| Learning about Greece
- Ancient Greece Quick Facts |
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FACTS ABOUT
AKROTIRI AND SANTORINI |
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The
Thera volcano erupted around 1646 BC. The explosion was
the most powerful of any volcano in the last 10,000 years, about
200 times as powerful as the explosion of Mount St. Helens in
the U.S. |
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7 cubic miles
of magma were released in the initial explosion and the column
of ash from the eruption was likely about 23 miles high.
The boom was so loud, people heard it in Sweden. |
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The eruption
destroyed temples throughout the Greek isles and the resulting
tsunami's devastation may have contributed to the demise of
the Minoan civilization on Crete. |
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Akrotiri had
a population of about 5,000 to 20,000 before the explosion,
who lived on the rim of what became a giant caldera. All
the town's buildings were buried under layers of pumice and
ash. |
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In 1967, excavations of Akrotiri
were begun by archeological professor Spyridon Marinatos, whose
student, Christos Doumas, continues the work today - but only
about 1/30th of the city has been unearthed. |
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Archeologists have not turned
up any human remains in Akrotiri, suggesting that the population
either escaped the island before the explosion or huddled in
camps away from Akrotiri. |
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The wall paintings from Akrotiri
are some of the best-preserved remains of early Aegean cultures. |
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Some historians believe Santorini
may have been the source of the fabled Atlantis legend. |
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FACTS
ABOUT THE PARTHENON |
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The
construction of the Parthenon was started in approximately 447
BC and took approximately ten years to complete. It was
designed by the architects Itkinos and Callicrates with the
help of leading sculptor Phidias. |
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The building
was constructed out of Pentelic marble, using approximately
13,400 stones. |
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There are no
absolute straight lines in the design of the Parthenon, giving
it a very organic feeling. |
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The Parthenon
rises to 64 feet high and was 230 feet long. It contains
46 Doric columns. |
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Parthenon literally means
"virgin's place" and was a temple for the Goddess
Athena. |
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The vividly painted statue
of Athena was 42 feet tall and took the sculptor Phidias about
9 years of work. More than 1,000 KG of gold was used to
create the gold and ivory statue. |
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The statue of Athena was
first looted by the Greek tyrant Lachares who stripped off the
gold plates and used the metal to pay his army. Later,
in the 5th Century AD, the statue was carted away to Constantinople
by the Byzantines and is believed to have been destroyed during
the Crusades. |
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The frieze of the Parthenon
is one of the first to depict common people along with the Gods,
reflecting the Greek love and belief in democratic principles. |
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ANCIENT
GREECE: TIMELINE |
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| 7000-3000
B.C. |
Neolithic Period:
The first settlements appear in Greece, started by arriving
nomads, and the first evidence of seafaring is found |
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1700-1100 B.C. |
Bronze Age: The advanced Minoan and
Mycenean Civilizations arise in the Greek Isles |
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| 1646
B.C. |
The most massive volcanic explosion
known to mankind explodes on Thera (today Santorini), setting
off tidal waves and likely changing the tide of Minoan history |
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1100-750 B.C.
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Known as the “Dark Ages” of Ancient
Greece because few written records remain of this time. |
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| 800
B.C. |
Greeks begin communicating
with other civilizations of the Mediterranean |
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750 B.C.-500 B.C. |
The Archaic Period: The first city-states
are formed, the Greeks begin trading with Asia and Greeks
begin emigrating to islands across the Mediterranean |
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| 776
B.C. |
The first Olympic Games are
held |
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700 B.C. |
Homer writes The Odyssey |
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| 508
B.C. |
Democracy begins in Athens |
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500-336 B.C. |
The Classical Age or "The Golden Age"
of Greece is in full swing: tremendous advances in art,
science, politics and culture take place in 100 to 200 years |
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| 472-410
B.C. |
Theatre arrives in Athens
and many of the most famous Greek plays are written during
this period |
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438 B.C.
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The Parthenon, devoted to the Goddess Athena
and one of the greatest architectural works of all time, is
completed after nearly 10 years of construction |
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| 431
B.C. |
War between Athens and Sparta
(the Peloponnesian War) breaks out |
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404 B.C. |
Sparta claims victory over Athens |
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| 399
B.C. |
Socrates, the self-educated
stonemason who became one of Greece’s greatest philosophers,
is condemned to death for his teaching methods |
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356 B.C.
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Philip II becomes King of Macedonia and Macedonia
soon after defeats Athens |
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| 336
B.C. |
Phillip II is assassinated
and Alexander the Great becomes King of Macedonia, ushering
in the Hellenistic Age |
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146 B.C. |
Rome conquers Greece and Greece becomes part
of the Roman Empire |
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