Unit 2 – Archaic, Classical, and Hellenistic Greece

This is the most expansive era of Greek culture for which much archaeological, artistic, literary, and historical evidence exists. In order to make manageable the abundance of content available, this time period has been sub-divided into three sections as follows:

A: Archaic Greece

Here, archaic Greek art (particularly pottery and statuary) is presented, along with the development of archaic Greek government, the origins of philosophy, temple construction, and early Greek literature. At this time in history, Greek culture truly emerged from the Dark Ages following the fall of the Mycenaean and Minoan civilizations.

B: Classical Greece

The Classical period marks the peak of the Greek civilization in such areas as drama, literature, art, archaeology, religion, philosophy, and government. It marks the defining moment in the evolution of Greek culture, which has had an enormous and enduring effect on later Western cultures.

C: Philip of Macedon and Alexander the Great

Under Philip of Macedon, the Greek city-states were united for the first time, constituting a significant shift in Greek politics, linguistic influence (since Greek became a world language at this time), and culture, continued by Alexander. The expansion of Alexander’s empire, and its subsequent dissolution, represent an important milestone in the Greek world.