Periodization and features of the history of ancient Greece. Geography, population of ancient Greece and chronological periods

The modern world owes a lot ancient greece. This relatively small state had a huge impact on the development of all areas of human life. Take, for example, myths that are a reflection of human life, both in those days and today. Ideas about the world - about man, medicine, politics, art, literature - on a global scale originated precisely in Greece. This state was located in the south of the Balkan Peninsula and on the islands of the Aegean Sea. Accordingly, in such a relatively small area there was a small amount of the population, but, as Alexander the Great said, “One Greek is worth a thousand barbarians.” Greece stood out from other states - Babylonia, Egypt and Persia - and not without reason.

Map of ancient Greece

Ancient times of ancient Greece

Territory of ancient Greece It is conventionally divided into three parts: Southern, Middle and Northern. Lakonika, better known as Sparta, was located in the southern part. Athens - the main city of Greece - was located in the middle part of the state, along with such areas as Attica, Aetolia and Fokis. This part was separated from the North by almost impassable mountains and separated Athens and Thessaly, which today itself is a major historical center.

About the population of ancient Greece can be judged by the numerous examples of art that have been preserved almost in their original form - these are sculptures, frescoes and elements of painting. In any museum in the world you will find a hall of ancient Greek art, where you will see many images of tall, slender people with a perfect physique, with fair skin and dark curly hair. Ancient historians call them Pelasgians - the people who inhabited the islands of the Aegean Sea in the III millennium BC. Despite the fact that their occupations were no different from those of other ancient peoples and included cattle breeding and agriculture, it should be noted that their land was difficult to cultivate and required the use of special skills.

The peoples of Greece and their development

Those who inhabited Greece almost five thousand years ago were expelled from their lands exactly in the same millennium in which they appeared. The reason for this was the Achaeans who invaded from the north, whose state was also located on the island of Peloponnese with its capital in Mycenae. This conquest was of an epochal nature, as it marked the beginning of the Achaean civilization, which suffered the same sad fate - at the end of the 13th century BC, just as the Achaeans invaded the Greek lands, the Dorians came to this territory. Unfortunately, the conquerors destroyed almost all the cities and the entire Akhian population, although they themselves, at the same time, were at a lower level of civilization development. This fact could not but affect the culture of Ancient Greece. The most ancient writing, created by the Pelasgians, was forgotten, not to mention the fact that the construction and development of tools stopped. This period, which is deservedly called "dark", lasted neither more nor less than from the 12th to the 9th centuries AD. Among the cities, Athens and Sparta still stood out, where two antagonistic societies were located.

So, in Laconia (Sparta) the governors were two kings who ruled by passing their power by inheritance. Nevertheless, despite this, the real power was in the hands of the elders, who made laws and were engaged in judging. The love of luxury in Sparta was severely pursued, and the main task of the elders was to prevent the class stratification of society, for which each Greek family received a plot of land from the state, which they had to cultivate without the right to receive additional territories. Soon the Spartans were forbidden to engage in trade, agriculture and crafts, the slogan was proclaimed that "the occupation of every Spartan is war", which was supposed to fully provide the population of Laconica with everything necessary for life. The morals of the Spartans are eloquently evidenced by the fact that the soldiers could be expelled from the detachments only because he did not fully eat his portion of food at a common meal, which indicated that he dined on the side. Moreover, the wounded Spartan had to die on the battlefield in silence, without showing unbearable pain.

The main rival of Sparta was the current capital of Greece - Athens. This city was the center of the arts, and the people who inhabited it were the exact opposite of the rough and tough Spartans. Nevertheless, despite the ease and carelessness of life, it was here that the word "tyrant" appeared. Initially, it meant “ruler”, but when the authorities of Athens began to openly rob the population, this word acquired the connotation that it has to this day. Peace was brought to the devastated city by King Solon, a wise and kind ruler who did a lot to improve the lives of the townspeople.

The VI century brought new trials to the inhabitants of Greece - the danger came from the Persians, who quickly conquered Egypt, Media and Babylonia. In the face of the Persian state, the peoples of Greece united, forgetting about the age-old strife. Of course, the center of the army was the Spartans, who devoted their lives to military affairs. The Athenians, in turn, took up the construction of the flotilla. Darius underestimated the power of the Greeks and, having lost the very first battle, which is immortalized in history by the fact that a joyful messenger ran from Marathon to Athens to report the good news of victory, and, having covered 40 km, fell dead. It is with this event in mind that the athletes run the “marathon distance”. Xerxes, the son of Darius, having enlisted the support and help of the conquered states, nevertheless, lost a number of important battles, and abandoned any attempt to conquer Greece. Thus, Greece became the most powerful state, which gave her a number of privileges, especially Athens, which became the capital of trade in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Sparta united with Athens the next time in the face of the Macedonian conqueror Philip II, who, unlike Darius, quickly broke the resistance of the Greeks, establishing power over all areas of the state, except for Sparta, which refused to obey. Thus, the Classical period of the development of the Hellenic states ended and the flowering of Greece as part of Macedonia began. Thanks to Alexander the Great, Greeks and Macedonians by 400 BC became sovereign masters of the whole of Asia Minor. The Hellenistic era ended in 168 BC, when the large-scale conquests of the Roman Empire began.

