Early Greek culture began about 6,500 BC (or about 8,500 years ago!) About 900 BC, Greece began to emerge from the Greek Dark Ages. The ancient Greeks started to write things down again, which of course helps us today to better understand their culture. After the Greeks defeated the Dorians and took back the Greek peninsula, they established many Greek city-states, each with their own government. They had learned from the Dorians that they had to work together if they were going to survive an attack from a common enemy. The Greek city-states did work together. They also went to war with each other.
As time went by, the ancient Greeks created marvelous statues, wonderful theater, gorgeous fabrics and vases, incredible myths and legends, and developed into a fascinating civilization. Their culture and the many gifts we received from the Greeks, like our alphabet, roots of democracy, comedy and satire, Greek columns, the Olympics, fables and more, still impacts our culture today.
Here is a timeline of the history and development of the ancient Greek civilization for kids:
