the.com/ancient greece
a few thousand argumentative city-states invented democracy, theater, and the excuse to overthink everything.
means the civilization of greek-speaking city-states from roughly 800 bce to 146 bce that laid the intellectual foundations of western philosophy, politics, math, and drama.
from the greeks called themselves hellenes and their land hellas; romans called them graeci after a tribe they met first, and the latin stuck for everyone else forever.
democracy caveatonly free adult men could vote, roughly 10 percent
olympics originwars paused every four years for the games
sparta vs athensone worshipped muscle, the other worshipped debate
alexander's reachspread greek culture from egypt to india by 323 bce
for instance
athens — birthplace of democracy around 508 bce under cleisthenes
sparta — militarized society that trained boys from age 7
delphi — oracle site where a priestess allegedly spoke for apollo
alexander the great — conquered from macedon to india by age 30