The Ancient Greeks
The ancient Greeks (mainly the Athenians) were a unique people. They
believed that individuals should be free as long as they acted within
the laws of Greece. This allowed them the opportunity to excel in any direction
they chose. Individuality, as the Greeks viewed it, was the basis of their
society. The ability to strive for excellence, no matter what the challenge,
was what the Athenians so dearly believed in. This strive for excellence
was the method from which they achieved such phenomenal accomplishments.
These accomplishments astound us to this day. They also believed in the
balance of mind and body. Although many of them strove to become soldiers
and athletes, others ventured into philosophy, drama, pottery and the arts.
The two most important concepts which the ancient Greeks followed were
found inscribed on the great shrine of Delphi, which read "Nothing in
excess" and "Know thyself". This philosophy greatly impacted the Greek
civilization.
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Athens was the intellectual center of Greece. It was one of the first
city-states of its time, and is still world renowned as one of the most famous
cities in the world. It was named after Athena, the goddess of wisdom
and the city's patron. In 508 BC, Athens became one of the first societies
in ancient times to establish democracy. Democracy came from the Greek
words, demos, meaning people, and kratein, meaning to rule. This form of
government was used at a meeting place which the Greeks called the
Assembly. Here the citizens of Athens met monthly and discussed the
affairs of state. There were no decisions made by government without
first asking the Assembly.
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