page  4 Greece  Travel and History

Under the government of Pericles, Greece and Athens reached a
summit of civilization never before attained by the human race.  For 2500 years his efforts to build the shrines on the Acropolis are witness to the glory and power of ancient Greece.

Greeks excelled in architectural grace.  They  designed the Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian colonnade  which are still in evidence in modern architecture of today. Their sculpture stands out for its unprecedented naturalness.  Workmen strove to out-do themselves in the perfection of their crafts; even more remarkable was the completion and dedication of the Parthenon in five years time. 
With the greatest effort, all buildings were completed during Pericles administration.  The works bloom  with a beauty and freshness that appears untouched by time.

In about 776 B. C. the world famous Olympic Games  were originated. During the years the games were held, a truce was observed, suspending war between the city states for the duration of the competition. While meeting during the games, the people exchanged ideas and exhibited artistic achievements.
     The chronology of Athens began in 776 B. C., the date of the first
Olympiad,  and all dates are reckoned from this event. However, modern
scientists point to research by archeologists that indicate Greece began
during the third or fourth millennium.

page  2 Greece  Travel and History
                      
The ancient nation was composed of more than one hundred and fifty
city states, in an area  extending along the southern and eastern
shores of the Mediterranean Sea,   It was ruled by aristocratic tyrants
whose oppressive rule awakened the people to the power of unity that led to the emergence of the first democracy in World history; but the
concept  of city states weakened their system of democratic government.
Almost constantly, a state of war existed between two or more cities.
the most famous being the jealous rivalry that existed between  Athens
and Sparta . Too late did Greeks realize that binding together into
one great state would have saved them from being overwhelmed by the
powerful Roman Empire.  Although Rome excelled in military and political domination, she was never able to control the Greek mind.
     
During the time of Pericles in 495 B.C., Athens was blessed with
the appearance of a small group of very unusual men.  Their literature
has entered into the intellectual process of all subsequent nations.
Their history of thought,` feeling, and character is magnificent.  The
Greek mind has been a guiding and inspiring beacon out of the past, that fortunately has been preserved for posterity by the written word.