Culture

Ancient Greek Culture

 Greece had, and still has, a very creative and beautiful culture. If you were to go back in time to visit ancient Greece, you would see enormous white stone temples dedicated to various gods scattered around cities bustling with life. In these cities, you would see many different people doing various things. Perhaps you may see someone buying ingredients for a lavish Greek meal they are making for a party they're having tonight, or someone bartering with a farmer for an oxen, so he can sacrifice it at the temple of Zeus to bring him good fortune. Either way, these people are just some of the very many who are a part of Greek culture.

**Food** Greece has many rocky cliffs along its coastline. The soil on these cliffs was not very fertile. To change that, the ancient Greeks used irrigation systems to water their crops. They farmed grapes, figs, and olives. Because of their rocky cliffs, the Greeks weren't very good land travelers. This made them good sailors, which in turn made them good fishermen, thus making fish a popular food in Greece. In the plains, Greeks grew wheat for bread, and kept goats for milk and cheese. Though some cities had meat, it was expensive and mainly used for sacrificial purposes.

Festivals In ancient times, the Greeks had lavish festivals. Weddings, religious celebrations, games, and solstices were all very special occasions to them. Most festivals were held to honor the gods. One festival Greeks in Athens had was in honor of the god Dionysus. During this festival, playwrights would compete against each other by writing plays and seeing which was better. Another common Greek celebration that still goes on today is the Olympic games. Nearly half of the days in a year were dedicated to certain festivals in Athens.

 The architectural design of ancient Greek houses not very large or fancy. The houses usually had two to three rooms, and were made out of clay bricks, stone, or wood. Every house had a courtyard that the rest of the house centered around. In these courtyards was where the women would spend most of their time, weaving, cooking, or chatting. Some bigger houses may have had a men's dining room, a kitchen, a bathroom, or a sitting room for women. Some days the family would gather in the courtyard to hear stories of gods and goddesses.
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by: Rachel