The Bronze and Dark Ages
- The Minoans
- The people of Crete and the great labyrinth. Artwork depicts bull ceremonies. - The Mycenaeans
- The Mycenaeans lived during the late Bronze Age in Greece, from about 1600 to 1200 B.C. - The Dark Age
- From the fall of the Mycenaean civilization to the rise of the polis.
- The Minoans
Archaic and Classical Age
Philosophy
- The Greeks are credited with inventing philosophy. It was an alternative to a religion/mythology based way of explaining the world.Sparta
- Sparta eventually defeated the Athenians in the Peloponnesian War. Sparta's government was a mixed form with two kings.Athens
- The counterpart to the militaristic Spartans, the Athenians were associated with the arts and democracy.The Persian Wars
- The Greek city-states fought the Persians first to assist their compatriot colonists in Asia Minor and then on mainland Greece when the Persians went after them.Peloponnesian War
- After the Persian Wars, two major alliances between groups of Greek city-states (poleis) developed: one around Sparta and the other Athens. The Peloponnesian War was fought between these groups.
Hellenistic Age
Alexander the Great
- Alexander of Macedon, following his father, Philip, conquered Greece and then most of the known world. With his empire-building Greek culture spread. At his death, the Hellenistic Period began.
Roman
Macedonian Wars
- The Romans first came to the defense of the Greeks against the Macedonians, but by the end of the wars, Greece was part of the Roman Empire.
Ancient Greece - Major Topics in Ancient Greek History
By N.S. Gill, About.com
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