The role of Greek civilization in the history of the development of the world

Historians agree that the cultural development of the world would not have been possible without the heritage that left us by ancient Greece. It was here that the fundamental knowledge about the universe that modern science uses was laid. The first philosophical concepts were formulated here, defining the basis for the development of the spiritual values ​​of all mankind. The Greek philosopher Aristotle laid the foundation for ideas about the material and non-material world, Greek athletes became the first champions of the first Olympic Games. Any science or field of art is somehow connected with this great ancient state - be it theater, literature, painting or sculpture. The Iliad, the main work that has survived to this day, tells very vividly and colorfully about the historical events of those times, about the way of life of the ancient Eleans, and, more importantly, is dedicated to real events. The contribution to the development of history was made by the famous Greek thinker Herodotus, whose works were devoted to the Greco-Persian wars. The contribution of Pythagoras and Archimedes to the development of mathematics cannot be overestimated. Moreover, the ancient Greeks were the authors of numerous inventions that were used primarily in the course of military operations.

The Greek theater deserves special attention, which was an open area with a round structure for the choir and a stage for artists. Such an architecture implied the creation of excellent acoustics, and the audience, sitting even in the back rows, could hear all the cues. It is noteworthy that the actors hid their faces under masks, which were divided into comic and tragic. Tremulously revering their gods, the Greeks created their statues and sculptures, which still amaze with their beauty and perfection.

Special place Ancient Greece in world ancient history makes it one of the most mysterious and amazing states in the ancient world. The progenitor of sciences and arts, Greece to this day attracts the attention of everyone who is fond of world history.

periods of ancient Greece. The history of development

Early period (1050-750 BC)

Following the final, who knew writing, - the last of the glorious civilizations of the Aegean Bronze Age, mainland Greece and the islands off its coast entered an era called by some historians "Dark Age". However, strictly speaking, this term rather characterizes a break in historical information that relates to the time interval that began around 1050 BC. e., rather than the lack of knowledge or historical experience among the then population of Hellas, although writing was lost. In fact, it was precisely at this time, the time of the transition to the Iron Age, that the political, aesthetic and literary features that were then inherent in classical Hellas began to appear. Local leaders, who called themselves pariahs, ruled small, closely interconnected communities - the forerunners of the ancient Greek city-states. The next stage in the development of painted ceramics is obvious, which has become simpler in form, but at the same time stronger; her appearance, as evidenced by vessel shown at right, acquired a new elegance, harmony and proportion, which became the hallmarks of later Greek art.

Taking advantage vague memories, Trojans and others, wandering singers composed stories about gods and mere mortals, giving poetic imagery to Greek mythology. By the end of this period, the Greek-speaking tribes borrowed the alphabet from and adapted it to their language, which made it possible to write down many legends that had long been kept in oral tradition: the best among them that have come down to us are the Homeric epics " 776 BC e., is considered to be the beginning of the subsequent continuous rise of Greek culture.

Archaic period (Archaic) (750-500 BC)

In the 8th century, prompted population growth and wealth emigrants from ancient Greece, in search of new agricultural land and trading opportunities, spread throughout the Mediterranean. Greek settlers in foreign countries, however, became not just subjects cities that founded colonies, but separate, autonomous political entities. The spirit of independence that owned the settlers, as well as the need for joint action to maintain each community, gave rise to such a political unit as the policy. Throughout the Greek world, there were supposedly up to 700 similar city-states. The foreign cultures with which Hellas came into contact during this period of expansion affected the Greeks in a variety of ways.

The geometric painting of ceramics gave way to images of animals and plants in the oriental style, as well as detailed mythological scenes of a new black-figure style of vase painting (see below in the photo gallery below). Artists working with stone, clay, wood and bronze began to create monumental human sculptures. Typical for archaic statue of kouros(photo left) bears clear traces of Egyptian influence, but at the same time shows an emerging desire for symmetry, lightness and realism. In the seventh century the first truly Greek temples appear, decorated with extended friezes and Doric columns (see below in the photo gallery). Lyrical and elegiac poetry, deeply personal and emotionally rich, comes to replace the grandiloquent verses of the past. The development of trade contributes to the widespread coinage invented by the Lydians. On the mainland at the same time Sparta introduces a political system that emphasizes strict government and discipline, and as a result becomes the largest and most powerful city-state of that period. Athens On the contrary, they change and codify laws, taking care of justice and equality, open access to the ruling bodies to an increasing number of citizens and lay the foundations of democracy.

