Statue of Victory

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We respect the Greeks as the founders of Western civilization. However, 5,000 years ago, when other cultures were surging, Greece had no sign that it was about to embark on a glorious future. While the pyramids of the Pharaohs were being piled up to the sky one after another, and cities were springing up throughout the Near East, the residents of this rugged peninsula were still cultivating their poor land and barely making a living. And when it finally began to develop, there was nothing particularly "Western" in their culture: what contributed to the growth of Greek civilization was actually trade with the south and the east. Although their culture was not yet developed, the Greeks at that time had an open mind and actively embraced the concepts and attitudes of the outside world. Paradoxically, it was precisely because of this ease of accepting external influences that they were able to establish such a strong self-identity - and it was because of this self-identity that Greece's reputation spread far and wide around the world. The Origin of the Aegean Sea─Gods and Heroes Athena was born from the head of her father Zeus, wielding a shield and fully armed, ready to fight to defend the Greeks. For a country that relied most of its vitality on commercial exchanges with Asia Minor (the Asian part of today's Turkey), it might be difficult to survive when its eastern trading partners fell into economic crisis and political turmoil. We don’t know much about the “Dark Ages” that followed. We only know that local military nobles fought for power and the progress of civilization stagnated. However, this was also an important period when Greece began to establish its own identity. For example, it was during this period that a group of gods replaced the various local gods. It is said that on the top of Olympus in northern Greece, there lived Zeus and his queen Hera, who could control the wind and rain; they also lived together with Poseidon, the god of the sea, Apollo, the sun god, and Aris, the god of war, who could shake the earth. The ice and chastity of Artemis, the moon goddess in charge of hunting, contrasts with the fiery passion of Aphrodite, the goddess of love. Zeus's beloved daughter, Athena, the goddess of industry and crafts, is said to have grown into an adult before jumping out of her father's forehead; Hermes, the winged messenger on her feet, is responsible for transmitting messages between heaven and earth. The mythology surrounding this pantheon united various regions throughout Greece. It provides an interoperable structure for people who may not have much in common. In fact, they soon had one more thing to share: a love of Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, two great epic poems in which the gods of Olympus, Just like humans, we are bound to make mistakes. Sometime in the eighth century B.C., Homer, an unknown person (or rather unknown persons, since some scholars doubt that the two epic poems were written by a single author), brought together the long-standing Stories handed down by bards through oral tradition were put into writing. Since then, Homer's epic poem, which is still a masterpiece of Western literature, has been defining what a Greek is for the Greeks themselves and for the wider world. Homer's vivid and dramatic battles that took place in front of the gates of Troy, as well as the long and adventurous journey home of the resourceful Odisius after the war, not only brought a series of wonderful and exciting stories to the Greeks, but also the The heroes are also those they can deeply identify with. Another breakthrough in Homer's epic poems is that these stories were written in a new and popular Greek alphabet, which was based on Phoenician script, instead of using any linear A, B or C symbols. came. The Rise of the Greeks - The Persian War Winged "Victory" statues, such as this "Victory Statue of Samosras", were specially built to celebrate Greece's military victories. From the mid-sixth century BC, Persian authority loomed over Greece like a darkening shadow. As the founding monarch of Persia, Cyrus the Great, expanded his territory to most of the Near East, the vigilance of the Greek city-states became increasingly high. The empire soon incorporated Greek colonies in Asia Minor into its borders; by the end of the sixth century BC, Persian ships were coveting the Aegean islands. If the conservative Persian king simply disliked the overall spirit of the Greek city-states, that would be fine, but the dangers he faced were more than that. The Persians believed that the way Greek cities on the European continent operated threatened the stability of their Asian empire. Therefore, Greece must be destroyed - for the safety of Persia.

In 490 BC, Cyrus' successor, Darius the Terrible, crossed the Aegean Sea and attacked directly. Although the status of all Greek cities was threatened, it was democratic Athens that first rose up to resist. Darius landed thousands of troops on the coastal plain of Marathon, where his cavalry had the greatest room for maneuver. For the more than 9,000 heavy infantry in Athens, such a battlefield was too large, but they still moved forward bravely. The huge cultural gap between the two sides can even be seen in the strategies used by both sides on the battlefield. The Athenian hoplites fought as infantry. They marched side by side and were a citizen army. The Persian nobles who faced them believed that walking in public was a dishonorable thing. Cyrus the Great once declared that a true Persian man should ride a horse wherever he goes. To the enemy's surprise (and perhaps even to their own surprise), when facing the Persian attack, the Greek hoplite phalanx was at a disadvantage but did not collapse. Although the enemy-to-enemy ratio was higher than two to one, they adhered to the central formation and outflanked the enemy from both wings. Seeing that they were about to be surrounded, the Persian army panicked and fled back to the ships. The Athenians won. The Rise of Athens - The Golden Age of Culture top A statuette of a girl holding a comedy mask - however, in the real theater, all the roles were played by male actors. The Athenians built a beautiful city on the ruins of the beacon fire left by Xerxes. No force in the world can stop this nation from defeating the Persian power. Although the appearance of the city of Athens was destroyed, the spirit of its people has never been so high as at this time: the destruction of the city just marked the advent of the democratic era of Athens. As a result, Athens faced the world with full confidence, its military power was victorious, and its democratic system became clear. Under the leadership of the Athenians, Greece's creativity flourished like never before, and they faced a golden age of fruitful achievements. Athens in the classical period was not a cultural museum, but a prosperous commercial city. The courageous drive of merchants and industrialists rivaled that of architects and artists. The bravery and radicalness of Athenian philosophy can be compared with the city's fearless adventures on the battlefield, and the Athenians' pride in their own country is even more equivalent to their openness to the outside world. Decades or even centuries of technological and aesthetic development can now be said to have been the culmination of many trends, leading to an overall improvement in Greek art. The original round and squat container has extended an elegant posture; the original heavy column has become slender and stretches towards the sky; most importantly, the portrait sculptures have shown unprecedented vitality. The old statues may have been grand and imposing, but in works from the fifth century B.C. we discover something new: a pulsing feeling, a human dimension. Some sculptors infused this life into cold marble, others into fiery bronze, and still other artists expressed similar effects in everything from tiny pottery to giant murals. However, while this art of "statue" (casting or molding) has particularly stood the test of time, the achievements of the classical period were certainly not limited to these areas. No matter which cultural category it is, this is an era of innovation and extraordinary achievements. Greek drama—especially tragedy—is considered one of the most enduring achievements of classical art, yet the few surviving scripts do not reveal the true richness of ancient Athenian theater. The great tragedies of Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Eulipides, as well as the comedies of Aristophanes, were but a small part of the vast entertainment program of the day—an ill-distributed one by modern standards. The earliest Greek dramas were performed every year in the name of Dionysus, the god of wine. He not only represented fertility, but was also associated with drunken obscenity, singing, and religious ecstasy. Therefore, no matter what kind of drama, including solemn drama, it is natural that Dionysian short pornographic jokes and crazy farce are indispensable. This combination may seem strange to us, but to the ancient Greeks it was not only logical but also fascinating. In Athens alone, there are seven Dionysian celebrations each year. Priests and civil dignitaries led a lively procession to the theater—perhaps accompanied by a raucous band—and all the people had a role to play in the grand spectacle, on which the entire city was a stage.