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Did the "siesta" or Greek mid day nap originate from Ancient Greece?

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knicks_fan87

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Does anyone know about the origins of the famous mid day nap that Greeks take?
 
I love mid-day naps! Big thanks to the ancient Greeks
 
Fascinating that the tradition started all those years ago in Ancient Greece! I love a good, solid midday nap.
 
Growing up in Greece back in the 70's, mid-day naps were common. Now days that most business are open 9-5, mid-day naps are less common. However, it is a tradition that I keep in the US, due to my work schedule, my nap-time is 4 PM - 5:30 PM.
 
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How Democratic Was Athenian Democracy?

I’ve been studying the democracy of Athens lately, and I find it fascinating that such an influential system didn’t actually last very long in its original form. It’s often described as the birthplace of democracy, and yet when you look closely, it seems both groundbreaking and limited at the same time.

On the one hand, the idea of citizens participating directly in decision-making was radical. On the other hand, citizenship excluded women, enslaved people, and foreigners, which dramatically narrowed who had a voice. It makes me wonder how “democratic” it really was by its own standards, let alone ours.

I’m also curious how stable it truly felt at the time, given the political upheavals and eventual decline.

For those who’ve studied this period more deeply, how do you interpret Athenian democracy? Do you see it as a bold experiment that laid the groundwork for modern systems, or as something far more fragile and constrained?

What was life like under Roman Greece?

I’ve been going down a bit of a Greek history rabbit hole lately, and I realized I don’t know much about what everyday life was like when Greece was under Roman rule.

We always hear so much about classical Greece and then later Byzantine history, but that Roman period feels a little less talked about, at least in detail.

I’m curious how much actually changed for people living there at the time. Did daily life feel very different from earlier Greek periods, or did a lot of traditions and culture continue as usual? And how did Greeks view Roman authority, was it accepted, resisted, or somewhere in between?

If anyone has insights, favorite sources, or even small details about daily life, I’d love to hear them.

Transition from myth to recorded history in Greece?

I’ve been thinking about the transition from myth to recorded history in Greece, and where that shift really begins.

So much of what we associate with early Greek history comes to us through myth, stories of gods, heroes, and epic events that clearly weren’t meant as factual records, yet still carry cultural and historical weight. At some point, though, we start seeing attempts to document events, places, and people in a more deliberate way.

I’m curious how others understand this transition. Do you see myth and history as clearly separate phases, or more as overlapping ways of explaining the world? Figures like Homer, Hesiod, and later historians seem to sit somewhere in between storytelling and record-keeping.

What do you think prompted the move toward written history? Was it political organization, trade, literacy, or something else entirely? And how much of myth do you think still shaped the way early historians understood and recorded their past?

Fall of the City States (Polis)

I’ve been reading more about ancient Greek history lately, and something struck me — we always hear about the rise of the polis and how important city-states like Athens and Sparta were, but I don’t see as much discussion about how that system actually declined.

What led to the fall of the polis as the dominant structure in Greek life? Was it mainly due to constant warfare like the Peloponnesian War, or did larger powers like Macedon gradually make the independent city-state model obsolete?

I’m especially curious about whether this was a sudden shift or more of a slow transition over time. Did people living through it even realize the polis era was ending?

I’d love to gather more insight on this. Greek history is a big interest of mine, and this feels like an important piece I haven’t fully understood yet.

Themistocles: Hero, Politician, or Master Strategist?

This weekend I met someone named Themistocles, which immediately caught my attention. We ended up having a conversation about the famous Athenian statesman and general, and it got me thinking more about his place in Greek history.

Themistocles is often credited with recognizing the importance of naval power and helping secure the Greek victory at the Battle of Salamis. Without his foresight and strategy, the Persian Wars may have had a very different outcome. At the same time, he was also a politician who made powerful enemies and was eventually ostracized from Athens.

It made me wonder how people today view him. Was he primarily a hero who helped save Greece, a brilliant politician navigating a difficult era, or one of history's greatest military strategists? I'd love to hear your thoughts on his legacy and whether you think he gets the recognition he deserves.
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