Greece

Greece, officially named the Hellenic Republic, is a country in the Mediterranean. To

the north of Greece lie Albania, Bulgaria, and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.
To the east is Turkey. No matter where you are in Greece, you are always close to the sea.
To the southeast of Greece is the Aegean Sea, to the south is the Mediterranean Sea, and to
the west is the Ionian Sea. The largest islads of Greece are Crete and Evia.
The capital city is Athens. The main language is obviously Greek, probably the oldest
language in Europe, but most people also speak English. About 98% of the Greek people
are Greek Orthodox, and the rest are split among Roman Catholic, Jewish and Muslim
faiths. There are many religious holidays in Greece. After New Year’s day, the next holiday
of the New Year occurs at 8 th of January and is called Gynaikratia. On this day, the
traditional roles of the people of northern Greek villages are reversed. Men stay at home
and do the housework, such as cooking, cleaning, and looking after the children, and the
women spend the day drinking coffee in the cafes! During Hellenic Festival, there are
concerts featuring traditional and modern Greek music styles, as well as drama
performances, all occuring in the ancient theaters.

Greek Art and Literature

The Greeks produced a civilization that in many ways has never been surpassed in
the world. There is no sculpture comparable to theirs; there are no buildings more beautiful
and more admirable than those they built, there are no literary pieces superior to them. In
literature, they are all supreme – the world has produced no epic poet to compare with
Homer, no lyric poet equal to Pindar.
The history of Greek literature is divided into three periods: Pre-Homeric and Homeric
Age (includes the works of Homer); Athenian Period to Golden Age of Pericles (Age of
Herodotus to the death of Alexander the Great); and the third period – Period of Decline
(death of Alexander the Great to the enslavement of the Greeks by the Romans).
Greek literature has the following qualities:
1. Permanence and universality. Greek literature is still alive today as it was when it
was written 3, 000 years ago. It has universality that is truly remarkable: it is read
and admired by all nations of the world regardless of race, religion, or culture.
2. Full of Artistry. Greek art is the highest form of classic art. The Greeks had such
great love for beauty that they surrounded themselves with beautiful objects – that
they also incorporate this love for beauty to their literature so that everyone can
enjoy and relive the experiences of the characters of a literature. (It’s no wonder why
it’s a taboo for them to have Hephaestus as one of the gods because of his ugliness!)
3. Originality. The drama had been produced by Egyptians and narrative poetry had
been cultivated in India. The Greek mind modified and improved all that it touched.
4. Diversity of Talents. The Greek mind never rested on only one subject; it was ever
searching, ever seeking. It was fond of variety and different types of genre.
5. Intellectual Quality. This means that the Greek mind challenges one to think for
some purpose – to bring about some inner transformation.

The Glory that was Greece, and the Grandeur that was Rome.

Prepared by:
Kareen Jane I. Canillas
Resources: ECAS 10 Worktext, pp. 3-7
/ DLL June 20, 2019 /