Classic period (500-323 BC)

The classical period in ancient Greece, when it is incredibly fast here blossomed arts, literature, philosophy and politics, limited by the time of wars with two foreign powers - Persia and Macedonia. Hellenes victory over the Persians gave rise to a new spirit of cooperation between the different city-states and Athens, whose fleet played a decisive role in providing a favorable turning point in the struggle against the so-called barbarians. The tribute that went from the allies to the Athenian treasury in exchange for military protection provided the Athenians with the opportunity to increase their already significant wealth and guaranteed this city political, cultural and economic supremacy throughout the Mediterranean. Virtually all citizens of Athens, regardless of financial status, were provided with access to elected office, and for the performance of relevant duties they received remuneration. At public expense, sculptors, architects and playwrights worked on works that still remain the highest creative achievement of mankind. Shown, for example, on the right is a bronze Zeus statue 213 centimeters high gives in a concentrated form an idea of ​​the skill of the artists of classical Hellas (ancient Greece), who reproduced the human body in their works with extraordinary dynamism. Greek philosophers, historians, and natural scientists left examples of rational theoretical analysis.

In 431, the long-standing enmity between Athens and Sparta resulted in a war that lasted almost 30 years and ended in the defeat of the Athenians. Decades of incessant battles have led to the weakening of political influence in many city-states, where fierce feuds have not stopped. Calculating and ambitious Macedonian King Philip II managed to profit from such chaos and soon became the master of the entire territory of ancient Greece. Philip did not manage to complete the construction of the empire, he was killed, and his son ascended the throne Alexander. Just 12 years later, Alexander the Great (Macedonian) died, but left behind a power that stretched from the Adriatic to Media (see below in the photo gallery).

Hellenistic period (323-31 BC)

On the ruins of Alexander's empire, after almost 50 years of fierce struggle for his inheritance, three major powers arose: Macedonia, Ptolemaic Egypt and the Seleucid state stretching from present-day Turkey to Afghanistan. That strikes that from the Macedonian capital of Pella in the west to Ai-Khanum in the east, the language, literature, political institutions, fine arts, architecture and philosophy in the cities and settlements that arose as a result of Alexander's campaigns remained unconditionally Greek after his death. Subsequent kings emphasized their kinship with Hellas, especially with Alexander: the figure on the left shows Thracian silver coin, on which he is depicted with the ram horns of Zeus-Amon, a god who has roots in both the East and the West. Possessing a common language, finding, under the influence of constant trade contacts, preserving written texts and attracting numerous travelers, the Hellenistic world became more and more cosmopolitan.

Education and enlightenment flourished, libraries were created - among them was Great Library of Alexandria, where there were about half a million volumes. But the Greek ruling classes refused to admit ordinary subjects into their ranks, and vast new kingdoms were shaken everywhere by internal turmoil. Steadily weakening and impoverished Macedonia in 168 BC. e. came under dominance. One after another, the governors of the provinces in the Seleucid state declared themselves independent, forming many small states with a dynastic form of government. Of the kingdoms into which the empire of Alexander fell apart, the Ptolemaic Egypt still stood as a bastion. Cleopatra VII, the last of her line (and the only one who learned the language of the subject population), committed suicide when the Romans were victorious at Actium. However, although they managed to subjugate the entire Mediterranean, the dominance of the Latins did not mean the end of Greek influence: the Romans absorbed the culture of ancient Greece and perpetuated the Hellenic heritage in a way that the Greeks themselves could not.

Ancient Greece.

Ancient Greece is a country in the south of the Balkan Peninsula and the islands adjacent to it. Ancient Greece is considered the cradle of modern European civilization. Nature challenged the ancient Greeks: the country's relief is very uneven, there are many mountains in Greece, and between them there are a few fertile plains; there are practically no large rivers, the coastline is very indented, there are many capes and bays. Traveling in Greece is possible mainly by sea, the sea route was often easier than the land route. Greece became a maritime civilization. Greece has always lacked arable land, the main crops being olives and grapes; however, there was a shortage of bread. Because of this shortage, the Greeks were forced to begin colonization. A colony is a settlement of people outside their homeland. The great Greek colonization began in the 6th century BC. e (some colonies of the Greeks existed much earlier).

The main directions of colonization.

