The Ancient Greek World

Video created by Penn Musuem

Excerpt: In southeastern Europe on the Mediterranean sea is a small mountainous penninsula that we call Greece – a region of bright sunshine, deep blue seas and many islands. Here the first democracy began. Even the meaning of the word comes from the Greek language – democratia – demos = the people, cratus = power – the people’s power, democracy. Twenty-six centuries ago, the ancient Greeks created extraordinary art, wrote great literature and drama that we still read and perform today. In trying to understand the world, they began a serious study of science, mathematics, astronomy, engineering and philosophy. For these endeavours, ancient Greece came to stand among the great civilizations.

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