto. It was one of the most important religious centres in the region & remained active through the Roman period.

some very tall pillars in a big building

Ancient Greek Theatre

Corinthian Capital

Classical Antiquity

Ancient Beauty

Architectural Features

Ancient Greek

BASSAE, Greece: This famous temple to the god of healing and the sun was built towards the middle of the 5th century B.C. in the lonely heights of the Arcadian mountains. The temple, which has the oldest Corinthian capital yet found, combines the Archaic style and the serenity of the Doric style with some daring architectural features. The Temple was dedicated by the inhabitants of Philagia to Apollo Epicurius, the god-healer who had come to their aid when they were beset by the plague.

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Ancient Greek Architecture

Seven Wonders

RHODES CITY, Greece: is at a crossroads between Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. This has given the city and the island many different identities, cultures, architectures, and languages over its long history. It was famous as the site of Colossus of Rhodes, one of the Seven Wonders of the World, built by the Lindian sculptor Chares between 304 and 293 BC. The statue represented the sun god Helios.

an old building with statues on the front and stairs leading up to it's entrance

SYRACUSE, SICILY, Italy: includes the nucleus of the city’s foundation first under the Phoenicians, then as Ortygia by Greeks from Corinth. The city, which Cicero described as ‘the greatest Greek city and the most beautiful of all’, retains vestiges such as the Temple of Athena from the 5th century BC, later transformed to serve as a cathedral, a Greek theatre, a Roman amphitheatre, & a fort. Historic Syracuse offers a unique testimony to the development of Mediterranean civilization.

two stone statues sitting next to each other on top of a cement slab in the grass

HERAION OF SAMOS, Greece: Many civilizations have inhabited the small Aegean island of Samos. It was once the leading maritime and mercantile power in the Greek world, and this importance is reflected in the extent and richness of the archaeological remains, which are largely untouched by subsequent development. The ruins of the current temple, begun around 570 BC by Rhoecus and Theodorus, are the earliest in the new Ionic order.

an elaborate gold chest on display in a dark room

VERGINA, Greece: is of outstanding universal value as testimony to the development in European civilization from classical city-states to the imperial structure of the Hellenistic and Roman periods. This is vividly demonstrated in particular by the remarkable series of royal tombs and their rich contents. At the end of the 5th century BC, Archelaus brought to his court artists, poets and philosophers from all over the Greek world.

an aerial view of the ruins and surrounding mountains

Mycenaean Civilization

MYCENAE, Greece: dominated the eastern Mediterranean world & played a vital role in the development of classical Greek culture. This city is indissolubly linked to the Homeric epics, the Iliad and the Odyssey, which have influenced European art and literature for more than three millennia. The apogee of the Mycenaean civilization came in 1400BC-1120BC, when strong citadels and elaborate palaces were built.

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World Heritage 0009: Ancient Greece