Agriculture and Food
The soil was not very fertile along the coastline. They used strategies of irrigation and crop rotation. Ancient Greeks grew olives, grapes, and figs. They kept goats for milk and cheese. They grew wheat to make bread where the soil was more rich. Very popular food items were fish, seafood, and home-made wine. Meat was rarely eaten in Greece.
Art and Music
The arts included writings, painting, architecture, and sculptures. Ancient Greeks were master artists. Greek artists painted scenes on pots, vases, and other vessels. Many of the scenes were designed using only two colors. They carved stone and marble statues out of there knowledge. Music was an important part of religious festivals, marriage and funeral rites, and banquet gatherings. Ancient Greeks were familiar with many kinds of instruments. However, three instruments were favored more and they are the lyre, kithara, and the aulos. Most Greek men were trained to play an instrument competently.
Government and Law
There was three main types of government in Greece. The first one was Oligarchy which is ruled by a few. The next one is Tranny which was ruled by one. The last was democracy which was ruled by the people. If you ruled during Oligarchy you were most likely an aristocrat. If you ruled during Tranny you were called a tyrant and you used force to rule. In Democracy there was no leader and the people ruled.
Architecture
Greeks took great care in designing their buildings. The temples looked stately and inspiring because, rows of tall columns surrounded the buildings. The designers were very careful when measuring the columns. The columns bulge slightly in the middle. This made the columns look perfectly straight. The designers wanted the buildings to reflect the greatness of the city. The most impressive Greek building was the Parthenon. It was built to honor Athena.
Religion and Mythology
Ancient Greeks believed in many gods. The gods were at the center of Greek mythology. The myths explained natural or historical events. The Greeks used gods to explain things in nature. The Greeks saw the works of gods everywhere in nature. They believed gods caused daily events. The Greeks believed Demeter created seasons.