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xmelissaa

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I love learning about Greek history. I think I have a handle on the main aspects of Greek history. For 2023, I would like to delve into some random topics, maybe dive in to some of the major events with more detail, that kind of thing. Here is a list of things I am fascinated about:

- Basic way of life of the Minoans - it seems that they were fairly advanced?
- Delve into some of the aristocratic families in Ancient Athens
- How did Sparta form into the warrior culture?
- The origins of the Greek War for Independence

So far, that is all I have. Does anyone have any ideas?
 
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How about add:
  • The role of women in Ancient Greece (by city-state - note that Spartans treated women differently)
  • Cuisine of Ancient Greece - and influences to modern cuisine
  • Delve into the Athenian navy
 
I love learning about Greek history. I think I have a handle on the main aspects of Greek history. For 2023, I would like to delve into some random topics, maybe dive in to some of the major events with more detail, that kind of thing. Here is a list of things I am fascinated about:

- Basic way of life of the Minoans - it seems that they were fairly advanced?
- Delve into some of the aristocratic families in Ancient Athens
- How did Sparta form into the warrior culture?
- The origins of the Greek War for Independence

So far, that is all I have. Does anyone have any ideas?
I, too, love learning about Greek history, especially the ancient one , and specifically the obviously frequent communications of the various populations [tribes] of the Greek ecoumene from Asia Minor [Ionia etc.] to South Italy [Magna Graecia and Sicily]. A recent good read with illustrations of architecture, painted vases, wall paintings, statuettes, etc.:
The Roman named Paestum was founded as PoseidOnia. One of its extant temples is that of Athena. Obviously her cult was not restricted to the city of Athens.... // It was founded by Sybaris [on the eastern side of the land]. //Long ago I learned that, acc. to Herodotus, there was a sanctuary or a temple to Athena by the nearby Krathis River. Thus I infer that its style must have been like that [Doric] which is evident in Paestum.
Cheers.
 
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How about add:
  • The role of women in Ancient Greece (by city-state - note that Spartans treated women differently)
  • Cuisine of Ancient Greece - and influences to modern cuisine
  • Delve into the Athenian navy
Good suggestions... On this occasion, I searched "the cult of Athena". A good read:
namely: "The Women of Athena's Cult"
 

Period of Greek History You Find the Most Fascinating?

One of the things I love most about visiting Greece is how layered the history feels. You can be standing in one place and realize people have been living there for thousands of years across completely different eras.

So far, I’ve been especially drawn to Minoan history, places like Knossos really stayed with me, and also sites connected to the New Testament. Visiting locations tied to early Christianity adds a whole different dimension to travel for me.

Lately I’ve been thinking about planning future trips around specific historical periods, but Greece has so many that it’s hard to know where to focus next. Ancient classical sites, Byzantine monasteries, Ottoman-era towns, Venetian fortresses, it’s almost overwhelming in a good way.

I’d love to hear what periods of Greek history you personally find most fascinating, and why. Are there particular places that really brought that era to life for you? I’m looking for inspiration for future exploring.

Daily Life in Ancient Athens?

When I visited Athens recently, I spent a lot of time walking around the ancient sites like the Acropolis of Athens and the Ancient Agora of Athens. Seeing the ruins up close was incredible, but it also made my imagination wander.

As I walked through the Agora and looked up at the Acropolis, I kept wondering what daily life was actually like in Ancient Athens. What did an ordinary day look like for people who lived there? Were the streets busy with merchants and philosophers debating ideas? What kinds of foods were people cooking, and how did families spend their evenings?

It’s easy to think about the big historical moments or famous figures, but I’m really curious about everyday life. What were homes like, how did people spend their time, and what might a normal day have looked like for the average Athenian? I’d love to hear any insights or resources people recommend!

ancient Greek circumflex: tilde vs. inverted breve

Apparently (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_diacritics) tilde and inverted breve are equivalent circumflex diacritics, but I have never come across the tilde in online ancient Greek texts. I would like to be able to type the inverted breve. The excellent program https://typegreek.com/ apparently does not allow this. Is there another program or procedure form doing this? Thanks in advance.

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.

Most forgotten period of Greek history?

I was in Crete once eating at a restaurant and there was a pile of artifacts heaped - broken pottery shards, etc. The restaurant told us that they were going to throw them out. I said, but they are artifacts, why?! They said that no one cares about that time period the artifacts came from - something about an Arabic occupation.

I thought it was interesting and it stayed with me nearly two decades later. This is clearly a forgotten period of Greek history. Does this happen a lot in Greece? Got me thinking about Greek history and what else may be forgotten... Would love your thoughts.
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