In ancient Greece an acropolis was a fortified area on top of hill that was often used for religious or ceremonial purposes. The most famous example of this is the Acropolis in Athens, which is the site of the famous Parthenon temple.

Many of the more famous Greek dramas, such as the works of Aeschylus and Sophocles, are focused on the relationship between fate and free will in people’s lives. This is often examined in dramas through the intervention of the Gods and the inescapable truth of prophecy.

The Athenian style of art became the standard for classical art. Their attention to detail combined with a focus on grace and idealistic form established the tradition for art for centuries. Modern and Abstract art are trends of the twentieth and twenty first century. Cave paintings predate the work of the Greeks to prehistoric times. Decorative art is another term for abstract, botanic and scenic art.

The Athenians believed strongly in freedom and public discussion. They recognized that the humor of the comedies, while a bit bawdy and crude, was presented to make them think about events and activities in Athens and correct the mistakes made in political activities or social contact. Life, for the Athenians, was not a witticism. The comedies were intended to teach a lesson in a lighthearted manner. The plays were paid for by wealthy citizens of Athens to make attendance free and open to the public. The playwrights of the comedies were free to express their satire in any manner or form. One would say it was “no holds barred” with their comedy. The Greeks playwrights were free to write their satire, as stinging as it may have been, without fear of punishment.

Alcman of Sparta was a Spartan choral lyrical poet. He is one of the famous “nine lyric poets” of the Greek Archaic Era. Alcman wrote many poems praising Spartan society and celebrating martial prowess. These poems were traditionally performed, accompanied by music, in large groups at Spartan public gatherings and religious festivals.

The status of women was generally quite poor in ancient Greek society (certainly relatively to modern times). However, Spartan society was a notable exception. In Spartan society women had much more power than their contemporaries in other Greek cities. Spartan women participated in politics and enjoyed legal privileges and protections.

Aristotle wrote extensively about slavery and generally seemed convinced by the argument that slavery was a natural institution. Aristotle wrote that slavery is natural because some people are simply inherently inferior (specifically, they are incapable of reason), and therefore should be enslaved by those who are better and more intelligent.

All of these statements about marriage in ancient Greece are accurate. Pre-arranged marriages were common, and many women were promised to a man when they were as young as five or six. Women, if their families could afford it, were generally given a dowry to provide them with some financial autonomy. Divorce was acceptable to the ancient Greeks under certain conditions, but it was much easier for a man to seek a divorce than a woman. In most Greek city-states, men could have affairs with little to no repercussions, so long as it was not with another man’s wife. Women, on the other hand, were punished very harshly for adultery. Sparta was the general exception to most of these rules. Women in Sparta had far more rights than their peers in other city-states and could seek divorce and even commit adultery, so long as their own husband was incapable of providing them with a child.

Most Greek city-states were governed as an oligarchy. An oligarchy is a system of government in which a small group of wealthy elites control and administer society. Although we tend to associate the ancient Greeks with the invention of democracy, only a few societies were ruled by representative governments, and even those societies were only ruled by democracy for a short period of time. Throughout the majority of Greek history, in the vast majority of places, oligarchies prevailed.

In ancient Athenian society (and in some other Greek city-states) the archon was the chief magistrate. The powers, responsibilities, and authority of archons varied at different times and in different places. Rulers and reformers like Draco, Solon, and Cleisthenes were all archons.