GREECE

Greece is a country in southeastern Europe with thousands of islands throughout the Aegean and Ionian seas. Influential in ancient times, it’s often called the cradle of Western civilization. Athens, its capital, retains landmarks including the 5^th-century B.C. Acropolis citadel with the Parthenon temple. Greece is also known for its beaches, from the black sands of Santorini to the party resorts of Mykonos.

Government

Greece is a parliamentary representative democratic republic, where the President of Greece is the head of state and the Prime Minister of Greece is the head of government within a multi-party system. Legislative power is vested in both the government and the Hellenic Parliament. Between the restoration of democracy in 1974 and the Greek government-debt crisis the party system was dominated by the liberal-conservative New Democracy and the social-democratic PASOK.

Society

Greek society is noted for its strong family structure and a low crime rate. The extended family, and the obligation placed on family members to provide mutual support, is of the utmost importance. The centrality of the family has been little affected by the rise of the middle class that has been a feature of the development of Greek society since the end of World War II. During the 1980s important changes were introduced in Greek family law. Civil marriage was instituted in parallel with religious marriage, the dowry system was abolished (though marriages are still sometimes seen to some degree as economic alliances in theory), divorce was made easier, and the hitherto dominant position of the father in the family was restricted. The great majority of the country’s businesses remain small, family-run enterprises. This is especially true of shipping, in which tightly knit clans of families dominate the industry. The family structure of industry acts as an impediment to modernization.

Culture

Short History

Greek call themselves Hellenes, and Greece Hellas; our term “Greece” derives from their Roman conquerors. From the eighth century BC, colonisation had taken Greek-speakers all over the Mediterranean, from the Black Sea, Turkey, to North Africa, Italy France and Spain, like “frogs around a pond” (Plato).By the fifth century BC Classical Greeks had organised themselves into independent citizen states (known as polis, from which comes our word “political”) such as Athens, Sparta, Ephesus, Byzantion and Marseilles. Each polis had its own laws, dialect, currency and government.

Strongly independent, they fought among themselves for domination, and internally over different styles of constitution (eg, tyranny, democracy, oligarchy). In the fourth century BC, Macedon in the north, under its king Philip II and his son Alexander the Great, took brief control, but on the death of Alexander in 323 BC, the mainland split into a series of leagues under Macedonian governors. Radical, direct democracy died at that moment, never to be restored.

The land-mass of Hellas became part of the Roman empire in the second century BC, and Greek poleis in Turkey and elsewhere followed. The leagues and poleis continued to run themselves, but were now under close Roman supervision. Roman expansion east was made easier by the conquests of Alexander the Great, who introduced Greek polis style culture, administration and urban living, as far as Afghanistan.

The Greek language, however, spread throughout the Mediterranean. Greek was heard in Rome probably more often than Latin. The gospel writers and St Paul knew perfectly well that they would have to write in Greek if they wanted their message to spread. Romans lapped up Greek culture – literature, history, philosophy and architecture – and by making Greek a central feature of their education system ensured that Greek achievement would be handed on to us today.

Literature

Greek literature, body of writings in the Greek language, with a continuous history extending from the 1st millennium BC to the present day. From the beginning its writers were Greeks living not only in Greece proper but also in Asia Minor, the Aegean Islands, and Magna Graecia (Sicily and southern Italy). Later, after the conquests of Alexander the Great, Greek became the common language of the eastern Mediterranean lands and then of the Byzantine Empire. Literature in Greek was produced not only over a much wider area but also by those whose mother tongue was not Greek. Even before the Turkish conquest (1453) the area had begun to shrink again, and now it is chiefly confined to Greece and Cyprus.

Arts

Greek art began in the Cycladic and Minoan civilization, and gave birth to Western classical art in the subsequent Geometric, Archaic and Classical periods (with further developments during the Hellenistic Period). Greek art is mainly five forms: architecture, sculpture, painting, pottery and jewelry making.

Music

The music of Greece is as diverse and celebrated as its history. Greek music separates into two parts: Greek traditional music and Byzantine music, with more eastern sounds.These compositions have existed for millennia: they originated in the Byzantine period and Greek antiquity; there is a continuous development which appears in the language, the rhythm, the structure and the melomeiusic is a significant aspect of Hellenic culture, both within Greece and in the diaspora.

Places

Greece has the longest coastline in Europe and is the southernmost country in Europe. The mainland has rugged mountains, forests, and lakes, but the country is well known for the thousands of islands dotting the blue Aegean Sea to the east, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and the Ionian Sea to the west.

Mountainous land almost completely surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea. Greece has more than 1400 islands. The country has mild winters and long, hot and dry summers. The ancient Greeks were a seafaring people.

Greek Island

The beautiful and exotic Greek islands lure droves of tourists every year, making them one of the world’s top travel destinations. With more than 2,000 islands to choose from they may initially be bewildered by their number and variety. From gorgeous beaches, ancient ruins, colorful harbors and active volcanoes the Greek islands have it all.

Athens

Inhabited for more than 3,000 years, Athens is widely known as the cradle of Western civilization and the birthplace of democracy. The city presents a confusing blend of historical and modern features. Athens is famous for its archaeological ruins and monuments such as the famous Acropolis, the Parthenon, the Ancient Agora and the Theatre of Dionysos just to name a few. However, Athens is not just about ancient ruins. This bustling city is also an important center for business, culture and nightlife.

Crete

The largest of the Greek islands, Crete is a spacious land of pleasing contrasts where landscapes range from stunning coastline to rugged mountains and rolling countryside dotted with olive trees. Bustling metropolitan cities spread beyond to quiet villages centered around outdoor coffee shops. Steeped in history, Crete still bears archaeological traces of the many civilizations that inhabited it down through the centuries.

Meteora

The Greek word meteora means “suspended in the air,” and this phrase aptly describes the spectacular cliffs that rise more than 1,200 feet (366 meters) into the air overlooking the villages of Kalambaka and Kastraki in the north central mainland of Greece. What makes these cliffs even more inspiring are the historic monasteries perched along the summits. Dating back to the 14^th and 16^th centuries, the monasteries at Meteora were built by monks seeking spiritual isolation and freedom from religious persecution.

Delphi

Second to the Acropolis in Athens, Delphi is Greece’s most popular archaeological site. Located about two and half hours from Athens along the slopes of the awe-inspiring Mount Parnassus, Delphi was once revered by the ancient Greeks as the center of the earth. Dedicated to the god, Apollo, Delphi was an important oracle.

In ancient times, people would come to this sacred spot to inquire of the priestess for advice on a wide range of topics from farming to relationships and politics. Significant ruins and structures at Delphi include the Temple of Apollo, the Athenian Treasury, the theater and hippodrome that once hosted events of the ancient Pythian Games.

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