GREEK HISTORY AT A GLANCE

For hundreds of years, ancient Greece dominated the Mediterranean and beyond.
Our culture contributed to the development of the arts, ideas and philosophy; our heroes infused myth and legend; our politics defined an era.

Here is a brief look at the history of Ancient and Modern Greece

STONE AGE
(100.000 - 3.000BCE)

6800-3300 BCE Neolithic Greece

BRONZE AGE
(3.000 -1.100 BCE)

3300-2000 BCE Cycladic civilization

3650-1170 BCE Minoan civilization

1650 BCE
Eruption of Santorini Volcano
Acrotiri is covered with volcanic ash

1550-1050 BCE Mycenean civilization

DARK AGES
(1100-900 BCE)

The descendance of Dorians Iron is introduced Migration of local tribes to south

IRON AGE

900-700 BCE Geometric Period

Cult of 12 Olympian
gods introduced

776 BCE
First Olympic Games
at ancient Olympia

700-479 BCE
Archaic Period

Birth of Philosophy at Ionia
(6th century BCE)

Beginning of
monumental sculpture
“Kouros” statues

Golden Age of Pericles
(Athens, 451-431 BCE)

…Athens becomes the cradle of
western civilization and is called by
Thucydides as “the school of Greece”

Parthenon (448-433 BCE)

The art of ideal beauty and
perfection through
“sophistication & simplicity”.

The peak of classical visual arts
(sculpture & painting).

Peloponnesian War between
Athens and Sparta

(431-404 BCE)

Macedonian Kings &
Alexander the Great

Formation of an empire over
three continents by a brilliant
leader and a military genius.

(356-323 BCE)

323-146 BCE
Hellenistic Age:
Greek world after Alexander
the Great’s conquests

146-31 BCE Roman occupation

END OF THE ANCIENT WORLD – BEGINNING OF CHRISTIAN ERA

Gradual transition from
Paganism to Christianity

49 – 52 AD

Paul the Apostle travels
in Greece to spread the
word of Jesus

96 AD

John the Evangelist is in exile
at Patmos island, where he receives
the awesome text of the Revelation.

330 AD

The capital of Roman Empire
is transferred from
Rome to Constantinople.

BYZANTINE PERIOD
(330 – 1453)

Birth of Byzantium:
Roman Law, Greek Language,
Christian Religion

The art of the “sublime”
Development of byzantine art
(mosaics & frescoes).

1054 AD

East-West Schism:
Division between Eastern (Orthodox)
and Western (Catholic) church.

1088 AD

Byzantine monasteries at the
islands of Patmos and
Amorgos are being built

Great monasteries of
Meteora are being built.

1204 AD

Sack of Constantinople
by the Crusaders.

LATIN OCCUPATION OF THE GREEK TERRITORIES
(13th-14th AD centuries)

Venetian fortresses
in the Peloponnese
and the Aegean islands.

OTTOMAN OCCUPATION

1453 AD

Sack of Constantinople and
other major cities including Athens.

1687 AD

Dodge Morosini
bombs the Parthenon.

1806 AD

Lord Elgin removes
the Parthenon Marbles.

Lord Byron
-the great Philhellin-
writes beautiful poetry
about Greece.

On March 25 1821, the Greeks began their fight for freedom from the Ottoman Turks.
The fight would last just under a decade.

1830 AD

Formation of the Greek State.

1874 AD

Heinrich Schliemann, after
excavating Troy in Turkey, begins
research at Mycenae and finds
“Mycenae, rich in Gold”.

1893 AD

First use of
the Corinth Canal

1896 AD

The revival of Olympic Games
by Pierre de Coubertin

1914-18 AD

Great War
(World War I)

1941-44 AD

World War II: Nazi occupation:
Greece had one of the strongest
resistance movements in Europe.

Guerilla groups called “National
Resistance” attacked
the occupying powers.

1946-49 AD

Civil War

1948 AD

Greece receives financial help
with the Marshal plan
and joins the NATO.

1967-74 AD

Military coup – Dictatorship

2004 AD

Athens’ Olympics

2009 AD

The economic crisis begins
with all it’s counter-effects…
such as austerity measures,
Greece is under the vigilance
of the IMF, strikes & demonstrations
become a common phenomenon,
increasing taxes, brain drain,
frustration and more…