Greece & the Rise of the Polis

Greece & the Rise of the Polis

GREEK CIVILIZATION AND THE RISE OF THE POLIS

I am currently developing a series of topics and presentations on early Greek civilization and the rise of the polis for students enrolled in our European Studies program.

In Greek, a polis is generally understood as meaning ‘city-state’, ‘citizens’, or ‘community’. In contemporary intellectual circles, the term may represent an ancient Athenian devotion to freedom of choice, collective citizenship, and democratic principles.

The Acropolis, 2019 | Click to see more photos

Greek Flag at the Acropolis, Athens | Photo Steven Andrew Martin | Archaeology

Rise of the Polis

The rise of the polis personifies the dawn of the world’s first-ever democracy, a concept manifest in English terms, such as ‘policy’, ‘political’, and ‘police’, as well as globally-recognized place names, such as Indianapolis, Naples, and Tripoli.

Join me as I develop this web page and explore the legacy of Athenian democracy and  philosophy – a series of historical events and places which profoundly shaped the world we live in today.

This page is intended to support my university presentation on ancient Greek civilization. Development of this page is ongoing, with short stories, photo albums and videos forthcoming. 

Geography of Greece and the Aegean Sea

Map of Greece and Aegean Sea | Geography of Greece | Professor Steven A Martin PhD Educational Website | Rise of the Polis

Five archaeological sites

Based on five key archaeological sites we visited in July, 2019, I hope you will enjoy the images and videos posted below.

  • The Acropolis of Athens
  • Island of Aegina and Temple of Aphaia
  • Cape Sounio and Temple of Poseidon
  • Oracle of Delphi and Temple of Apollo
  • Mycenae Archaeological Site and Mycenaean Civilization

Comments and suggestions are welcome.

Click on photos to enlarge.

THE ACROPOLIS OF ATHENS

In our short video, filmed and photographed during a single afternoon at the Acropolis of Athens, we visited The Temple of Athena Nike, The Propylaea, The Parthenon, The Erechtheion, Temple of Olympia Zeus, The Theatre of Dionysus, and the new world-class Acropolis Museum, Bookstore, and Café for lunch.

We sure wish we had more time at the Acropolis, but with our limited budget, and just four days in Greece, we were runnin’ and gunnin’.

Acropolis of Athens, Greece

Parthenon, Acropolis | On site interpretation sign

Parthenon Sign | Acropolis | Athens Greece | Dr Steven A Martin | Archaeological Research 2019

Bookstore at the new Acropolis Archaeology Museum

New Acropolis Archaeology Museum | Athens Greece | Dr Steven Andew Martin

ISLAND OF AEGINA AND THE TEMPLE OF APHAIA

Island of Aegina and the Temple of Aphaia

Temple of Aphaia | Island of Aegina | c. 500 BCE

Temple of Aphaea | Goddess Aphaia | Aegina Island | Dr Steven Andrew Martin | Greek Archaeology Research

Fisherman | Near the island of Aegina | Saronic Gulf

Greek Island of Aegina | Saronic Gulf | Greece | Photo Steven Andrew Martin 2019

CAPE SOUNION AND THE TEMPLE OF POSEIDON

Sanctuary of Poseidon | Cape Sounion | 444 BCE

Temple of Poseidon | Cape Sounion | Dr Steven Andrew Martin | Greek Archaeology Research 2019

Sanctuary of Poseidon | On site interpretation sign

Sanctuary of Poseidon - Interpretation sign - Greece 2019 photo - Dr Steven A Martin

Sunset at Cape Sounion | Southernmost tip of the Attic peninsula

Temple of Poseidon | Cape Sounion 2019 | Dr Steven Andrew Martin | Greek Archaeology Research

THE ORACLE AT DELPHI AND THE TEMPLE OF APOLLO

The Temple of Apollo at Delphi | Mount Parnassus, Central Greece

Oracle at Delphi | Temple of Apollo | Dr Steven Andrew Martin | 2019 Greek Archaeology Research

On site interpretation sign | Temple of Apollo | Delphi

Oracle of Delphi | Temple of Apollo Sign | Greek Archaeology | Steven Martin | Learning Adventures | Greece

Philosopher of Delphi | c. 270 BCE | Delphi Archaeological Museum

Philosopher Priest of Delphi | Greek Archaeology | Hellenistic Art | Photo by Dr Steven A Martin | Delphi Archaeological Museum

THE MYCENAEAN CIVILIZATION | LATE BRONZE AGE

The Mycenae archaeological site | Mykines, Argolis, Peloponnese | 1600–1100 BCE

The Mycenaean Archaeological Site | 1600–1100 BC | Bronze Age Greece | Dr Steven Andrew Martin | Greek Archaeology Research

Mycenaean Woman | Fresco wall painting | c. 1350 BCE | Mycenae Archaeological Museum | Mykines

Women of the Mycenaean Civilization | Bronze Age Greece | Dr Steven Andrew Martin | Greek Archaeology Research

Mask of Agamemnon | 1500 BCE | Mycenae Archaeological Museum | Mykines

Gold Mask of Agamemnon | The Mycenaean Civilization | Bronze Age Greece | Dr Steven Andrew Martin | Greek Archaeology Research

ARCHAEOLOGY NEWS

210,000-year-old Homo sapien skull bone discovered in Greece | Apidima Cave, Mani Peninsula, Peloponnese | Nature Science Journal

July 10, 2019 | Nature | International Journal of Science | “Apidima Cave fossils provide earliest evidence of Homo sapiens in Eurasia“

Credit | Lead author | Paleoanthropologist, Katerina Harvati | Senckenberg Centre for Human Evolution and Palaeoenvironment, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany

Ancient Greek Skull | Homo Sapien Eurasia | Nature Science Journal | 210,000-Years-Old

Source | Katerina Harvati | University of Tübingen

Greece and Asia Minor documentary film page

Featuring 30 documentary films of interest on ancient Greece, Turkey, and the civilizations of the Eastern Mediterranean.

Click to Greece and Asia Minor Documentary Film Page

Greece and Asia Minor Documentary Film Page | Dr Steven A Martin | Archaeological Research

Thank you for visiting my Greece Learning Adventure page.

I hope you enjoy the photos, videos, and the information in the links provided. If you feel motivated to learn more about Greece or other Learning Adventures, or would like to arrange for me to give a public talk, please let me know – I’d love to hear from you.

–Steven Martin

Jantanee Martin | Olives trees at the Acropolis

Jantanee Thai Girl | Acropolis Athens Greece | Olives | Travel and Tourism

In search of the Polis | Parthenon | Athens, Greece

Parthenon | Acropolis | Athens Greece | Dr Steven Andrew Martin | Archaeological Research

Acknowledgment | Prof. Donald Kagan | Yale Lectures

My research has been greatly influenced by the works of Prof. Donald Kagan (1932-2021), having reviewed his books and lectures prior to visiting archaeological sites in Greece.

Donald Kagan | Introduction to Ancient Greek History | Recorded in Fall 2007