Drama Teacher AcAdemy © 2015 LinDsay Price 1

The Ancient Greeks

Who are the ancient Greeks?

Democracy/slaveryDemos = power, Kratos = people. The word “democracy” translates to “power of the people.”

Athens incorporated the first democratic government. Every citizen could have a say in the actions of the government, so long as they were a male over 18 with parents who were citizens. You could not be a woman, foreigner, or slave. For a society that promoted democracy for all, Ancient Greece was inconsistent that it had a slavery class. Every household that could afford it used slaves to help with chores.

Slaves were also used in factories and mines, as well as on farms and ships. These hard labor slaves had a much shorter lifespan than household slaves.

the role of WomenIn Ancient Greek, women ran their households. If they were part of the middle or high classes, they also supervised any domestic slaves. In general, the women of Ancient Greece did not have any power or voice. They were not formally educated. Parents arranged their daughters’ marriages. They would be allowed out of the house only to attend funerals or religious festivals, unless they had special permission. Sparta provided women with an exception to this rule. Spartan women were expected to own land, to be physically fit, and to be educated. This quote tells you all you need to know about Spartan women. When going to war, Spartan mothers told their sons, “Either come back victorious, or dead on your shield.”

War/cultureThere were many contrasts within Ancient Greece society. This was an era known for war. Spartan boys were put into military training at an early age. The city-states fought constantly. But this was an era also known for art, theatre, architecture, poetry, music, and politics. Men knew both how to fight as well as how to appreciate culture.

Drama Teacher AcAdemy © 2015 LinDsay Price 2

competitionThe Ancient Greeks were driven by the contest, or Agon. It’s no coincidence that the Greek word is used to equally describe a festival competition, sporting contest, or war skirmish.

The country now known as Greece wasn’t actually called Greece in that era. It was made up of regional city-states (called polis) which were quite territorial. The area united when it was attacked (eg: the Trojan or Persian wars) but each city-state (eg: Athens, Thebes, Corinth, Sparta) was fiercely independent. For example, an Athens citizen always said they were from Athens, not from the larger country. Each city-state had its own government and army. The city-states fought each other constantly. The only time they called a truce was during the Olympics.

The Ancient Greeks started to encourage competition and a competitive spirit in its citizens from an early age. The Olympics were first held in 776 BC. The plays from this era were written for festival competitions. There were competitions in music and poetry. Winning was everything. To win, brought honour to the winner and their family. The Ancient Greeks would not understand today’s custom of giving out participation ribbons.

the GoDsThe Ancient Greeks were religious. They revered and believed in multiple gods (polytheism). Gods were depicted in human form, each with his/her own personality and powers. Greek Myths tell the stories of the gods who lived on Mount Olympus but regularly interacted with humans. These stories were passed down from generation to generation. Everyone would have known the stories in-depth.

Each city-state was devoted to a particular god and built temples for worship. The people felt that their particular god was their protector and guardian. For example, Athens was named for the goddess Athena. Ritual sacrifice (most often animal) was part of their worship along with celebration festivals. The Olympics were held in honour of Zeus, leader of the gods. The theatre festivals paid tribute to Dionysus.

The Greek gods and their legends resonated not just within Ancient Greece, but in other countries that copied Greek mythology.