Ancient Greece can feel strangely familiar. From the exploits of Achilles (hero of Homer\u2019s epic poem, oe Illiad, about the Trojan war) and Odysseus (also known as Ulysses, the hero in Homer\u2019s other epic poem, oe Odyssey), to the treatises of Aristotle (an extremely inuential ancient Greek philosopher from the 4th century B.C.E), from the exacting measurements of the Parthenon (image above) to the rhythmic chaos of the Laoco\u00f6n (image below), ancient Greek culture has shaped our world. zanks largely to notable archaeological sites, well-known literary sources, and the impact of Hollywood (Clash of the Titans, for example), this civilization is embedded in our collective consciousness\u2014prompting visions of epic baxles, erudite philosophers, gleaming white temples, and limbless nudes (we now know the sculptures\u2014even the ones that decorated temples like the Parthenon\u2014were brightly painted, and, of course, the fact that the ~gures are owen missing limbs is the result of the ravages of time).<\/p>\n
Dispersed around the Mediterranean and divided into self-governing units called poleis or city-states (small independent entities such as Aegina, Athens, Corinth, and Sparta), the ancient Greeks were united by a shared language, religion, and culture. Strengthening these bonds further were the so-called \u201cPanhellenic<\/a>\u201d sanctuaries and festivals that embraced \u201call Greeks\u201d and encouraged interaction, competition, and exchange (for example the Olympics, which were held at the Panhellenic sanctuary at Olympia). Although popular modern understanding of the ancient Greek world is based on the classical art of ~wh century B.C.E. Athens, it is important to recognize that Greek civilization was vast and did not develop overnight.<\/p>\n