1. Western coast of the peninsula of Asia Minor. The most important Greek colonies here were Ephesus, Milaeus and Halicarnassus. From here bread and horses were brought to Greece.

2. The island of Sicily was the most important breadbasket of Greece. The largest Greek colonies here were the cities of Messina and Syracuse.

3. Northern coast of the Black Sea. The most important colonies here were Chersonese (in the Crimea) and Olbia (at the confluence of the Dnieper Sea). The Black Sea region supplied bread and slaves to Greece.

Separate Greek colonies also appeared on other shores of the Mediterranean Sea (for example, Messalia - Marseille in the south of modern France) to the Pillars of Hercules (as the Greeks called the Strait of Gibraltar.

In exchange for goods from the colonies, the Greeks supplied wine, olive oil, as well as numerous handicrafts, many of which were real masterpieces in their field. Thus, the main occupations of the ancient Greeks were craft and trade, and not agriculture, as in most civilizations of the Ancient East. The nature and occupations of the ancient Greeks formed a peculiar mentality(a set of spiritual features characteristic of people of different nationalities, cultures, lifestyles). The main qualities valued among the sons of Hellas were: individualism (in the East - collectivism), competitiveness and enterprise. Each person was valuable in itself, and not as part of a team like him. The Olympic Games became the embodiment of the competitive spirit inherent in the Ancient Rivers. The first such all-Greek competitions took place in 773 BC. and from then on repeated every 4 years until the end of the 2nd century AD. According to the Olympiads, the Greeks kept their calendar. The mentality of the Greeks gave rise to their peculiar political structure. civil community - policy.

Periodization of Greek history.

1. Crete-Mycenaean period. XV-XIII centuries BC. A highly developed civilization existed in the south of mainland Greece and on about. Crete. The most important monuments of this era are: excavations at the site of Ancient Mycenae, where the Lion Gate and the golden mask of the Mycenaean king (Agamemnon) were found. Remains of a palace in the Cretan city of Knossos. This palace has a very complex layout. Scientists believe that he was the prototype of the mythical dwelling of the Minotaur. This civilization died for unknown reasons, possibly from a natural disaster. The exploits of the heroes of this period are described in the poems of Homer.

2. Homeric period. XIII-IX centuries BC. Civilization was significantly inferior to its predecessor. The tools of labor were more primitive and crude, but there lived epic poets-narrators - aeds, one of whom was the blind Homer, the author of the Iliad, which tells about the first 9 years of the siege of Troy and the Odyssey, which tells about its capture and the return of heroes home. Troy (Ilin) for many centuries was considered a legendary city - an invention of Homer, but at the turn of the 19th-20th centuries, the enthusiastic archaeologist Schlimman, following the instructions of Homer contained in the poems, found the remains of an ancient city on the Aegean coast of modern Turkey, which died in the 13th century. BC. as a result of a fire.

3. Archaic period. IX-VI centuries. BC. The Homeric civilization perished as a result of the invasion of the Achaean Greece by the tribes of the Dorians from the north. The decline gave way to a rise, and by the end of the period, most of the future policies appeared in Greece, architectural orders arose, a theater arose from the festivities dedicated to the god Dionysus.

4. Classic period VI - end. IV century BC. The highest flowering of the culture of ancient Greece was achieved. There were classic policies. The most beautiful temples were built, statues were created that became a role model for the future. Greek philosophy reached its peak. The foundations of the cultural values ​​of modern European civilization began to be laid.

5. Hellenistic period. It began with the conquests of Alexander the Great. Some scholars consider the Battle of Chaeronea to be the beginning of this period, when the united army of the policies of Greece was defeated by the army of the Macedonian king Philip II (337 BC). During the Hellenistic period, the culture of Greece spread far to the east, but more and more elements of the culture of the east penetrated into it. Scientists argue about the time of the end of this period. Most of them believe that the period ended at the beginning. II century BC, when Greece itself became dependent on Ancient Rome. However, some scientists consider the end of the period ser. I in BC, when the Romans conquered the last Hellenistic state of the Mediterranean - Ptolemaic Egypt.

Policies of Greece.

Polises - civil communities and cities - states of Ancient Greece. During the heyday of the polis system in Greece, there were more than 200 of them. The largest policies of Greece (Lakonika, a policy on the island of Crete) amounted to several hundred square kilometers. The smallest policy in terms of area - Corinth occupied only 2 square kilometers, but was located on the isthmus that separated Central Greece from the Pelloponess peninsula. Citizens of the plis most often constituted a community of its equal members. Citizenship entailed as rights:

1. participation in the people's assembly and the management of the policy;

2. possession of land and other property on the territory of the policy;

and responsibilities:

1. service in the army;

2. material participation of wealthy citizens in financing the activities of the policy.

