Ancient Greek cities arose before our era. They were built by representatives of an ancient civilization that spread far beyond the borders of modern Greece. Where were its borders? Where were cities built and how have they changed over time?
Ancient civilization
At the moment, the Republic of Greece is a state in Europe, located in the southern part of the Balkan Peninsula and on the adjacent islands. It is washed by five seas and covers an area of 131,957 square kilometers.
A small European country is the successor of a culture that has influenced the development of science and art throughout Western civilization. In the history of its development, the following periods are distinguished:
- Crete-Mycenaean (III-I millennium BC);
- Homeric (XI-IX centuries BC);
- archaic (VIII-VI centuries BC);
- classic (V-IV centuries BC);
- Hellenistic (the second half of the 4th - the middle of the 1st century BC).
By the way, Ancient Greece was not a single state with strict borders and a capital. A represented many independent cities that fought andcompeting with each other. Most of the cultural achievements of this civilization known to us were made in the era of its heyday - the classical period when the policies of the Aegean Sea united in an alliance led by Athens.
The first Greek cities
Three thousand years ago on the island of Crete there was a pre-Greek population with a highly developed culture. They already had religious cults, a complex political and economic structure, fresco painting and even writing. All this will be appropriated by the first tribes of the Greeks - the Achaeans, having conquered and assimilated the Minoans.
First they conquered the Balkan Peninsula and the local agricultural tribes. Having united with the pre-Greek peoples in Crete, the Achaeans gave rise to the Cretan-Mycenaean civilization. Here begins the formation of the Greek nation.
In the second millennium BC, the Mycenaeans already had their own cities (Mycenae, Athens, Tiryns, Orchomenus). Like the Minoans, splendid palaces served as their centers. But, unlike the previous peaceful culture, the cities of the Mycenaeans were surrounded by powerful walls. Inside them, as a rule, there was another wall that surrounded the palace and the acropolis.
Suddenly appeared barbarian tribes managed to destroy the Mycenaean civilization. Only a few local residents (Ionians, Aeolians) remained. The invasion of the barbarian Dorians and kindred tribes threw back the development of culture hundreds of years ago.
Wooden and clay houses replace the former two-story palaces, no trade relations. At the same time, hostilities, piracy and slavery are activated. ExceptIn addition, the population is engaged in agriculture and cattle breeding, and the Greek cities are more like villages.
The Great Colonization
In the archaic period, society is divided into classes. The level of agriculture, crafts and military power is growing. The city becomes an important economic, religious and political center. In the VIII-VI centuries. BC e. shipbuilding is developing, and with it the trade in products and slaves.
Metropolises begin to send colonists to develop new lands. Fortified city-states, or policies, appeared on the shores of the Northern Black Sea region, the Mediterranean Sea and Asia Minor. This is how Miletus, Colophon, Olbia (Ionians), Smyrna (Aeolians), Halicarnassus, Chersonese (Dorians) arise. Greek civilization stretches from modern Rostov-on-Don all the way to Marseille.
Colonization is mostly peaceful. A special person, an oikist, chooses a landing site, negotiates with local tribes, conducts cleansing rites and plans the placement of a settlement.
Polis were usually located on the coast, near sources of drinking water. One of the main criteria for choosing a place was the relief. It was supposed to provide natural protection, it is desirable that there be hills to accommodate the acropolis.
Life in policies
Ordinary workers often subscribed to the fate of the colonists, dissatisfied with the local tyrant aristocrats. In the colonies, the influence of tribal traditions is not so noticeable, which allows not only the economy, but also culture to grow. Very soon the policies become prosperous states with richart, architecture and an active social and political life.
Standard Greek cities were inhabited by 5 to 10 thousand people. Their territory covered up to 200 square meters. km. The population of large policies numbered up to two hundred thousand people (Sparta, Lacedaemon). Viticulture, olive oil production, horticulture and horticulture represented the basis of the economy and were realized through barter or sale. The population consisted mainly of farmers and artisans.
Policies were democratic republics. At the heart of society was civil society. Each had a plot of land as a pledge of his obligations to the policy. With the loss of the site, he also lost his civil rights. There were up to two thousand full-fledged citizens (male warriors) taking part in politics. The rest of the inhabitants (foreigners, slaves, women and children) did not vote.
Policy planning
The first policies did not have a clear structure and layout. Ancient Greek cities were built according to the terrain. A port or harbor was created on the coast. Polises often had a "two-tier system". On a hill was the acropolis (upper city), surrounded by powerful walls.
The main temples and monuments were in the acropolis. The lower city housed residential buildings and a market square - the agora. It served as the center of political and social life. It housed the building of the court, the assembly and the People's Council, deals were made and city decisions were made.
In the classical period, policies acquire a systematic layout developed by Hippodamus. Residential neighborhoods and streets form a grid with rectangular or square cells. Agora and houses are located strictly within the cells. All objects are grouped around several wide main streets. Centuries later, this plan was taken as a basis by the architects of New York and other cities.
Greek city names
The borders of Ancient Greece affected the territories of many current countries: Bulgaria, Ukraine, Italy and others. The prosperous colonial cities have long since turned into ruins, and their names have changed due to political and social reasons.
The former names have been preserved by modern Greek cities. Until now, there are Athens, Corinth, Thessaloniki, Chalkis in the world. In some countries, they only slightly changed their names, for example, the colony of Acragas in Italy became Agrigento, and Gela became Gelei. In the Northern Black Sea region, the modern names of Greek cities have become completely unrecognizable.
The following are the ancient Greek cities of the Black Sea region that have changed their names. In brackets - their modern names and location:
- Pantikapey (Kerch, Crimea);
- Kerkinitida (Evpatoria, Crimea);
- Dioscuria (Sukhumi, Abkhazia);
- Chersonese (near Sevastopol, Crimea);
- Olvia (near Ochakov, Mykolaiv region, Ukraine);
- Kafa (Feodosia, Crimea).
Cities of Greece today
Today there are 65 cities in Greece. Many of them werefounded before our era. What are the largest modern cities in Greece: Athens, Thessaloniki and Patras?
Athens is the capital of Greece, its main economic and cultural center. This is one of the oldest cities in Europe, the first mention of it dates back to the 16th century BC. Modern Athens is known not only for ancient monuments, but also for its first-class nightclubs and huge shopping centers. Today, about 4 million people live in this metropolis.
Thessaloniki is the second most populous city in the country. It is also the oldest city in which many monuments of the ancient and Byzantine periods have been preserved. Thessaloniki is also known for its numerous industrial enterprises: metallurgical, textile, ship repair. It also has the second largest brewery in Greece by production.
Patras is the main city of the Peloponnese with a population of about 230 thousand inhabitants. It was founded in the sixth century BC. It was here that Andrew the First-Called, one of the twelve apostles of Christ, died a martyr's death. Modern Patras is an important cultural center of Southern Europe. The famous Carnival of Patras is held here every spring.
