Ancient Greece stands as the cradle of Western civilization. You likely associate it with white marble statues and democratic voting. However, the real history is far grittier than the movies suggest. Spartans lived entirely for war, while Athenians invented theater and complex philosophy. Interestingly, their doctors used wine to clean wounds long before antiseptics existed. Also, those famous white statues were actually painted in bright, gaudy colors. Let’s explore the land of gods and monsters.
Ancient Greece
The Ancient Greeks invented the yo-yo. Surprisingly, this simple device stands as the second oldest toy in history after the doll.
Athletes in Ancient Greece competed in the Olympic Games completely naked. Consequently, organizers banned married women from watching the events under penalty of death.
The famous white marble statues were originally colorful. Artists painted them with bright reds, blues, and golds that faded over time.
Spartans bathed newborn babies in wine rather than water. They believed this harsh test would toughen the child immediately or reveal weakness.
They built the first analog computer known as the Antikythera mechanism. Impressively, this device tracked the movement of planets with complex bronze gears.
A unibrow served as a sign of beauty and intelligence for women. Therefore, many women used dark makeup to connect their eyebrows intentionally.
The first marathon runner died after his famous run. Pheidippides ran 26 miles [42 kilometers] to announce a victory, and then he collapsed.
Hippocrates tasted earwax and sweat to diagnose his patients. Disgustingly, ancient doctors believed bodily fluids held the key to understanding illness.
The Parthenon contains almost no straight lines. Architects curved the columns slightly to correct optical illusions for the human eye.
Judges fined athletes who cheated during the Olympics. Then, they used the money to build statues of Zeus to shame the cheaters.
Men in Ancient Greece played all the roles in their theater productions. Consequently, actors wore heavy masks to portray female characters on the stage.
Spartan women owned land and managed their own finances. Unlike Athenian women, they enjoyed significant freedom and legal rights within their society.
Citizens could vote to banish politicians for ten years. They scratched names on pottery shards called “ostraka” to exile people they disliked.
Aristotle served as the personal tutor for Alexander the Great. Thus, the most famous conqueror learned directly from the most famous philosopher.
They often diluted their wine with water before drinking it. In fact, they considered drinking full-strength wine a barbaric habit practiced by other nations.