Democratic Athens.

One of the centers of Ancient Greece was the Athenian polis. It was located in the region of Attica on a rocky promontory in central Greece.

The process of democratization of the Athenian Pleas began in the 6th century BC. laws issued under the archon Draconte. These laws were very cruel (in terms of punishments), but recognized the main thesis of democracy - equality of citizens before the law and the courts. At the beginning of the 5th century BC. archon Solon issued a new code of laws of Athens. Laws of Solon forbade the enslavement of citizens of Athens for debts, and even the seizure of land plots from them for debts. At last Athenian democracy reached its heyday under the archon Pericles(late 5th century BC). Pericles introduced in Athens a fee for the performance of administrative posts, thus, he made them available not only to representatives of the nobility, but also to all ordinary citizens of the city.

The main body of direct democracy in Athens was the popular assembly. It gathered in the central square of the Athenian Acropolis and was called by the name of this square. agora. Formally, all adult male carrying the Athenian policy could take part in it. However, Athenian democracy had a number of notable limitations:

1. Women did not enjoy citizenship rights. They could transfer the right of citizenship to their children, but they did not participate in the administration. This happened because women did not carry weapons and could not serve in the army, that is, to fulfill the most important duty of a citizen.

2. Citizenship rights were not used free non-citizens are meteks. They could be very wealthy people, but they could not own landed property on the territory of the policy and did not participate in the agora.

3. The inhabitants of Athens had an advantage over the rest of the inhabitants of Attica. Agora meetings began early in the morning (with the first rays of the sun) and only the Athenians could safely get to the beginning on time.

4. Naturally, numerous Athenian slaves were not citizens, who were not even considered people, but only talking tools.

On the agora, the most important decisions of the policy of Athens were made: war was declared, peace was concluded, the most important officials of the policy were elected:

The College of Archons - the main officials of the policy - the Areopagus;

College of strategists - military leaders, even in the heyday of democracy, they were elected only from wealthy citizens of the policy. In case of defeat, they were responsible to the policy with their property.

Assessors of the jury - galleys.

The most important mechanism for maintaining democracy in Athens was ostracism (from the Greek "ostrokas" - a shard). If it seemed to one of the citizens that the behavior of another citizen was aimed at obtaining excessive personal power (against democracy), the procedure of ostracism began. Citizens voted for the help of colorful shards. If the accusation was supported by the majority of the participants in the agora, then the accused was expelled from the city for 10 years, but his property was retained by his former owner.

The main advantage of a citizen was the ability to clearly and reasonably defend his point of view, for example, in a national assembly or before a jury. Gradually, a special layer of eloquent citizens emerged among the Athenians - demagogues, who defended the interests of their fellow citizens for money during various meetings.

Since the time of Pericles, the performance of elective offices and even participation in the national assembly began to be paid, over time this caused stagnation in the political system of Athens, as it led to an increase in dependent relations, the performance of civic duties began to be considered by some citizens as a kind of professional activity.

Oligarchic Sparta.

Spartan polis (region laconic) was located in the south of the Pelloponess peninsula in the valley of one of the largest rivers in Greece - Evrota. Even in ancient times, the warlike Spartans conquered the neighboring region messenia and turned its population into semi-slaves - helots, which belonged to the entire Spartan policy, were engaged in agriculture and provided the Spartans with material goods.

The laws of the Spartan policy were adopted in ancient times, and their authorship is attributed to the legendary legislator - Lycurgus.

The Spartans themselves considered war to be the only occupation worthy of a free man. Their whole life was subordinated to preparation for it. Weak infants, unable to become good warriors in the future, were killed by being thrown off a cliff. Boys at the age of 5-6 were taken from their families and brought up in special military camps, where they were instilled with will, endurance, the ability to wield any weapon from the age of 10, physical exercises were joined by classes in philosophy, mathematics, and playing musical instruments. When a boy's beard began to grow, he became a full member of the Spartan community. All Spartans were excellent warriors, they fought well, both alone and in the ranks of heavy foot soldiers - hoplites. During the Greco-Persian wars, the Spartan king Leonid, led by a handful of warriors (300 people), held back for a long time the huge army of the Persian king, which outnumbered the Spartans hundreds of times in the Thermopylae Gorge. Girls were brought up, with an emphasis on activities that allowed them to become a good wife and mother in the future. The Spartans owned all property collectively. We ate in common canteens. To avoid the property stratification of the Spartans, the money in the policy was large iron ingots suitable for making weapons. If a Spartan man did not die in numerous battles and lived to old age, he became a member gerousia- the council of elders, which made decisions about the management of the policy. Ordinary Spartans only approved the decisions of the Gerousia with the sound of weapons or rejected them with shouts. To command an army in Sparta was 2 hereditary kings, their life was no different from the life of ordinary Spartans. In the event of war, one of the kings (as a rule, more talented) led the army on a campaign, and the other, led by veterans, organized the defense of the policy. The Spartans had to unquestioningly obey the orders of the king. In case of disobedience, the offender was awaited by the immediate death penalty. In peacetime, the kings did not have any privileges over the rest of the citizens of the policy. In addition to the Spartans and helots, there was another type of non-citizens in Sparta - perieki, they were engaged in crafts and trade and were completely deprived of the right to influence the policy of the policy and own land in it, which was the collective property of the Spartan community.

