When did Greek Civilization begin and end?
The Ancient Greek Civilization began from 1200 BC with the advent of the Dark Ages. The Dark Ages were also called the Homeric Age where the Greek poet Homer wrote his epic poems ‘The Iliad’ and ‘The Odyssey’.
Following the Dark Ages was the Geometric Period (900 BCE to 700 BCE) and the Orientalizing Period (700 BCE to 600 BCE). This marked the advent of a new culture in the Greek mainland.
Then came the Archaic Greece (600 BCE to 480 BCE) during which Greek culture expanded. But the Ancient Greece Civilization reached its prominence during the period from 480 BCE to 323 BCE. This period is also known as Classical Greece during which Alexander the Great ruled.
The Greek Civilization came to an end after the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BCE. This marked the beginning of Hellenistic Greece (323 BCE to 31 BCE) during which the Greek culture mixed with other cultures. This marked the gradual dilution of Greek culture and finally its end in 31 BCE.
Greek Civilization – When did it Begin and End?
Ancient Greece is often hailed as the cradle of Western civilization. Flourishing from 1200 BCE to 323 BCE, Ancient Greece was divided into several city states with their own set of political and cultural values. The Greek Civilization has left a lasting and permanent mark on the world through its contributions in philosophy, mythology, literature, art and culture and politics. Some examples of the contributions of Ancient Greece to the world include the birth of democracy in Athens, Homer’s famous poems ‘The Iliad’ and ‘The Odyssey’, philosophers like Socrates, Plato and Aristotle and mathematicians like Pythagoras and Euclid and their famous theorems.