HISTORY AND MYTHOLOGY
"Happy is he who knows history"
Euripides-Greek tragedian poet (480-406 BC)
History as science studies the events of the past. By the term Greek history, we refer to the history of Greek civilization and Hellenism, which presents uninterrupted historical continuity from antiquity to the present day.
The Greek element is not limited to the geographical boundaries of today's Greece but concerns a culture with specific characteristics, the main one being the Greek language. Through research and studies of archaeological finds, a cultural evolution, inextricably linked to the Greek geographical area, is documented, which spread from the Aegean to the entire Mediterranean.
Let us not forget that history is not static but dynamic. It is a continuous flow that influences alters and therefore evolves the course of man and his civilization. Greek culture cannot be excluded from this process.
Examining the history of the Greeks, which is lost in the depths of the centuries, it becomes necessary, admittedly artificial, to divide it into periods for better understanding and navigation in it.
The first distinction concerns the period of the Greek Revolution (1821) and the establishment of the first Greek state (1828) until today, which constitutes the modern history of Greece as an independent state.
Moving backward, we refer to the years (centuries) when the Greek element was part of the dominance of empires (Ottoman, Byzantine, etc.) until the Middle Ages, reaching 330 AD.
From 330 AD until 1100 BC we talk about the history of Ancient Greece, while from 1.100. bC and backward we are talking about the prehistoric period.
According to historians, apart from the above division, each period is divided into smaller periods, based on common features or milestones that mark the transition from one period to another.
Regarding the period of ancient Greece and going backward in time, our knowledge is based on 3 types of sources: archaeological finds from excavations, written sources (inscriptions, papyrus), and texts of Greek historians of antiquity (e.g. Herodotus).
Greek history covers a huge period of time, countless sources and documents, and obviously a huge amount of work that cannot be recorded and analyzed on the pages of this site.
The purpose of the information provided in the following pages is to present Greek history in a concise and simple way through the most important features, persons, and events that make it easier for a simple reader to understand the historical continuity of the Greek element without requiring any special scientific knowledge.
Greek history is an important part of world history and a special cultural capital of the Greek people, inextricably linked to the Greek language and folk tradition, in parallel evolution over time.
The word myth refers to a story, usually fictional, that is seemingly more connected to the tradition of a people than to actual historical events.
The myths of Greek mythology, however, have another dimension.
They are part of Greek history, full of symbolism and lessons, whose value is proven by their enormous influence on a global level and in every aspect of life for thousands of years.
Greek mythology began as a way of explaining the environment in which people lived, the natural phenomena they observed, and the passage of time with its days, months, and seasons. Greek myths were also closely related to religion and provided insight into the beginnings and lives of the gods, as well as the origins and afterlife of humanity.
These explanations promoted values and ideals as well as the narration of real events in an instructive way.
In myths we find allegorical narratives or stories concerning persons, situations and actions that hide symbolism, constituting a valuable ark of wisdom and knowledge.
Therefore, the myths of the Greeks do not belong to the realm of fantasy. They are oral narratives of real historical events that have been passed on from one generation to another for thousands of years, as a chapter of tradition and cultural heritage.
The following pages reflect an attempt to collect and present the basic core of Greek Mythology as a part of Greek History, the persons, the events and the stories-myths, with a didactic approach.
GREEK HISTORY TIMELINE
A brief presentation of the basic periods and characteristics of the Greek History & Facts that historians use to separate History into parts
GREEK HISTORY TIMELINE
A brief presentation of the basic periods and characteristics of the Greek History & Facts that historians use to separate History into parts
PREHISTORIC ERA
Stone age 350.000- 3.000 BC
Bronze Age 3.000-1.100 BC
Cycladic-Minoan-Mycenaean
civilizations
ANCIENT TIMES
Homer
Persian Wars
Athens state
Sparta state
Macedonian state
Roman Conquest
Christianity
MEDIEVAL-BYZANTINE ERA
MODERN GREEK HISTORY
Greek war of independence
Establishment of the autonomous Greek State
The kingdom of Greece
The Balkan wars
Asia Minor Catastrophe
Greek Civil War
Greek military Junda
European Union
Byzantine Empire
4th Crusade
Fall of Constantinople
Ottoman conquest
PREHISTORIC ERA
Stone age 350.000- 3.000 BC
Bronze Age 3.000-1.100 BC
Cycladic-Minoan-Mycenaean
civilizations
1100 B.C.
FACT
END OF MYCAENEAN CULTURE
ANCIENT TIMES
Homer
Persian Wars
Athens state
Sparta state
Macedonian state
Roman Conquest
Christianity
330 A.D.
FACT
ESTABLISHMENT OF CONSTANTINOPLE
MEDIEVAL-BYZANTINE ERA
Byzantine Empire
4th Crusade
Fall of Constantinople
Ottoman conquest
1821
FACT
THE GREEK REVOLUTION
MODERN GREEK HISTORY
Greek war of independence
Establishment of the autonomous Greek State
The kingdom of Greece
The Balkan wars
Asia Minor Catastrophe
Greek Civil War
Greek military Junda
European Union
PRESENT TIMES