Similar information.

The history of ancient Greece covers a huge period - from the end of the III millennium BC. e. until the end of the 1st c. BC e., i.e. over two millennia. During this period, on the territory of Ancient Greece, in the Aegean Sea basin, there was a transition from the Bronze Age to the Iron Age.

In the Bronze Age, a civilization developed on the island of Crete and on the territory of Balkan Greece, which, according to its two main centers - in the Aegean Sea (Crete) and on the mainland (Mycenae) - was called the Cretan-Mycenaean civilization. According to archaeological excavations, there are three periods in the history of Crete and Balkan Greece.

For the history of Crete, they are called Minoan (after the name of its legendary king - Minos):

1. early Minoan period - XXX-XX centuries. BC. - the final stage of the existence of the tribal system, when conditions were created for the emergence of civilization;
2. Middle Minoan period - XX-XV centuries. BC. - the so-called period of "old palaces" - the emergence of civilization in Crete;
3. late Minoan period - XVII-XIV centuries. BC e. - the heyday of civilization in Crete until the grandiose catastrophe, after which Crete was conquered by the Achaeans, and the Minoan society was destroyed.

The periods of the history of Balkan Greece are called Helladic:

1. – XXX-XXG centuries. BC. - the existence of a late tribal community among the autochthonous population of the Balkan Peninsula;
2. - XX-XVII centuries. BC e. - the settlement of the Balkan Peninsula by the Achaean Greeks, who were at the stage of decomposition of primitive communal relations;
3. late Helladic period - XVI-XII centuries. BC e. - the emergence of the Mycenaean civilization of the Bronze Age among the Achaeans and its death as a result of the Dorian invasion.

After this, the Greek world again plunges into the primitive era, this happens with the beginning of the Iron Age. At this time, a new ancient civilization was born, the central element of which was the polis.

In the history of the ancient civilization of Ancient Greece, four periods are distinguished:

Homeric, or pre-polis, period - XG-X centuries. BC e. - the era of the existence of the tribal system;

• archaic period - VII-VI centuries. BC e. - the emergence of ancient civilization, the formation of the Greek policy; the spread of the polis structure of the state throughout the Mediterranean;
• classical period? - IV century. BC. - the heyday of ancient civilization and the Greek classical policy;
• Hellenistic period - the end of the IV-G centuries. BC e. - the conquest of the Persian state by Alexander the Great and the merging of the ancient world with the civilizations of the Ancient East in the vast expanses of the Eastern Mediterranean; the conquest of the Hellenistic states by Rome in the west and Parthia in the east.

After the fall of the last Hellenistic state - the Ptolemaic kingdom in Egypt - Rome becomes the center of the historical development of the Mediterranean and the entire ancient civilization, and the history of the ancient Greek society, which became an integral part of the ancient Roman world power, is already considered within the framework of history.

During the period of existence of Ancient Greece, the boundaries of the ancient world were continuously expanding. The cradle of the first European civilization at the turn of the III-II millennium BC. e. became the islands of the Aegean Sea and the south of the Balkan Peninsula. On the mainland, the first centers of civilization for many centuries remained only islands in the vast sea of ​​the primitive tribal world. At the end of the II millennium BC. e. Greek tribes mastered the entire basin of the Aegean Sea, densely populating the western coast of Asia Minor. In the archaic era, the Greeks created a number of settlements in northern Africa and firmly settled in the Black Sea basin. as a result of the victorious campaigns of Alexander the Great, ancient civilization spread over a vast territory from the Greek colonies on the coast of Spain to the Hellenistic kingdoms on the border with India and from the Northern Black Sea region to the southern borders of Egypt.

The history of Ancient Greece - an integral part of the history of the ancient world - studies the emergence, flourishing and crisis of slave-owning societies that formed on the territory of the Balkan Peninsula and in the Aegean region, in southern Italy, on the island of Sicily and in the Black Sea region. It begins at the turn of the III-II millennium BC. - from the appearance of the first state formations on the island of Crete, and ends with the II-I centuries. BC, when the Greek and Hellenistic states of the Eastern Mediterranean were captured by Rome and included in the Roman state.

