Greek Cultural Overview

Greeks are the people of Greece, a nation of Southern Europe.

Geography

Greece is a mountainous, peninsular, and island nation extending into the Mediterranean, Ionian, and Aegean Seas. The nation possesses an estimated 8,000 islands and islets, though only about 170 of them are inhabited. As a Mediterranean country, the majority of Greece sees long, hot summers and mild winters. Moving northward and up into the mountains, however, the climate grows cooler and more alpine.

• Climate: Mediterranean to alpine

• Capital: Athens

• Total Population: 10,761,523 (2018 est.)

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History

The history of Greece and its impact on the modern world extends far beyond its current borders. As one of the earliest hubs of Western civilization, it has played an outsized role in the growth of Europe and the Mediterranean world. Its fertile plains were home to the first known farmers of Europe, some 8,000 years ago, who built complex societies based around bronze-working, grains, and olive oil. Early civilizations like the Mycenaeans and Minoans created the first Greek alphabets and founded many of the city states that would later come to define Ancient Greece.

By about 800 BCE, iron-working had reached Greece, and its cities had developed into powerful, independent city-states. Among them were Athens, Sparta, Thebes, Corinth, Argos, Delphi, and Rhodes. In addition, seafaring Greek settlers founded colonies across the Mediterranean. These cities experimented with many forms of government, traded, waged war, and refined the arts of sculpture, storytelling, and music. Athens in particular is remembered for its early democracy and foundational philosophers.

Classical Greece came to an end with the conquests of Alexander the Great of Macedon. While Hellenic Greece remained an important cultural center, it would eventually fall under the control of the heavily Greek-influenced Roman Empire. When Rome split in two in 285 CE, the Eastern Roman or Byzantine Empire inherited the mantle of Greek civilization. After the fall of Rome in 476, Byzantine emperors ruled from Constantinople for a thousand years before being conquered by the Ottoman Turks in 1453.

Greece would remain a part of the Ottoman Empire until its war for independence in 1812. Since that time, the nation has transitioned from kingdom to republic and weathered Axis occupation in World War II. More recently, it has become a popular tourist destination. Modern Greece is still recovering from the economic crisis of 2008 but remains closely tied to its heritage.

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Daily Life

For thousands of years, the common people of Greece primarily lived as farmers, herders, and fishermen. Grain crops, mainly barley, formed the staple of their diet. In addition, the climate and waters of the Mediterranean provided abundant fish, shellfish, olives, vegetables, fruits, wines, and livestock such as sheep, chickens, and goats. Later, outside cultures like the Turkish Ottomans and American imports would introduce foods like the tomato, kebabs, flatbreads, and Persian desserts. Greek cuisine remains highly regional today and has received global recognition.

In Ancient Greece, common people typically lived in wood, clay-, or mud-brick houses with thatched roofs. Wealthier families could afford two-story homes built with stone and tile. When possible, men and women tended to occupy separate living and work spaces. In early times, both men and women wore long wraps called a chiton or long tunics. Greek fashions would later adapt to the styles of Rome, the Byzantines, the Ottomans, and modern Europe. Today, the people of Greece lead lives similar to those of other European nations, with strong local traditions in food and housing.

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Society

Ancient Greece is notable for its independent city-states, each of which practiced a separate form of government. Of these, the most relevant today is that of Athens, which practiced the first known democracy in Western civilization. In fact, the word ‘democracy’ is of Greek origin. Athenian democracy lasted a little over a century before being interrupted by Alexander of Macedon. They practiced a form of direct democracy, but only free Athenian men could participate. Sparta, the major rival of Athens, was instead ruled by two kings and a council. The Spartans relied heavily on slaves, or helots, which allowed the majority of its men to train and serve as soldiers.

From this high point of independence and experimentation, the Greek city-states eventually succumbed to foreign invasion and their own infighting. They passed under the control of the Roman and later Byzantine Empire. The Byzantines spoke Greek and governed a diverse, relatively merit-based society. After the fall of Constantinople in 1453, however, the majority of Greece fell under the control of the Ottoman Empire. Under the Ottomans, Greek citizens were required to pay a special tax and provide children for military service, but they were also allowed, for the most part, to govern their own affairs.

