Ancient Greek Fun Facts
Ancient Greeks were at the forefront of history, philosophy, athletics and architecture development – this digital package will teach you how to read ancient Greek while offering exciting activities suited to home learning.
Mount Olympus is home to twelve gods and goddesses believed to reside within its confines, along with cheesecake and the yo-yo! Additionally, Greeks invented both products.
Cheesecake
As most people know, ancient Greece made many important contributions to society – from philosophical theories, sophisticated sculptures and architecture, theatre productions and an abundance of theatre performances – but did you know they invented cheesecake too? Cheesecake first made its debut on Samos sometime between 7th and 8th centuries BCE by pounding cheese into a paste before sweetening with honey before baking in a wheat crust. Wedding traditions used this simple form of cheesecake during wedding ceremonies as well as athletes competing at Olympic games held during 776 BC!
The ancient Greeks were an impressive people. We still admire many of their achievements today, such as democracy, the Parthenon, and modern astronomy. Additionally, we came to know some bizarre gods and goddesses such as Zeus (who often committed adultery), Hera who kicked her infant off Mount Olympus, as well as useful inventions like water mills from 3rd Century BC and alarm clocks invented by this amazing civilization – learn about some amazing ancient Greek inventions by playing Twinkl’s Greek Mythology Fact or Fiction Card Game!
Vending Machines
Philosophy comes from ancient Greek and translates to love of wisdom, so it should come as no surprise that Ancient Greeks had much to say about life itself through philosophy, literature, theater, sculptures and architecture.
Greece ranks 17th in terms of coffee consumption worldwide! They even used cinnamon and honey in their brewing methods for an even more tantalizing beverage!
Ancient Greek women took great care in grooming themselves. They dyed their hair blonde, curled it using hot irons and painted their faces white with lead carbonate to enhance their beauty. Bronze mirrors, ivory combs and small bottles of perfume (alabastra) rounded off their accessories collection while they painted over any gaps between natural eyebrows to achieve a uni-brow look.
Ancient Greece offered citizens the ability to participate in law trials with large juries of 500 people – this was how democracy emerged! Additionally, Greek heroes such as Pheidippides ran 150 miles from Sparta to Athens to proclaim victory at the Marathon race; Greeks even invented Olympic Games!
The Olympics
Ancient Greece held an Olympic Festival every four years to honor Zeus. Events like wrestling, long distance running and discus throwing would take place alongside chariot racing and horse racing – both events open only to men; unmarried women had their own festival that ran separate from this.
Athleticians were awarded with crowns made of special olive branches when they won. When breakfast and lunch came around, athletes consumed bread dipped in wine – an indulgence they continued for dinner alongside fish, eggs from chickens or quails and lots of veggies as well as cheeses and olives!
The Greeks didn’t believe in Heaven or reincarnation, but they were very religious about cleanliness and good health! Shaving with razors made from flint was common practice while eyebrows would often be plucked with tweezers for maintenance. Additionally, they were very proud to dye their blonde locks with heated irons before curling them back with hot rollers!
Religion was important in their society and many gods and goddesses were worshipped for different things like music, archery, wisdom and power. Additionally they believed strongly in avoiding being cursed with an “evil eye” by following specific rituals and superstitions to avoid it.
Democracy
The ancient Greeks were responsible for many inventions that continue to make an impactful statement today, such as alarm clocks, plumbing, gears and screws – as well as democracy which still serves us today. Furthermore, they ruled over an expansive territory including mainland Greece as well as thousands of islands!
They also produced many great philosophers and writers such as Socrates, Homer, Euripides and Aristotle – each person taking pride in his or her heritage and culture that was so rich with history.
Most of us may know that ancient Greece was home to the Olympic Games, but there’s so much more to this extraordinary civilisation than this fact alone. From their delicious food to stunning island landscapes, the Greeks represent an exciting culture with fascinating customs and beliefs.
Greeks traditionally believe in the concept of an evil eye – an eye that casts its spell by looking with jealousy or envy at another individual – and have developed special rituals to dispel it! Additionally, their superstition dictates that whenever passing by a church or store and seeing a cross on the roadside it means crossing oneself immediately!
Plumbing
Greece is known as the birthplace of Western civilization, democracy, theatre and Olympic Games – but did you know it is also where plumbing first originated?
Minoan civilization on Crete first created flush toilets around 1500 B.C. for use at Palace of Knossos; over time they became adopted in Greek households as well. But to deal with the vast amounts of waste produced during use, they built aqueducts from mountain springs into towns and cities – some as long as 60 feet! – carrying water along these routed to be carried back downhill via rivers – these even were wide enough to hold two people waltzing side-by-side!
Plumbing developments also included bathtubs; excavations at Olynthus in northern Greece have revealed numerous tiled, self-draining tubs similar to modern tubs reminiscent of their time. Not only were plumbing advances made during this period; culture also flourished dramatically during it – Homer wrote his epics “Iliad” and “Odyssey,” while sculptors created figures called kouroi or korai that carefully represented humans, as did scientists like Anaximandros who devised his theory of gravity while Pythagoras from Kroton made his discovery of his theorem.
