There was not one country called "Ancient Greece." Instead, there were small 'city-states'. Each city-state had its own government. Sometimes the city-states fought one another, sometimes they joined together against a bigger enemy, the Persian Empire. Athens, Sparta, Corinth and Olympia were four of these city-states, and you can find out more about them on this site. Only a very powerful ruler could control all Greece. One man did in the 300s …show more content…
It took its name from the ancient goddess Athena. It is thought the town to have at least a 3000 year old recorded history and this makes it one of the oldest cities in Europe. Athens city is known all over the world as the cradle of a great civilization and for the Acropolis. It is the place where the political system of democracy, sciences and philosophy were born. Today, it is the commercial, cultural, financial, political and industrial center of Greece...
Some theatres were very big, with room for more than 15,000 people in the audience. sculptors made figures of people and gods. Statues were set up outdoors in towns and inside temples. A statue lasts much longer than a painting, especially when made of a hard stone, such as marble. There were also statues made of wood and bronze (a kind of metal).
Over time Greeks made their statues more lifelike - gods look like human beings. There are figures of people without clothes, and statues of athletes in action (a discus thrower, for example). The Romans collected Greek statues and made copies of them. Many later artists imitated the Greek styles