Ancient Greece is called the cradle of European civilization for a reason. This relatively small country has had a huge impact on the development of the most diverse spheres of human life. For example, the myths of Ancient Greece have not lost their relevance today. As in those days, they clearly reflect the inner world of man, the relationship of people between themselves and with the forces of nature.
What does "Hellas" mean?
Another name that the Greeks called their homeland is Hellas. What is "Hellas", what meaning was given to this word? The fact is that this is how the Hellenes called their homeland. The Greeks called the Greeks the ancient Romans. Translated from their language, "Greek" meant "croaking." Apparently, this was due to the fact that the ancient Romans did not like the sound of the Hellenic language. Translated from ancient Greek, the word "Hellas" means "Morning dawn."
The cradle of European spiritual values
Many disciplines, such as medicine, politics, art and literature, originated precisely in the territory of Ancient Greece. Scientists agree that human civilization could not have achieved modern development without the knowledge that ancient Hellas possessed. It was on its territory that the first philosophical concepts were formed with which all modern science operates. Here were laid the spiritual values of European civilization. Athletes of Ancient Greece were the first Olympic champions. The first ideas about the world, both material and intangible, were proposed by the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle.
Ancient Greece - the birthplace of science and art
If you take any branch of science or art, then it will somehow go back to the knowledge acquired during the time of Ancient Greece. A great contribution to the development of historical knowledge was made by the scholar Herodotus. His works were devoted to the study of Greco-Persian wars. Also a huge contribution to the development of mathematics by the scientists of Pythagoras and Archimedes. The ancient Greeks invented a huge number of devices that were used primarily in military campaigns.
Of interest to modern scholars is also the lifestyle of the Greeks, whose homeland was Hellas. What is it like to live at the dawn of civilization, is very clearly described in a work entitled "The Iliad." This monument of literature, which has survived to this day, describes the historical events of those times and the everyday life of the Greeks. The most valuable in the work of the Iliad is the reality of the events described in it.
Modern progress and Hellas. What is the "cradle of European civilization"?
The early period of the development of ancient Greek civilization is officially called the Dark Age. It falls on 1050-750 BC. e. This is the time when Mycenaean culture, one of the most magnificent civilizations that has already been known for writing, has already collapsed. However, the definition of "Dark Age" refers more to a lack of information about this era, rather than to specific events. Despite the fact that writing was already lost then, it was at this time that the political and aesthetic properties that Ancient Hellas possessed began to manifest. In this period of the beginning of the Iron Age, prototypes of modern cities are already appearing. On the territory of Greece, the leaders begin to manage small communities. A new era is coming in the processing and painting of ceramics.
The beginning of the steady development of ancient Greek culture is considered the epic of Homer, which date back to 776 BC. e. They were recorded using the alphabet, which was borrowed from the Phoenicians of Hellas. The meaning of the word translated as “morning dawn” is justified in this case: the beginning of the development of the culture of Ancient Greece completely coincides with the origin of European culture.
Hellas experienced the greatest flowering in an era that is called classical. It refers to 480-323 years BC. e. It was at this time that philosophers such as Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Sophocles, Aristophanes lived. Sculptural works are becoming more and more complex. They begin to reflect the position of the human body not in statics, but in dynamics. The Greeks of that time loved to do gymnastics, used cosmetics, and did hairstyles.
Literary Hellas. What is a tragedy?
The emergence of the genres of tragedy and comedy, which also falls on the classical era in the history of ancient Greece, deserves special consideration. Tragedy reaches its peak in the 5th century BC. e. The most famous tragedies of this era are represented by the works of Sophocles, Aeschylus and Euripides. The genre arose from the ceremonies of veneration of Dionysus, during which scenes from the life of God were played. At first, only one actor performed in the tragedy. Thus, the homeland of modern cinema is also Hellas. This (which is known to every historian) is another proof of the fact that the origins of European culture should be sought in the territory of Ancient Greece.
Aeschylus introduced the second actor into the theater, thus becoming the creator of dialogue and dramatic action. Sophocles’s number of actors has already reached three. Tragedies revealed the conflict of man and inexorable fate. Faced with the impersonal power that reigned in nature and in society, the main character recognized the will of the gods and obeyed it. The Greeks believed that the main goal of the tragedy is catharsis, or purification, which occurs in the viewer with empathy for her heroes.