Life in Ancient Greece

LIFE, SOCIETY & CULTURE IN ANCIENT GREECE
(Circa 850 - 300 BC)

SOCIAL PYRAMID
GOVERNMENT
(MALE CITIZENS - DEMOCRACY)
Native free men were the
only citizens.
MALE CITIZENS
MALE CHILDREN
WOMEN, FOREIGNERS & FEMALE

CHILDREN
SLAVES
Men could go to the Theatres were built outside, usually on
theatre to see dramas a hillside. All of the actors were men -
performed in honor of the they even played the female roles.
gods. Each actor played several parts in the
play by wearing a different mask for
each part. Greeks invented theatre.
Women couldn’t go to the theatre. They used
to be at home. They learned spinning,
weaving, sewing,… Women didn't participate
in politics or public life. Serving as a priestess
in one of the temples was one of the only
public duties that a woman might perform.
In the home, the women's rooms were in the

back, far away from the entrance to the house.
The front rooms were sometimes used by the
men in the household for "symposia"
(banquets). The only women who attended
these parties were the entertainers who played
music and danced for the guests.
LIFE, SOCIETY & CULTURE IN ANCIENT GREECE Greek houses were
made up of two or
ANCIENT GREEK HOUSE
three rooms, built
around an open air
courtyard or patio,
made of stone, wood
or clay bricks.
Larger homes might also

have a kitchen, a
bathroom, a men's
dining room (Andron),
and perhaps a woman's
sitting area
(Gynaeceum).
Courtyard or patio
Symposium, social events with
food and wine, were held in the
andron.
CLOTHING
Men and women used to wear simple
tunics and warm cloaks, made of linen or
wool, dyed a bright color, or bleached
white; a belt and sandals.
Only rich people could wear much jewelry:

rings, earrings, bracelets, necklaces,…
They used perfume, made by boiling flowers

and herbs.
The first real hat, called petasos, was

The ancient Greeks could buy cloth and clothes
invented by the ancient Greeks.
in the agora, the marketplace, but that was
expensive.
FOOD
•The soil was not very fertile along the coastline. But the ancient
Greeks used systems of irrigation to help solve that problem.
• People in the countryside worked in agriculture and were very

poor. Many farms were very small.
• All over Greece, the people grew olives, grapes, and figs. They
kept goats, for milk and cheese. In the plains, where the soil
was more fertile, they also grew wheat to make bread. Fish,
seafood, and home-made wine were very popular food items.
• In some of the larger Greek city-states, meat could be

purchased in cook shops. But Greeks didn’t use to eat it.
AGRICULTURE
/ FARMING
MINING / STOCKBREEDING
METALLURGY / RANCHING
GREEK
ECONOMY
CRAFT
FISHING
WORK
TRADE
ECONOMY IN ANCIENT GREECE
AGRICULTURE / FARMING
• Plough the soil, water and fertilize it.

1
• Plant the seeds and spray for insects (exterminate

them), so they can’t damage the plants.
2
• When the plants ripen, peasants harvest their

fruits.
3
AGRICULTURE / FARMING
TYPES OF
FARMING
DRY-LAND IRRIGATED-LAND
FARMING FARMING
Plants need lots of water to grow.

Plants just need They have to be watered using
the rainwater to canals.
grow. Ex. Olives,
vine, wheat,… Ex. Most vegetables, fruits, some
cereals like rice or corn.
Ancient Greeks didn’t have machines like tractors or combine

harvesters to farm. So, it was harder for them to do it.
STOCKBREEDING / RANCHING
It consists of raising animals to get meat, milk, eggs or fur from them. Farmers feed the
animals, control their health and obtain products from them.
TYPES OF
STOCKBREEDING
INTENSIVE EXTENSIVE
Animals are raised Animals are raised

in farms and fed outdoors and fed
with feeds. with natural grass.
FISHING
It consists of capturing fish and seafood in rivers or seas.
Fish and seafood can be also

TYPES OF raised in fish farms, near the
rivers or seas. It didn’t exist in
SEA FISHING ancient Greece.
NEAR THE FAR FROM THE

