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1 Greek Culture ATH 205-SNHU 2023 06/18/2023

2 Greek culture started in the Hellenic Republic, or what we more commonly know as Greece. Greek culture has a large focus on philosophy and religion. Many things were founded in Greece, like democracy, which is still used today in many countries. Although the Greeks once believed in many Gods and Goddesses, they currently practice Greek Orthodoxy, or Eastern Orthodox, which is a branch off of Christianity (Smith et al., 2023). Greece is known for its rich history and culture. Greece is located on the Mediterranean coast and has many islands, mountain ranges, and forests. Greece and the Greek culture are still here today and have many historical and archaeological sites that you can visit. There are also archaeological sites that are blocked off. It’s very common to see ruins when you visit Greece. Tourism in Greece has allowed Greek Culture to stay alive. Tourists go to Greece every year to learn about the country and to experience the Greek lifestyle. There are many paved roads in Greece today. In 2012, archaeologists found a marble-paved road in Thessaloniki that they believe is about 1800 years old. This discovery was made while workers were building a subway station. They said that there was another road underneath the marble that was built about 500 years before that one (Lee, 2012). Greece has been built around historical sites, and when artifacts are discovered, anthropologists look deeply into the artifacts. The building of stairs and roads has helped archaeologists view different parts of the country. The Greeks traded with many different countries and it was easy to do so because of the Mediterranean Sea, they were able to travel and import/export by boat. The sea also helped the Greeks with fishing and agriculture, which is still a big part of Greek life (Buhayer, 2017). Throughout the years, Greece has lost much of its land during wars with other countries (Smith et al., 2023). And because the country has gained and lost territory many times, this has

3 changed the shape of the country. Greek artifacts have been found all around Europe and the Middle East. The history of some of these wars has been turned into movies and because of this, Greek culture has influenced many other cultures. Spartan warriors are seen and referenced many times in the media and are even used as mascots for some Universities. Spartan warriors are from Sparta, Greece. The Spartan movie, 300, is based on the real Battle of Thermopylae of 480 BC. Persia wanted Greece’s land and decided to invade Greece. The Athenians needed help protecting their land and asked for the Spartans to join them (Bradford, 2011). During this war, the Greeks had around 7000 men, 300 of which were the Spartans, while the Persians were anywhere between 70,000-300,000 men (Sommerville & Lohnes, 2023). The Athenians decided to surrender, and most of the men fell back, but King Leonidas, the King of Sparta, still wanted to advance and made the ultimate decision to fight Persia, even though they were greatly outnumbered (Bradford, 2011). This is why Greeks are known as great warriors because they will continue to fight for their country even when their odds of winning are scarce. These wars have shaped Greek land, culture, and history. Religion and mythology have impacted Greek culture. There are many statues in Greece that represent different warriors, Gods, Goddesses, or even mythical creatures. There are also churches and monasteries that are all over the country, some are over 1500 years old. Now in Greek culture, they do not worship many Gods, but they pray to many saints. Greek Orthodoxy is a big part of the Greek culture. In fact, there are festivals that happen every day worshipping different saints. One of the biggest festivals in the country is on August 15th, and they worship Panagia, the Virgin. (Buhayer, 2017). Another historical festival or feast would be The Olympic games which started in Olympia, Greece in 776 BC. These competitive games were considered

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4 a religious festival to honor the Gods. There would be a huge feast, and then the games would start (International Olympic Committee, 2023). Today the Olympics happen every two years, and it’s a huge event consisting of over 10,000 national athletes representing 206 different countries (International Olympic Committee, 2022). The Olympics are no longer seen as a religious festival but as a gathering bringing together all of the nations. Greek culture has spread throughout the world. The Acropolis is an important part of Greek history. This citadel features the Parthenon, Propylaia, Erechtheion, Temple of Athena Nike, and many other historical structures. The Acropolis began to develop in the 6th century BC, on top of a hill. The Acropolis is a public place and was strategically built on top of the hill with a 360 view of everything around it. Also, being the “High City”, the Acropolis was closest to the Gods and Goddesses (Sakoulas, n.d.). In 432 BC, they finished constructing the most popular building, the Parthenon, made mostly of Pentelic marble. The Parthenon was not as large as other temples, it was 30.88x69.51 m, but it was and is still magnificent. Inside the Parthenon was a chryselephantine sculpture, made of gold and ivory, of the goddess Athena. The Parthenon is considered a monument to the Greek victory in the Persian Wars (Camp & Stupperich, 2003). The Parthenon has been used for different purposes throughout the years. When the Parthenon was built, it was said to be used as a temple for the Goddess Athena. It was also used as a treasury, some of these treasured items were listed in an inventory and include gold bowls, silver basins, an ivory table, Persian daggers, silver cups, and silver drinking horns (Beard, 2010). The Parthenon then became a Greek Orthodox Church in the 6th century. Soon after that, it became a Roman Catholic Church, then a Mosque in the 16th century. In the 17th century, when Greece was under the Ottoman Empire, the Parthenon was then used to store

