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Watch: What did the ancient Greeks do for us?

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How did the Greek people make big decisions?

Cartoon of an ancient Greek council.
  • In ancient Athens, citizens would gather together on a dusty hill called the Pnyx.

  • Here they would decide the city’s laws and who should sit on its ruling council.

  • This was ‘democracy’ or ‘rule by the people’.

  • All 30,000 citizens were men. Women and enslaved people didn't get a say.

  • A jury of citizens decided if someone was guilty of law-breaking.

  • Today, we also live in a democracy. Unlike in ancient Greece, women get to vote.

  • Juries decide if someone is guilty of a crime.

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What sports did the Greeks enjoy?

  • The Greeks loved sport as much as we do.
  • They enjoyed the discus, javelin, long jump, boxing and horse racing.
  • They watched races in a big, open-air ٳٲ徱Dz’, very like a modern sports stadium.
A statue of the winged goddess Nike
Image caption,
This is a terracotta statue of Nike, the goddess of victory. She is holding a wreath ready to crown a winner.
Cartoon of athletes at the Olympic Games.
  • Greek men and boys trained in a gymnasium. We also go to the gym, although today women and girls are welcome too.

  • Every four years the Greeks held a special sporting festival at Olympia - the Olympic Games.

  • These inspired the modern Olympics which began in 1896. Like the Greeks, we also hold the Olympics every four years.

Cartoon of athletes at the Olympic Games.
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Did the Greeks change the way we think?

Cartoon of the inside of a body.
  • Ancient Greek thinkers made big discoveries. Hippocrates was famous for his ideas about medicine.
Cartoon of people in the modern day.
  • Sappho was a famous Greek poet. What we have left of her poetry is still read today and has inspired many writers.

  • Socrates and Plato were philosophers. They asked, “What is a good life?” and “How do we think?”

Cartoon of people in the modern day.
An ancient Greek person standing on planet Earth.
  • Aristotle studied plants, animals and rocks. He carried out experiments to find out about the world we live in.
  • Modern scientists do the same kind of thing.
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Watch: Dick and Dom discover Archimedes

Dick and Dom discover the work of Archimedes, one of the greatest Greek thinkers.

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Activities

Activity 1: Famous ancient Greeks

Click on the figures below to hear more about their lives.

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Activity 2: Quiz – Greek discoveries

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Game: The Argo Odyssey

Argo the dog is missing! He was last seen by the mysterious Oracle of Delphi.

Play the game to match items and find out how the Ancient Greeks changed the world.

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Bitesize Primary games. game

Play fun and educational primary games in science, maths, English, history, geography, art, computing and modern languages.

Bitesize Primary games
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