Figure 1.--.

The democratic city state is the concept that most have of ancient Greece. This was, however, only one phase of Greece history. Greeks in the Mycenean age were organized into small, waring kingdoms. This era is not well understood. The Greek kingdoms appear to have collapsed and the populations abandoned urban centers about 1200 and 1100 BC. For a long period of about 400-500 years, Greeks society was based in tribal groups. Some but not all of the tribes shifted to a nomadic lifestyle. Some historians call this era the Greek Dark Age. The Greek tribl grouos by about 700 BC had begun to coalese into larger political groupings. Trade linkiages between these groups increased in inortance. To accoimodate the growing trade, marketplaces began to appear in villages and the evolving political structures came to be called a polis or city state.Greece during the Classical period was composed of independent city-states, the largest and most important was Athens, followed by Sparta and Thebes. Although these city states were relatively small a fierce spirit of independence and desire for freedom enabled the Greeks to defeat the massive Persian armies and navies in some of the most notable battles in human history. The Greeks, led by Alexander the Great, conquered most of the then known world and proceeded to Hellenize large areas of the easter Mediterrean. Greece in 146 BC fell to the Romans. Large numbers of Greeks were enslaved. Many wealthy Greeks used learned Greek slaves to teach their children. The Emperor Constantine in 330 AD moved the Capital of the Roman Empire to Constantinople, founding the Eastern Roman Empire which was to become known as the Byzantine Empire or Byzantium. One of Byzantium's many achievements was to transform the linguistic and cultural heritage of Ancient Greece into a vehicle for the new Christian civilization.

Mycenean Age

Greeks in the Mycenean age were organized into small, waring kingdoms. This era is not well understood. The Greek kingdoms appear to have collapsed and the populations abandoned urban centers about 1200 and 1100 BC.

Greek Dark Age

For a long period of about 400-500 years, Greeks society was based in tribal groups. Some but not all of the tribes shifted to a nomadic lifestyle. Some historians call this era the Greek Dark Age. The Greek tribl grouos by about 700 BC had begun to coalese into larger political groupings. Trade linkiages between these groups increased in inortance. To ccimodate the groing trade, marketplaces began to appear in villages and the evolving political structures came to be called a polis or city state which were composed of neighboing villages which comined to from a defensable unit that could support military forces and build fortifications.

Classical Greece (5th century BC)

Greece during the Classical period was composed of independent city-states, the largest and most important was Athens, followed by Sparta and Thebes. Although these city states were relatively small a fierce spirit of independence and desire for freedom enabled the Greeks to defeat the massive Persian armies and navies in some of the most notable battles in human history: Marathon, Thermopiles, Salamis, and Plataea. HBC at this times has little information on historic Greek boys' clothing. We do note that the warm Medditeranean climate of Greece is an imoprtant factor even in antiquity. Historians report the ancient Greeks considered children to be miniature adults. There is no indication that the Greeks regarded children as anything different from small-sized adults. By the time a child was about 13 years old, he or she was considered an adult citizen in every respect. Alexander was, for example, involved in military engagements at age 12. There were differences from city to city, especially with Sparta. There were, however, many similarities. Boys and girls were reared very differently. Plato discusses the education of children in The Republic. Boys were educated separately for their future responsibilities as citizens of the state. Women had a different role and have been described as little above slaves. Girls were informally educated in the home by their mothers. Children of both sexes often wore no clothing at all when they were very young. There does not appear to have been any specialized garments for children before they began wearing adult garments. Boys spent a lot of time naked in athletic training. Here some illustrations/vase decorations provide useful information.

Alexander (4th century BC)

The Greeks, led by Alexander the Great, conquered most of the then known world and proceeded to Hellenize large areas of the eastern Mediterrean. Alexander sought to Hellanize Asia and moved east to the Indus River. He sought to Hellanize Asia, but the Greek military which attempted to rule after Alexander's death was a thin vaneer over the areas of the Middle-East conquered. One classical scholar contends what Alexander in fact succedded in doing was Asianizing Greece. [Hanson]

Roman Conquest (146 BC)

Greece in 146 BC fell to the Romans. Large numbers of Greeks were enslaved. Many wealthy Greeks used learned Greek slaves to teach their children.

Byzantium (330 AD)

Byzantium is somewhat difficult to place. It is of course the Eastern Roman Empire which broke off from the Western Empire in a gradual procress beginning in the 4th century AD. But as it survived the Barbarian invasions, its history continues into the Medieval era until ovewealmed by the Turks in the 15th century. Thus it is both an Ancient and Medieval civilization with stronger Asian influences that the Western Empire. The Emperor Theodosum I divided the Roman empire when he entrusted his son Arcadius with the Eastern provinces and his other son Honorius with the Western priovinces (395 AD), although a temporary split occurred even earlier. The Western Empire headed by Honorius was soon to be overwealmed by Germanic Barbarians and Huns. The Eastern Empire while sorely pressed first by the Germans and Huns and later by Islam was to endure and often prosper over an amazing span of 1,000 years until it was finally overwealmed by the Ottoman Sultan Mehmet II in 1453. One of Byzantium's many achievements was to transform the linguistic and cultural heritage of Ancient Greece into a vehicle for the new Christian civilization.

Sources

Hanson, Victoir Davis. Boo-TV CSpan 2, March 7, 2004.