Over a two thousand-year period of history, the ancient Greeks created a developed economic system based on the rational and cruel exploitation of slave labor, slave-owning social relations of the classical type, (polis organization with a republican structure, high culture, which had a huge impact on the development of Roman and world culture. These achievements of ancient Greek civilization enriched the world historical process, served as the foundation for the subsequent development of the peoples of the Mediterranean in the era of Roman domination.

The geographical boundaries of ancient Greek history were not constant, but changed and expanded as historical development progressed. The main territory of the ancient Greek civilization was the Aegean region, that is, the Balkan, Thracian and Asia Minor coasts and numerous islands of the Aegean Sea. From the VIII-VI centuries. BC. after a powerful colonization movement from the Aegean region, the Greeks mastered the territories of Sicily and Southern Italy, which were called Magna Graecia, as well as the Black Sea coast. After the victorious campaigns of Alexander the Great at the end of the 4th century. BC. and the conquest of the Persian state, Hellenistic states were formed in the Near and Middle East, and these territories became part of the ancient Greek world. In the Hellenistic era, the Greek world covered a vast territory from Sicily in the west to India in the east, from the Northern Black Sea region in the north to the first rapids of the Nile in the south. However, in all periods of ancient Greek history, the Aegean region was considered its central part, where the Greek statehood and culture originated and reached their peak.

Unlike many countries of the Ancient East, which are characterized by ethnic diversity, the coexistence within the same states of many peoples, tribes, ethnic groups belonging to different language families and even races, for the central region of Greece, i.e. the Aegean basin and the southern part of the Balkan Peninsula, a certain ethnic homogeneity is characteristic. These areas were inhabited mainly by the Greek people, represented by four tribal groups: Achaeans, Dorians, Ionians and Aeolians. Each of these tribal groups spoke a dialect and had some differences in customs and religious beliefs, but these differences were insignificant. All Greeks spoke the same language, understood each other well and were clearly aware of their belonging to one nationality and one civilization. The most ancient tribal group were the Achaeans, who came to the southern part of Balkan Greece at the end of the 3rd millennium BC. At the end of the II millennium BC. under the pressure of the Dorian tribes moving from the region of modern Epirus and Macedonia, the Achaeans were partially assimilated, partially pushed back to the highlands. In the 1st millennium BC the descendants of the ancient Achaeans lived in the mountains of Arcadia, in the Asia Minor region of Pamphylia and in Cyprus. The Dorians, on the other hand, settled most of the Peloponnese (Laconia, Messenia, Argolis, Elis), most of the southern islands of the Aegean, in particular Crete and Rhodes, and some territories of Caria in Asia Minor. Close to the Dorians were the inhabitants of Epirus, Aetolia and other regions of Western Greece.

The third tribal group, speaking the Attic-Ionian dialect, settled in Attica, Euboea, the islands of the central Aegean, such as Samos, Chios, Lemnos, and in the region of Ionia on the Asia Minor coast. The tribal group of Aeolians lived in Boeotia, Thessaly and in the region of Aeolis on the Asia Minor coast north of Ionia, on the island of Lesbos.

In addition to the Greeks, the remnants of local pre-Greek tribes lived in the Aegean region: Lelegs, Pelasgians, Carians, who did not play a significant role in the ethnogenesis of the population of Greece in the 1st millennium BC. More important in the fate of the Greek states were the inhabitants of South Thrace.

The natural conditions of the Balkan Greece are peculiar. In general, this is a mountainous country, only about 20% of the entire territory is covered by valleys and plains. Numerous mountain ranges divide Balkan Greece into many small and tiny, isolated from each other valleys, conducive to a closed isolated life. Many of these valleys had access to the sea and could communicate not only with neighboring policies, but also with distant countries. The sea played a huge role in the life and historical development of the ancient Greek states. The coastline of the Aegean coast is unusually indented and replete with numerous bays and harbors, convenient for navigation.

Greece is rich in minerals: marble, iron ores, copper, silver, wood, pottery clay of good quality, which provided the Greek craft with a sufficient amount of raw materials. The soils of Greece are stony, matzofertile and difficult to cultivate. However, the abundance of sun and the mild subtropical climate made them favorable for the cultivation of vines and olive trees. There were also quite significant valleys (in Boeotia, Laconica, Thessaly), suitable for agriculture and grain crops.