COAST COAST
They go fishing by They go fishing by

small boats. Sailors used to capture the
big boats (ships).
fish and sold it at different
harbours.
TRADE
It consists of exchanging or buying products like fish, fruits,
vegetables, vases, pots, jewellery, clothes,…
LONG DISTANCE TRADE

LOCAL TRADE
Rich merchants had ships and sailed There were small shops in Greek
across the Mediterranean Sea. poleis.
Products from Greek poleis were Peasants went to the poleis to sell
sold and food, wood and copper their products (crops).
were imported.
Craftsmen sold their products in
They used silver coins their workshops.
(each polis had its own currency)
The place where they used to do
this was a market called Agora.
CHARIOTS
CRAFTS (WARFARE &
RACING
COMPETITIONS)
It consists of making pottery (pots, ANIMALS:
FOOT HORSES,
vases… made of ceramics), clothes (mainly) MULES
(made of fabric: leather, linen,…), MEANS OF AND
DONKEYS.
furniture (made of wood),… by TRANSPORT
hand.
CARRIAGES,
WAGONS AND
Greeks made excellent BOAT CARTS
(TO CARRY
pottery which they PEOPLE OR
exported to other poleis PRODUCTS).
(places) by boat or
wagons. STENTOROPHONIC
HORN
(TO DELIVER SIGNS (Ex.
MESSAGES TO Raising the
THOUSANDS OF torch)
PEOPLE)
MEANS OF
COMMUNICATION COMMUNICATING
TO THE GODS
WRITTEN
SPEAKING
MESSAGES
(GREEK
ALPHABET)
THE GREEK ALPHABET
MINING / METALLURGY
Mining consists of removing minerals and stones from nature.
Minerals can be on the surface or underground. Examples: gold,
iron, bronze, silver, copper,…
Metallurgy consists of extracting metals

from minerals and alloy them (mix them).
ECONOMY
FORESTRY OPERATION
It consists of cutting down trees to get the wood and planting
new ones.
Ancient Greeks didn’t do this.
JOBS IN ANCIENT GREECE
SOLDIER / WARRIOR SAILOR
ARCHITECT
FISHERMAN
SCULPTOR CRAFTSMAN
/ ARTISAN
ACTOR
DOCTOR
PHILOSOPHER
MATHEMATICIAN /
SCIENTIST
ASTRONOMER
SLAVE
PEASANT
POLITICIAN /
LEADER
MUSICIAN DANCER / PERFORMER

WRITER
(PLAYWRIGHT – THEATRE
POET - POEM)
CARPENTER
MINER
PRIEST / PRIESTESS
BAKER
FARMER
SMITH MERCHANT / TRADER

RELIGION IN ANCIENT GREECE
POLYTHEISTIC
It consists of believing in many gods. Ancient Greeks were polytheistic.
In the past, people used to believe in different gods or goddesses to
understand the life events. For instance, Egyptians were polytheistic too.
Monotheistic means that people believe in the existence of one god.

Nowadays, most religions are monotheistic, like ours.
FAMOUS BUILDINGS IN ANCIENT GREECE
THE ACROPOLIS
The Acropolis is not a single building THE PARTHENON
but a number of temples build on a hill •The Parthenon is a former temple on the
overlooking Athens. Although there Athenian Acropolis, Greece, dedicated to
are many Acropolises (the word the goddess Athena, whom the people of
meaning high city) in Greece we tend Athens considered their patron.
to associate the name with the one in •It is Doric style.
Athens. • Architects Iktinos and Kallikrates
designed the temple.
• Sculptor Phidias decorated it with
sculptures.
OLYMPIA
Olympia was one of the most
important sanctuaries of ancient
Greece although we know it as the
birthplace of the Olympic Games.
THE TEMPLE OF HEPHAESTUS

It is located about 500 metres notrh-
west of the famous Acropolis. It is
Doric style.
THE TEMPLE OF APOLLO EPICURIUS
It is located at Bassae, in the
Peloponnese. Doric columns form the
peristyle while Ionic columns support
the porch and Corinthian columns
feature in the interior.
THE ERECHTHEUM
The Erechtheum is an ancient Greek
temple of Ionic style on the north side
of the Acropolis of Athens.
THE TEMPLE OF POSEIDON

