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Achilles; a great warrior Painting of a scene from the Iliad
Some of the greatest thinkers of the ancient world emerged from Greece
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Ancient Greece Home
Greece Timeline
Section 1.1
Section 1.2
Section 1.3
Section 1.4
Section 1.5
Section 1.6
Section 1.7
Section 1.8
Section 1.9
Section 1.10
Section 1.11
Section 1.12
Section 1.13
Section 1.14
Section 1.15
Politics
The City States
Government
The Tyrants
Section 2.4
Section 2.5
Section 2.6
Section 2.7
Section 2.8
Section 2.9
Section 2.10
Section 2.11
Section 2.12
Section 2.13
Section 2.14
Section 2.15
Gods and Heroes
Zeus
Apollo
Athena
Aphrodite
Heracles
Achilles
Theseus
Perseus
Section 3.9
Section 3.10
Section 3.11
Section 3.12
Section 3.13
Section 3.14
Section 3.15
Greek Expansion
Philip, King of Macedonia
Alexander The Great
Section 4.3
Section 4.4
Section 4.5
Section 4.6
Section 4.7
Section 4.8
Section 4.9
Section 4.10
Section 4.11
Section 4.12
Section 4.13
Section 4.14
Section 4.15
War and Conflict
The Trojan War
The Persian War
The Peloponnesian War
Section 5.4
Section 5.5
Section 5.6
Section 5.7
Section 5.8
Section 5.9
Section 5.10
Section 5.11
Section 5.12
Section 5.13
Section 5.14
Section 5.15
Language
Section 6.1
Section 6.2
Section 6.3
Section 6.4
Section 6.5
Section 6.6
Section 6.7
Section 6.8
Section 6.9
Section 6.10
Section 6.11
Section 6.12
Section 6.13
Section 6.14
Section 6.15
Education
Section 7.1
Section 7.2
Section 7.3
Section 7.4
Section 7.5
Section 7.6
Section 7.7
Section 7.8
Section 7.9
Section 7.10
Section 7.11
Section 7.12
Section 7.13
Section 7.14
Section 7.15
Science and Medicine
Section 8.1
Section 8.2
Section 8.3
Section 8.4
Section 8.5
Section 8.6
Section 8.7
Section 8.8
Section 8.9
Section 8.10
Section 8.11
Section 8.12
Section 8.13
Section 8.14
Section 8.15
Philosophy
Section 9.1
Section 9.2
Section 9.3
Section 9.4
Section 9.5
Section 9.6
Section 9.7
Section 9.8
Section 9.9
Section 9.10
Section 9.11
Section 9.12
Section 9.13
Section 9.14
Section 9.15
Art and Architecture
Architecture
Pottery
Sculpture
Section 10.4
Section 10.5
Section 10.6
Section 10.7
Section 10.8
Section 10.9
Section 10.10
Section 10.11
Section 10.12
Section 10.13
Section 10.14
Section 10.15
Entertainment
Storytelling
Theatre
Section 11.3
Section 11.4
Section 11.5
Section 11.6
Section 11.7
Section 11.8
Section 11.9
Section 11.10
Section 11.11
Section 11.12
Section 11.13
Section 11.14
Section 11.15
Becoming Alexander
King or Villain?
History Meets Hollywood
A Great Transformation
Preparation for the Role
Section 12.5
Section 12.6
Section 12.7
Section 12.8
Section 12.9
Section 12.10
Section 12.11
Section 12.12
Section 12.13
Section 12.14
Section 12.15
The Olympic Games
The Origins
Olympia
Events
Development
Olympics 2004
Section 13.6
Section 13.7
Section 13.8
Section 13.9
Section 13.10
Section 13.11
Section 13.12
Section 13.13
Section 13.14
Section 13.15
Play : Olympic Challenge
Section 14.1
Section 14.2
Section 14.3
Section 14.4
Section 14.5
Section 14.6
Section 14.7
Section 14.8
Section 14.9
Section 14.10
Section 14.11
Section 14.12
Section 14.13
Section 14.14
Section 14.15
Play : Alexander's Army
Section 15.1
Section 15.2
Section 15.3
Section 15.4
Section 15.5
Section 15.6
Section 15.7
Section 15.8
Section 15.9
Section 15.10
Section 15.11
Section 15.12
Section 15.13
Section 15.14
Section 15.15
Play : Trojan Horse Quiz
Section 16.1
Section 16.2
Section 16.3
Section 16.4
Section 16.5
Section 16.6
Section 16.7
Section 16.8
Section 16.9
Section 16.10
Section 16.11
Section 16.12
Section 16.13
Section 16.14
Section 16.15
Section 17
Section 17.1
Section 17.2
Section 17.3
Section 17.4
Section 17.5
Section 17.6
Section 17.7
Section 17.8
Section 17.9
Section 17.10
Section 17.11
Section 17.12
Section 17.13
Section 17.14
Section 17.15
Section 18
Section 18.1
Section 18.2
Section 18.3
Section 18.4
Section 18.5
Section 18.6
Section 18.7
Section 18.8
Section 18.9
Section 18.10
Section 18.11
Section 18.12
Section 18.13
Section 18.14
Section 18.15
Section 19
Section 19.1
Section 19.2
Section 19.3
Section 19.4
Section 19.5
Section 19.6
Section 19.7
Section 19.8
Section 19.9
Section 19.10
Section 19.11
Section 19.12
Section 19.13
Section 19.14
Section 19.15
Section 20
Section 20.1
Section 20.2
Section 20.3
Section 20.4
Section 20.5
Section 20.6
Section 20.7
Section 20.8
Section 20.9
Section 20.10
Section 20.11
Section 20.12
Section 20.13
Section 20.14
Section 20.15
The Olympic Games
Olympia
The Olympic Games were held in a purpose-built sanctuary and sports complex in the western Peloponnese, called Olympia. Never a true city, with no citizens or government, it was nevertheless a thriving place with restaurants, a meeting hall and accommodation. And, of course, it had vast sporting facilities including a 40,000-seater stadium, a hippodrome for horse races and a large gymnasium.

At the centre of Olympia was a sacred precinct called the Altis. At the heart of this stood a breathtaking temple, containing a magnificent 40ft statue of Zeus by Phidias, which was one of the seven wonders of the world.

Even today, the Olympic flame is lit from the Temple of Hera at Olympia before it begins its journey around the world.

Photos: Ancient Art and Architecture Library