3. What are some Important Events that Happened in Ancient Greece?

     Greece has a rich heritage, not only in people and places, but also in the events that happened during its time. In this post, I will highlight four important events in the history of Ancient Greece and show Bible times in relation to Grecian times

The Palace at Knossos

     One of the symbols of Minoan civilization is the palace at Knossos. This great palace, built in 1900 BC, is famous for its complicated building plan and immense size. It was destroyed in 1700 BC, but was rebuilt by the Minoans afterwards. It came to a definite end in 1350 BC, perhaps by fire or foreign invaders. These three dates of Knossos are important to the Minoan civilization and therefore to Ancient Greece.

The Olympics are still important for us today.

     An important event for most of the Greek city-states, the Olympics are said to have started in 1776 BC. They certainly were not the only competitive games in Ancient Greece, but they were certainly the most popular. Each city-state who entered would send a team made up of male athletes. Even war halted for these important events. Modern-day Olympics were started back up in 1896. They are still with us today.
     Even though Athens was a Democracy, it still had laws. In 621 BC, a legislator named Draco wrote the laws for the city of Athens. Oddly enough, the punishment for disobeying these laws was usually death, even for trivial things, such as stealing an apple. These laws were written on tablets and passed on orally. Solon, a leader after him, revised most of these laws, but they still shaped Athens.
     One of the most famous battles in the history of Ancient Greece is the Battle of Marathon. 10,000 Greeks (mostly Athenian) faced at least 20,000 Persians on the Plain of Marathon. Though the tide seemed in the favor of the Persians, the Greeks won the battle by their strategy: placing their strongest soldiers on the outside to scare the weaker Persians, who fled. Instead of chasing the fleeing soldiers, the victorious Athenians turned to help their countrymen. The rest of the Persians, confused, were easily defeated. This is considered an important event in the history of Ancient Greece.

     We now know what happened in Ancient Greece. How does this relate to the times of the bible?

Some Greeks wrote on scrolls.

     The Minoan civilization started around the same time that Abraham and Sarah had Isaac. The Mycenaeans took over the island of Crete around the same time that Joshua and the Israelites were crossing the Jordan. The first Olympic games happened around the same time that Uzziah was king of Judah and Jonah was sent to Ninevah. The Ancient Greece Period is said to end around 30 BC, and Jesus was born in around 5 BC. Jesus was crucified around 30 AD. Around 40 and 50 AD, Paul preached in Greece.
     We are lucky to have the history of many events in Greek history in the form of stories, poems, and documents. This is one way that Greek history is still with us.