Ancient Greece: Birthplace of Western Civilization
Ancient Greece gave the modern world democracy, philosophy, theater, the Olympics, and the foundations of Western art, architecture, and science. Greek vocabulary — from democracy to philosophy to mythology — permeates modern language, institutions, and thought.
Topics Covered
City-States and Democracy
Athens, Sparta, and the polis; the invention of democracy; citizens and governance.
Philosophy and Learning
Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, and the Greek tradition of rational inquiry.
Wars and Conflicts
Persian Wars, the Peloponnesian War, and Alexander the Great's conquests.
Culture and Society
The Olympics, theater, mythology, art, and architecture.