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# Hellenic civilization

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Hellenic civilization is the ancient civilization of Hellas, or Greece.

After the collapse of the Achaean? kingdoms around 1200 BC, Greece was fairly depopulated and entered into a dark age. After several centuries it emerged as the center of a brilliant new civilization, though, to which we owe hugely significant developments in philosophy, mathematics, history, politics and theater, among others.

The basic unit of Greek civilization was the polis, or city-state, a small country centered on a market and acropolis. Hundreds of these filled Greece, and others called apoikia (colonies) were founded across the Meditteranean, especially in southern Italy and Asia Minor. Usually a polis was ruled by an oligarchy, but the oligarchy never had the divine power of contemporary eastern rulers, in part because the commoners played a larger role in the economy and defense (as hoplites) of the state. Towards the seventh century a number of tyrannies were also established, meaning they were ruled by an usurper supported by popular opinion.

Will add more if noone else does...

See also:

- Greek Mythology
- Greek alphabet

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Last edited May 13, 2001 2:33 am (diff)
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