Periodization of history

The history of Ancient Greece can be divided into three major phases:

1. early class societies and the first state formations II millennium BC. (history of Crete and Achaean Greece);
2. the formation and flourishing of policies, slave-owning relations of the classical type, the creation of a high culture (XI-IV centuries BC);
3. the conquest of the Persian state by the Greeks, the formation of Hellenistic societies and states.

The first stage of ancient Greek history is characterized by the emergence and existence of early class societies and the first states in Crete and in the southern part of Balkan Greece (mainly in the Peloponnese). These early state formations, which had remnants of the tribal system in their structure, established close contacts with the ancient Eastern states of the Eastern Mediterranean and developed along a path similar to that followed by many ancient Eastern states (monarchical-type states with an extensive state apparatus, bulky palaces and temple facilities). , a strong community). In the first states that arose in Greece, the role of the local, pre-Greek population was great. In Crete, where a class society and state developed earlier than in mainland Greece, the local Cretan (non-Greek) population was the main one. In Balkan Greece, the dominant place was occupied by the Achaean Greeks, who came at the end of the 3rd millennium BC. from the north, possibly from the Danube region, but even here the role of the local element was great. The Crete-Achaean stage is divided into three periods depending on the degree of social development, and these periods are different for the history of Crete and for the history of mainland Greece. For the history of Crete, they are called Minoan (by the name of King Minos, who ruled Crete), and for mainland Greece, Helladic (from the name of Greece Hellas).

1. Early Helladic period (XXX-XXI centuries BC) - domination of primitive relations, pre-Greek population;
2. Middle Helladic period (XX-XVII centuries BC) - penetration and settlement of the Achaean Greeks in the southern part of Balkan Greece, at the end of the period, the decomposition of tribal relations;
3. Late Helladic, or Mycenaean (XVI-XII centuries BC) - the emergence of an early class society and state, the emergence of writing, the flourishing of the Mycenaean civilization and its decline.

At the turn of the II-I millennium BC. serious socio-economic, political and ethnic changes are taking place in Balkan Greece. From the 12th century BC. begins the penetration from the north of the Greek tribes of the Dorians, living in the conditions of a primitive system. The Achaean states and class societies wither and die, writing is forgotten. On the territory of Greece (including Crete), primitive tribal relations are again established, the socio-economic and political level of social development is falling. Thus, a new stage of ancient Greek history - the polis stage - begins with the decomposition of tribal relations that were established in Greece after the death of the Achaean states and the penetration of the Dorians.

The polis stage of the history of ancient Greece is divided into three periods:

1. , or the dark ages, or the prepolis period (XI-IX centuries BC) - tribal relations in Greece;
2. Archaic period (VIII-VI centuries BC) - the formation of a class society and the state in the form of policies. Settlement of Greeks along the shores of the Mediterranean and Black Seas (Great Greek colonization);
3. The classical period of Greek history (5th-4th centuries BC) is the heyday of the ancient Greek slave-owning society, the polis system, and Greek culture.

The Greek policy as a sovereign small state with its specific socio-economic and political structure, which ensured the rapid development of production, classical slavery, republican political forms and cultural achievements, exhausted its potential and in the middle of the 4th century. BC. entered a period of protracted crisis. experienced a serious crisis in the IV century. and the Persian state, which united most of the ancient Eastern world. Overcoming the crisis of the Greek polis, on the one hand, and the ancient Eastern society, on the other, became possible only through the creation of new social structures and state formations that would combine the principles of the Greek polis system and the ancient Eastern society. Such societies and states were the so-called Hellenistic societies and states that arose at the end of the 4th century. BC. after the collapse of the "world" empire of Alexander the Great.

The unification of the processes of historical development of Ancient Greece and the Ancient East, which had previously developed in a certain isolation, the formation of new Hellenistic societies and states, which were a greater or lesser combination and interaction of Greek and Eastern principles in the field of economy, social relations, political institutions and culture, opened a new stage of ancient Greek (and ancient Eastern) history, deeply different from the previous, actually polis stage of its history.

The Hellenistic stage of ancient Greek (and ancient Eastern) history is also divided into three periods:

1. the eastern campaigns of Alexander the Great and the formation of a system of Hellenistic states (30s of the 4th century BC - 80s of the 3rd century BC);
2. the heyday of Hellenistic societies and states (80s of the 3rd century BC - the middle of the 2nd century BC);
3. the crisis of the Hellenistic system and the conquest of the Hellenistic states by Rome in the West and Parthia in the East (mid-2nd century - 1st century BC).

Captured by the Romans in 30 BC the last Hellenistic state - the Egyptian kingdom, ruled by the Ptolemaic dynasty, meant the end of not only the Hellenistic stage of ancient Greek history, but also the end of the long development of slave societies and states that make up the content of the course "History of Ancient Greece".