As Athens became a prosperous empire, its residents weren’t immune to class conflict. When middle class members fell deeper into debt and even slavery, civil war seemed inevitable. Solon, an influential member of Athens’ council of four hundred was brought in to address the situation and one of his first acts was declaring that Athenians could now appeal magistrate decisions before an impartial jury of fellow citizens.
Gears
The Archaic Period laid the groundwork for Greek civilization that would come to dominate Western culture for centuries. Athens and Sparta emerged as two dominant city-states, each with their own government and culture. Statesman Solon instituted new constitutional and judicial reforms allowing men over 18 to join Athenian assembly ekklesia ekklesia; while fossil writer Xenophanes wrote extensively about them. Furthermore, Pythagoras developed his theorem.
Greek people tend to be superstitious and many believe in the evil eye. This is particularly prevalent among elderly individuals and they frequently carry amulets to protect themselves against it. Additionally, many Greeks believe in horoscopes and often choose different names for their birthdays depending on when they were born!
Before the invention of toilet paper, people used various items to clean themselves such as tree leaves, cornmeal, silk (for those able to afford it), sheep’s wool, cotton balls tied onto sticks or sponges on rods – any combination thereof was then considered acceptable! Nowadays most Greeks speak excellent English which benefits their tourism industry greatly and love animals; their laws regularly update to restrict unnatural breeding practices and unfair treatment of stray pets – such as modern-day definition of “idiot”. Even today there remains some ancient Greek roots to this term!
Screws
Screws have long been used in various fields of industry to produce things like furniture. Today they can also be found in machines and our bodies! Screws were first invented by Archytas of Tarentum – known as the father of mechanics – during ancient Greek. He employed them for harvesting wine and olive oil from grapes and olives respectively as well as bailing water out of boats.
Hex nuts and bolts may have evolved from ancient Greece’s initial use of screws as fasteners; such fasteners were constructed of brass or iron materials and used for assembling machinery or ships.
The ancient Greeks were responsible for numerous innovations that are still used today, such as the Olympics, democracy, clocks and gears; theatre; comedy and tragedy concepts; oracles/divination as a source of insight; as well as believing in omens such as certain animals appearing or birds flying differently. They even invented modern clocks! The Ancient Greeks were very superstitious individuals – often consulting oracles to gain insight into future happenings; believing omens such as animals appearing or birds flying differently was seen as signs that something significant had happened! They believed omens such as appearance of specific animals or birds flying, which made an impactful statement.
Greece may be best-known for its rich history, beautiful islands and Olympic Games – but there’s so much more to know about this incredible civilization than just dates and names!
At the Olympics, all men – even emperors – were eligible to compete. Unfortunately, women were not permitted to join!
1. The Greek language is the oldest in the world
Greek is one of the oldest spoken languages, dating back 3,400 years! It forms the basis for many other tongues – including English! And is spoken as its official language both within Greece itself, Cyprus and parts of Albania as well.
Greek has provided much of our modern vocabulary – such as Alpha and the alphabet we use today – with many daily words being borrowed directly or partially from their language! In fact, many are in use daily!
The ancient Greeks were known for being exceptionally intelligent people. From Pythagoras and Euclid to their prolific mythology featuring gods and goddesses such as Athena, Delphi was often visited to seek advice from Apollo (God of oracles, archery, music etc) via Delphi Oracle which featured priestesses who conjured up his powers to give out prophetic messages! She would even do this while sitting above a chasm that released poisonous gases known to cause hallucinations!
2. Alexander the Great was the first ruler to put his face on a coin
Ancient Greece provided voters with the power to remove any politician who became too bad for office, much like a reality show! This helped prevent bad politicians from slowly taking control of society. Greeks were highly intelligent individuals. Mathematics and philosophy were pioneered during this era by great minds such as Socrates, Homer, Euripides and Aristotle – they even invented the first water mill to help grind food more easily into flour or cereals – the Parthenon is another iconic Greek building and took 15 years to construct! Greeks first dedicated it to Athena as a Goddess in 490 BC and believed the Earth to be round; Hercules is considered a Greek hero with 12 labors who is the son of Zeus and Hera; before his mother Hera decided she wanted revenge against him under his former name Alcides.
The inaugural Olympic Games took place in 776BC and were open only to free males, although there was one loophole: Chariot owners rather than riders could be declared the winners of each race.
3. The Greeks were the first people to do bull-leaping
Ancient Greek art features bulls everywhere from drinking rhyta to royal golden rings – but were they jumping over them for fun or as part of religious ritual?
One iconic bull-leaping fresco comes from Minoan palace of Knossos in Crete. Though scholars debate its meaning, most believe that this fresco depicts a sport where players would leap over bulls while grabbing onto its horns for balance.
On a series of Syrian seals dating from the Bronze Age, there is evidence of bull-leaping activity indicating its widespread prevalence across Mediterranean cultures.
The Greeks pioneered many concepts we take for granted today, such as democracy and Olympic competitions. They also invented theater and poetry. Ancient Greeks believed that twelve Gods and Goddesses lived on Mount Olympus; women in ancient Greece paid great attention to their appearance by dyeing their hair blonde and adding curls with hot irons; wearing gold earrings and rings while carrying bronze mirrors, combs and boxes full of cosmetics and jewellery were some of their signature practices.
