It is safe to say that Ancient Greece and Western Civilization are inseparable concepts. In many ways, this civilization became a kind of cultural cornerstone for many western countries and nations. Nowadays, historians have a systematic knowledge of those times, but still many mysteries are still unsolved. The professional task of future historians is to investigate the remaining little-studied topics of Ancient Greece and provide detailed explanations. Studying the significant historical periods of Ancient Hellas is a good start for future research.
Archaic, Classical, and Hellenistic Periods
Modern scholars of the discipline of history distinguish several major time stages of ancient Greece. The best-studied are the Archaic, Classical, and Hellenistic ones. It is essential to note that there was the Greek Dark Age before the Archaic era. However, there is very little reliable and scientifically proven information about it. Natural disasters, depopulation, and overall civilizational decline that occurred at that time are the reasons (Turner-Boyle, 2016). The Archaic period can be described as the foundation of Ancient Greece as a cultural and historical phenomenon. One can characterize the Classical period as a time of key conflicts. Historians see the Hellenistic period as the era of the expansion of Greek influence on neighboring civilizations and its ultimate cultural peak.
Archaic Ancient Greece
As noted above, the Archaic period is when the cultural and civilizational features characteristic of the ancient Greeks began to form. Social structure, laws, science, military craft, and art, especially sculpture, poetry, and visual arts, emerged in the Archaic era. Researchers note that “during this epoch Greek population recovered and organized politically in city-states (Polis) comprised of citizens, foreign residents, and slaves” (“History of Greece: Archaic,” n.d., para. 1).
Moreover, the ancient Greeks started to colonize the Mediterranean and contact other civilizations. It was also the only time when the ancient Greeks were intensively learning from other nations. According to Lavelle (2019), “Archaic Greeks in Egypt and Phoenicia encountered sophisticated metal and stone working, written law codes, and superior ship-building, among other technologies” (p. 17). After the Archaic period, the time of challenge started for the Ancient Greek civilization.
Classical Ancient Greece
The Classical era was a period of self-identification for the Ancient Greeks; major internal conflicts and external invasions happened. It was the time when the Ancient Greeks united against the Persian invasion. The Peloponnesian War also happened, during which Athens and Sparta fought for influence over the rest of the Greek lands and resources. It was also a confrontation between the army and the navy from a military perspective, in which the former one eventually won. Ancient Greek sculpture and visual arts became more realistic and naturalistic (“History of Greece: Classical Greece,” n.d.). Such disciplines as philosophy, science, politics, and literature also developed significantly.
Hellenistic Ancient Greece
The endpoint of the Classic period is the conquest and death of Alexander the Great. During his military campaigns to Persia, Egypt, Central Asia, and India, the Ancient Greeks conquered the outside world and became acquainted with it. Such a large-scale interaction of cultures has given rise to many philosophers and thinkers (“History of Greece: Hellenistic,” n.d.). Science and art, especially architecture and geometry, received an incredible developmental boost (“History of Greece: Hellenistic,” n.d.). The ancient Greeks established several large kingdoms in the territories of the conquered civilizations and significantly changed the way of life of many nations during the Hellenistic era. These socio-cultural processes are what makes this period different from others.
References
History of Greece: Archaic. (n.d.). Ancient-Greece. Web.
History of Greece: Classical Greece. (n.d.). Ancient-Greece. Web.
History of Greece: Hellenistic. (n.d.). Ancient-Greece. Web.
Lavelle, B. M. (2019). Archaic Greece: The age of new reckonings. John Wiley & Sons.
Turner-Boyle, A. (2016). Exploration of Greece in the early Iron Age and the supposed Dark Age of Greek history. Hoplon, 11, 11-23. Web.