Thousands of years ago, a remarkable civilization flourished along the Mediterranean Sea. This was Ancient Greece. Unlike modern countries today, Ancient Greece was not ruled by a single king or government. Instead, it was made up of many independent "city-states." Each city-state, or polis, had its own laws, government, and way of life, though they all shared the same language and religion.
The two most powerful and famous city-states were Athens and Sparta. They had very different ideas about what was important. Athens was a center for learning, art, and philosophy. The Athenians valued deep thinking and beautiful architecture. In fact, Athens is famous for creating the world’s first democracy, a system where citizens could vote on their own laws.
On the other side of Greece, Sparta cared most about physical strength and military power. From a young age, Spartan boys and girls were trained to be tough and disciplined. Spartan soldiers were legendary for their bravery in battle. While Athens built grand temples and wrote plays, Sparta focused on creating the strongest army in the world.
Despite their differences, the Greek city-states came together for grand events like the Olympic Games. Every four years, athletes from all over Greece traveled to the city of Olympia to compete in honor of the god Zeus. During the games, all wars were paused so athletes could travel safely.
Today, we still feel the influence of Ancient Greece. We see it in our democratic governments, our sports events, and even in the columns holding up our modern libraries and government buildings. The ancient Greeks lived long ago, but their ideas continue to shape our world.