Greek nationalism developed in the early 19th century, resulting in a war of independence fought between 1821 and 1830. From there, the young nation swung between kingdom, republic, and military dictatorship. Its politics stabilized at last following a civil war in the aftermath of World War II. The Third Hellenic Republic formed in 1974 and has governed to the present day.

• Major Languages: Greek

• Urban Population: 79.1% (2018 est.)

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Economy

For nearly 9,000 years, the major occupation of Greece has been agriculture. In most of the Classical city-states, a small upper-class of traders, craftsmen, and statesmen were supported by much larger populations of free or enslaved farmers and laborers. Greek merchants traveled across the Mediterranean, building trade networks that would only expand through the Roman and Byzantine Empires.

During the Ottoman era, Greek sailors continued to serve primarily as merchants, enriching themselves in the process. This gave them access to the educational systems of Europe, which in turn fueled Greek nationalism and a renewed interest in their cultural heritage. A lack of industrial development under the Ottomans, however, put the new nation of Greece at an economic disadvantage. The country has since struggled through setbacks like Axis occupation in World War II and military coups, offset by increasing tourism revenue. In 2008, the global financial crisis triggered a severe recession in Greece, from which the nation is still recovering.

• Major Industries: Tourism, food and tobacco processing, textiles, chemicals, metal products; mining, petroleum

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Beliefs

The original faith of Greece was a diverse form of indigenous polytheism, with many gods worshipped according to the needs of the people. The most famous of these deities, the Twelve Olympians, rest at the heart of a complex web of mythology still studied and enjoyed today. Gods and goddesses like Zeus, Apollo, Athena, Artemis, Hera, and Aphrodite would shape the worship of the Roman Empire as well. Greek polytheism faded from view with the conversion of Rome to Christianity. Nevertheless, it has survived through secular myths and a modern revival known as Hellenism.

The firmly Christian Byzantine Empire sought to erase all reminders of paganism in favor of a grand new religious vision. Its emperors built immense, domed cathedrals that would later influence the mosque architecture of the Ottomans. In 1054, political and ideological differences led to the Great Schism, which divided the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches. Since that time, Greece has been majority Orthodox. Byzantine monks carried their faith along the empire’s trade routes, converting populations in regions like Russia and the Near East. Greek monks fleeing the Ottoman context brought the texts of ancient philosophers to Italy, contributing to the start of the Renaissance era. Today, most Greek people continue to identify as Greek Orthodox.

Religious Demographics:

• Greek Orthodox: 81-90%,

• None: 4-15%

• Other: 3%

• Muslim: 2%

• Unspecified: 1% (2015 est.)

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Arts & Music

Like other elements of its civilization, the historic arts of Greece have been incredibly influential in Europe and abroad. Ancient Greek artists refined the arts of sculpture, bronze casting, pottery, and architecture to near perfection. They were particularly interested in the human form, depicting gods, heroes, and notable individuals alike. Storytellers recited lyrical epics preserved for thousands of years, including Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey. Later, the Byzantine Empire would focus less on sculpture in the round in favor of mosaics, reliefs, and rich textiles. After a period of artistic suppression under the Ottomans, Greek art has flourished again through European schools. Greek artists studying abroad returned home to form a new artistic identity drawing from both their ancient heritage and modern tastes.

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References

Brewer, David. Greece, the Hidden Centuries: Turkish Rule from the Fall of Constantinople to Greek Independence. I.B. Tauris. 2012.

Clogg, Richard. A Concise History of Greece. Cambridge University Press. 2013.

Doumanis, Nicholas. A History of Greece. Macmillan. 2009.

Garland, Robert. Daily Life of the Ancient Greeks. 2nd Ed. ABC-CLIO. 2008.

Leontis, Artemis. Culture and Customs of Greece. ABC-CLIO. 2009.

Koliopoulos, Giannēs, John S. Koliopoulos, and Thanos M. Veremis. Greece: The Modern Sequel, from 1831 to the Present. NYU Press. 2002.

Martin, Thomas R. Ancient Greece. Yale University Press. 2013.

“The World Factbook: Greece.” Central Intelligence Agency, Central Intelligence Agency, 14 Aug. 2018, www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/gr.html.

Thomopoulos, Elaine. The History of Greece. ABC-CLIO. 2012.

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