1. Where did Greece Come From? (The Dark Ages and )

      The Dark Ages of Greece were called dark because we know very little about them. (The middle ages in Europe are often called the dark ages also.) We have gotten two things from the Dark Ages though: The Illiad and the Odyssey. These are stories in verse written by Homer, supposedly during this time. They are about a Mycenaen battle and a king's adventures on his way home from that battle. Although the tales are probably not factual, it is very probable that they could have been based on real events such as a war between the Greeks and the Trojans.
     Emerging from the Dark Ages around 700 BC, Greece began to expand. It was now made up of many little city-states, such as Athens and Sparta. It set up trading posts and colonies which made it rich. Its art during this time was greatly influenced not only by the earlier Grecians, but also by foreign countries.
     Perhaps the greatest of the Greek city-states was Athens, a center of art and learning. Athena was the goddess of wisdom and warfare, and the city, named after her, was especially known for the Parthenon. Sitting high atop the Acropolis, the temple was built for Athena. Athens was also the first place in the world to develop democracy.
     In most Greek city-states, there were many poor people, a few rich people, and one tyrant (ruler). The rich people usually had more say in the government because of their affluence. However, in Athens, every citizen, rich or poor, could make speeches or vote. Provided you were a man. The regular citizens attended meetings called assemblies in which that would make decisions. Above the Assembly were the Council (500 members) and the Strategoi (10 members) who made the more important decisions in Athens.
     Another Greek city-state, Sparta was founded around 900 BC. It soon conquered Messenia, its neigbor, gaining excellent farm land. However, Sparta often had to be more focused on military matters. It had two main enemies: Athens and slaves.

Spartan Warriors intimidated their foes.

     Athens was Sparta's main rival, and so the Spartans were always prepared for war against them. Boys were trained to be soldiers at a young age, and even the women competed in athletic games so that they would bear strong and healthy babies.
     Another reason that the Spartans trained was that they had slaves called Helots, generally captives from wars, who had a habit of revolting against the Spartans. Perikoi sat a bit higher than Helots; they couldn't become citizens, but they could trade and serve in the army. Very disciplined, harsh, and orderly, the Spartans wore long hair to scare their enemies. And their enemies were scared. The Spartans seemed undefeatable.