4. The Greeks had public toilets
Greeks were known for their delicious food, stunning islands and long history of art and literature – but did you know they also had public toilets?
Ancient Greeks invented theater and Olympic games. Additionally, they held that the world was round and were first to develop numerous scientific theories; even creating their own form of toilet paper!
From 2700-1450 BCE, Greeks made a primitive form of flushing toilets called Minoan toilets that featured long slabs of marble or limestone with interspaced holes along their length – filled with water from either a bucket or jug and used to flush away waste!
Ancient Greece had approximately 100 city-states that were self-governing, such as Athens with its famous democracy which still exists today and law trials with juries of 500 citizens.
5. The Greeks ate separately
Ancient Greece was an intriguing land filled with epic battles and peculiar customs. Spartans in particular were notoriously brutal towards criminals committing even minor offenses – tossing them into black holes upon conviction!
The Greeks consumed three meals daily: breakfast (teganites), lunch and dinner. Breakfast consisted of bread with butter and perhaps some cheese or fruit for breakfast; lunch could consist of bread, cheese, olives or figs while dinner (deipnon) was typically a more substantial affair with fish, eggs, vegetables and cheese included as part of this large feast.
Greeks didn’t use silverware, so they used their hands when eating. Since raw sugar wasn’t readily available to them, honey was used instead to sweeten their food. Furthermore, water and wine were always on hand throughout their days; additionally, something called “kykeon,” similar to milkshake-like beverages made up of barley gruel blended with water (or wine), herbs, and goat cheese could also be enjoyed throughout.
6. The Greeks played a game called ‘kottabos’
Pouring wine at parties may seem like a social faux-pas to most of us, but ancient Greeks turned wine spillage into an enjoyable game called kottabos. At drinking parties known as symposia (drinking parties), men would take turns throwing wine dregs toward a target at the center of the room to earn prizes such as eggs, pastries and sexual favors from slaves that cleaned up after themselves after each attempt at success – while their game could even result in them winning prizes like eggs (and vomit!). Slaves were on standby to clean up after themselves once their turn came around again when their shot hit its target and hit its target for rewards!
This lively drinking game likely originated in Sicily and spread throughout Greece and Italy during the 6th and 5th centuries BCE, reaching as far as Etruscan tombs with wall paintings depicting Symposium scenes with male lovers and kottabos players. We also know much about it due to surviving images and texts which indicate two ways for players to play: either tossing wine at a carefully balanced disc to topple it over or sink small dishes floating in pools floating nearby.
7. The Greeks took the bull by the horns
Alexander the Great founded Ancient Greece by unifying various city states into one nation. Under his rule, Ancient Greece became one of the leading civilisations for history, philosophy, arts, literature music and athletics!
Greeks loved food! For breakfast they would enjoy bread with wine, while at lunch they enjoyed meat (sheep, goat and lamb) along with vegetables and fish for dinner. Sweets and honey were also enjoyed!
Greek theatre was an amazing feat! They utilized masks to convey emotion. Additionally, they disapproved of eating beans as they believed that these contained the souls of dead people!
Women of Ancient Greece took great care in maintaining their appearance. They dyed their hair blonde, used curlers to style it and even owned bronze mirrors! In addition, they would also use ivory combs, perfume and tweezers. Finally, pots would come in handy for carrying water from town fountains, keeping make-up/perfume, wine storage and many other uses.
8. The Greeks wave with their palms closed
Greece is a beautiful land filled with ancient gods, epic battles and mysterious superstitions – but did you know they were the pioneers of democratic elections?
Greeks cast their votes by gathering at a public place known as an agora to cast direct democracy votes for their leaders. Each city-state had different leaders who led its citizens through discussions and elections of issues relevant to each city-state – this method is called direct democracy.
Ancient Greeks were among the first to use pulley systems and water mills capable of grinding wheat into flour, as well as clocks and early forms of screws and gears.
Ancient Greeks feared broad beans (also called fava beans) because the mathematician and philosopher Pythagoras believed they contained the souls of those who had died! There is also a gene mutation called Favism that causes some people to be allergic to these beans; this condition can result in anemia for certain individuals.
9. The Greeks make a puff of breath through pursed lips
The ancient Greeks did so much amazing stuff! From sports, art, literature and politics to building the first theater ever (though without CGI so their performances might differ slightly), their achievements are numerous and impressive.
The Greeks invented the yo-yo. Their belief in Mount Olympus as the seat of gods led them to create many mythical creatures such as Cerberus – a three-headed dog guarding Hades’ gates – and Medusa who could turn people into stone just by looking at them.
Romans gave Greeks their name; however, it comes from a Greek word; therefore the proper name of Greece is Hellas. Greece was among the first civilizations to use theater to express themselves emotionally through expression through masks that showed audiences how the actors felt during acting performances; these masks helped actors feel more realistic when performing. They also created Olympic competitions – not as gladiator combat, but instead participants competed naked!