THE TEMPLE OF THE OLYMPIAN ZEUS
It is located at Sounion (Attica peninsula)
Only a few columns remain of the Temple
in Greece and it is surrounded on three
of Olympia Zeus in Athens, but it does not
sides by the sea. It is Doric style.
take much imagination to realize that this
was one gigantic temple. It is Corinthian
style.
THEATRE OF DIONYSUS
It was built around 500 BC on the south of
Acropolis, the Theatre of Dionysus is the first
theatre to have been constructed in the world
and the oldest one in Greece.
CELEBRITIES IN ANCIENT GREECE
PHILOSOPHERS
They were men who looked for wisdom and
wondered about the origin of the things.
Socrates - First of the great Greek

Philosophers. He is considered by many to be
the founder of Western philosophy.
Plato - Student of Socrates. He wrote many

dialogues using Socrates as a major character.
He also founded the Academy in Athens.
Aristotle - Student of Plato. Aristotle was a

philosopher and scientist. He was interested in
the physical world. He was also teacher to
Alexander the Great.
WRITERS
PLAYWRIGHTS
Sophocles - He was probably the most popular
playwright during Greek times. He won many writing
competitions and is thought to have written over 100
plays.
Euripides - The last of the great Greek tragedy writers,

Euripides was unique in that he used strong women
characters and intelligent slaves.
POET
Aesop – He used to write tales and fables, which are
books where characters are animals with human
characteristics like speaking, as well as teaching a
moral. Historians aren't 100% sure if Aesop really
existed or was just a fable himself.
SCIENTISTS
Archimedes - He is considered one of the great
mathematicians and scientists in history. He made
many discoveries both in math and physics including
many inventions.
Hippocrates - A scientist of medicine, Hippocrates is

called the Father of Western Medicine. Doctors still
take the Hippocratic Oath today. He’s considered the 1st
doctor in History.
Pythagoras - A scientist and philosopher, he came up

with the Pythagorean Theorem still used today in much
of geometry.
Hypatia – She was a greek philosopher born in Egypt

(Alexandria). She stood out as a philosopher and
astronomer.
POLITICIAN – LEADER
Pericles - A leader and statesman during the golden

age of Greece. He helped democracy to flourish and led
great building projects in Athens that still survive today.
Alexander the Great - Often called the greatest military

commander in history, Alexander expanded the Greek
empire to its greatest size, never losing a battle. He
conquered a great empire from the Mediterranean sea
to India. He was the king of Macedon.

Life in Ancient Greece

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LIFE, SOCIETY & CULTURE IN ANCIENT GREECE

(Circa 850 - 300 BC)

WOMEN, FOREIGNERS & FEMALE

In the home, the women's rooms were in the

Larger homes might also

Only rich people could wear much jewelry:

They used perfume, made by boiling flowers

The first real hat, called petasos, was

• People in the countryside worked in agriculture and were very

• In some of the larger Greek city-states, meat could be

• Plough the soil, water and fertilize it.

• Plant the seeds and spray for insects (exterminate

• When the plants ripen, peasants harvest their

Plants need lots of water to grow.

Ancient Greeks didn’t have machines like tractors or combine

Animals are raised Animals are raised

Fish and seafood can be also

NEAR THE FAR FROM THE

They go fishing by They go fishing by

LONG DISTANCE TRADE

Metallurgy consists of extracting metals

MUSICIAN DANCER / PERFORMER

SMITH MERCHANT / TRADER

Monotheistic means that people believe in the existence of one god.

THE TEMPLE OF HEPHAESTUS

THE TEMPLE OF POSEIDON

Socrates - First of the great Greek

Plato - Student of Socrates. He wrote many

Aristotle - Student of Plato. Aristotle was a

Euripides - The last of the great Greek tragedy writers,

Hippocrates - A scientist of medicine, Hippocrates is

Pythagoras - A scientist and philosopher, he came up

Hypatia – She was a greek philosopher born in Egypt

Pericles - A leader and statesman during the golden

Alexander the Great - Often called the greatest military

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