5 ammunition and gunpowder for the Turks. During this time, a Venetian Doge invaded Athens and caused part of the Parthenon to explode into ruins. Although some sculptures from the Acropolis were taken to the British Museum, you can visit the Acropolis today and still see part of the Parthenon standing. The Parthenon is commonly used as a symbol of Greek democracy (The British Museum, 2015). There is a dedicated museum for the Acropolis at the bottom of the hill. But some statues and pieces of the Parthenon were taken to the British Museum in the 17th century. Between 1898 and 1940, an engineer, Nikolaos Balanos, tried to help preserve and restore what was left at the Acropolis by using cement mortar, steel reinforcements, and iron clamps. Unfortunately, his attempt did not work well because the metals rusted and damaged the ruins even further. After about 40 years, and many new archaeologists, engineers, and the use of anastylosis, they have discovered new facts about the Parthenon. Anastylosis allowed archaeologists to put together all of the pieces of the ruins, and to recreate a new Acropolis. Recreating a new Acropolis allows for the preservation of the ruins, which are now featured at different museums around the world (Lobell, 2015). The Acropolis is protected and follows the rules of the Venice Charter. All artifacts and ruins are preserved and kept safe from further deterioration. This also means that any research will be within scientific standards without harming the artifacts' integrity. Any of these artifacts and ruins will only be removed if they will be preserved somewhere else (ICOMOS, 1965). The act of experimental archaeology and the processes that archaeologists have used to excavate and essentially rebuild the Acropolis are allowing anthropologists to learn more about Greek culture, how the Acropolis was originally built, and what the different structures at the Acropolis were used for. I would use nonintrusive methods of archaeology to find more artifacts

6 in the area, like ground-penetrating radar. The radar can reflect off of solid artifacts in the ground and allow archaeologists to know how deep in the soil the artifact is. It has very good accuracy and can find small artifacts as well as large ones (Fagan & Durrani, 2020). This method is good for this area because it can detect stone, but also organic materials that might have changed and enriched the soil can be present in ground-penetrating radar. Some of the common misconceptions about the Parthenon is that it was a place of worship for the Goddess Athena. Anthropologists have speculated this for years, but have yet to prove that this was what it was meant for. The Parthenon compared to other temples of worship is missing an altar of some kind, and that is usually found on the outside. Archaeologists have yet to find an altar to prove this was a place of worship, so they consider it a home for the Goddess Athena. The restoration also allowed archaeologists to see that there were possibly windows at the Parthenon at the west end. (The British Museum, 2015). Comparing the temple to others in Greece, and around the world, allows us to gain more knowledge about what the temple was used for. Also, the restoration of the Acropolis gives us a better picture of the citadel as a whole. The statues and sculptures that were found all tell a unique story about the Acropolis and Greek culture. As some of these sculptures contained mythical creatures, it paints a picture of the imagination and creativity that the Greeks had 2700 years ago. The economic and social aspects of Greek culture have been positively impacted by the Acropolis and other ancient artifacts. The archaeological research that is behind these artifacts tells us new stories every day about Ancient Greek life. The rich history that Greek culture provides is a magnet to tourists, which is what allows the Greek economy to grow. Religion is still very prominent in Greek culture, but it has changed from a polytheistic religion to a monotheistic religion. And although they believe in only one God now, the Greek Gods and

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7 Goddesses who were once worshipped, are still honored in modern-day Greece. In Greece today you can visit many ruins that were once temples for Gods and Goddesses, like the Temple of Poseidon, or The Temple of Zeus. The past and current research brings a positive aspect to the Greek culture. New artifacts that are found daily can fill in holes that were once just a story because the research of artifacts brings life and meaning to culture.

8 References [EpirusTreasures]. (2014, April 23). Monastery of Kipina [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYCRSy3Q8Q0&t=2s Bradford, Alfred S. (2011). Leonidas and the Kings of Sparta: Mightiest Warriors, Fairest Kingdom : Mightiest Warriors, Fairest Kingdom. Praeger. Buhayer, Constantine. (2017). Greece - Culture Smart! : The Essential Guide to Customs & Culture. Kuperard. Camp, J., & Stupperich, R.. (2003). Acropolis. Oxford Art Online. https://doi- org.ezproxy.snhu.edu/10.1093/oao/9781884446054.013.90000369752 Campbell, J. (2023). Olympics. Salem Press Encyclopedia. Cartwright, M. (2015, January 25). Athena Parthenos by Phidias. World History Encyclopedia. https://www.worldhistory.org/article/785/athena-parthenos-by-phidias/ Fagan, B. M., & Durrani, N. (2020). In the Beginning (14th ed.). Taylor & Francis. https://mbsdirect.vitalsource.com/books/9781351757676 International Council on Monuments and Sites (1965). The Venice Charter. ICOMOS. https://www.icomos.org/en/participer/179-articles-en-francais/ressources/charters-and- standards/157-thevenice-charter International Olympic Committee (2022, July 18). How many countries and athletes participate in the Olympic Games? https://olympics.com/ioc/faq/competing-and-being-part-of- the-games/how-many-athletes-and-countries-take-part-in-the-olympic-games International Olympic Committee (2023, March 20). Welcome to the Ancient Olympic Games. https://olympics.com/ioc/ancient-olympic-games Kimball, J. (2021, September 3). In Athens, new Acropolis renovations threaten to erase

9 ancient history, expert says . Brown University. https://www.brown.edu/news/2021-09- 03/acropolis Lee, F. R. (2012, June 27). Ancient marble-paved road discovered in Greece. The New York Times. https://archive.nytimes.com/artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/06/27/ancient-marble- paved-road-discovered-in-greece/ Lobell, J. A. (2015, November 1). The decades-long project to restore the site to its iconic past. Archaeology. https://www.archaeology.org/issues/193-1511/features/3765-athens-acropolis- restoration-project Sakoulas, T. (n.d.). History of the Acropolis. Ancient Greece. https://ancient- greece.org/history/acropolis.html Smith, C.D., Frederick, J.H., Danforth, L., Mowbray-Clogg, R. R. and Bowman, J.S. (2023, June 16). Greece. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/place/Greece Sommerville, D., and Lohnes, K. (2023, May 16). Battle of Thermopylae. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/event/Battle-of-Thermopylae-Greek-history-480-BC The British Museum (2015, December 14). The Parthenon, Athens. SmartHistory. https://smarthistory.org/the-parthenon-athens/ Thomas, C. G. (2014). Greece: A short history of a long story, 7,000 bce to the present. John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated.

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