The civilization of ancient Greece flowered
more than 2500 years ago, but the ideas of
the ancient Greeks continue to influence the
way we live today.
Greece is made up of a peninsula and group
of islands in southeastern Europe.
A peninsula is a piece of land that is almost
surrounded by water.
The people of ancient Greece attempted to
explain the world through the laws of nature.
The ancient Greeks made important discoveries
in science.
They developed democracy, where people govern
themselves rather than being ruled by a king.
The Greeks also valued beauty and imagination.
They wrote many stories and plays that continue
to be performed today.
The people of ancient Greece could not farm
most of their mountainous, rocky land, so
they became excellent sailors who traveled
to distant places.
Greek sailors learned from many different
cultures and spread their ideas far from their
home.
Greeks sailors learned the alphabet from the
sea-faring Phoenicians of modern day Syria
and Lebanon.
Ancient Greek geographers divided the world
into regions we still use today.
The lands west of Greece are still known as
the western world while the lands east of
Greece are often referred to as the eastern
world.
A cradle is a small bed for an infant.
Many of the ideas that flourished in the western
world were “born” in ancient Greece; this
is why Greece is often known as the Cradle
of Western Civilization.
