7812jk+Ancient+Civ 



When you think of ancient civilizations, you probably think of old kings and queens ordering around knights, guys in skirts running and screaming trying to kill one another, or fat people sitting around a religious fire chanting prayers. The Greeks, however, weren’t like this at all. Because of their unique fighting style, their weapons, and their strict discipline, the Trojans were some of the Ancient Greek’s best warriors.

What does the name “Greek” even mean? Well, everyone in Ancient Greece believed that they all shared the common ancestor Hellen. He is the man who founded Greece. So, Greek is the English translation of Hellenic, and Greece means Hellas. If you don’t know, modern-day Greece is located in Europe; below Bulgaria, to the right of Italy, and right by the Indian Sea and the Mediterranean Sea. Some of the Greeks’ most dominant years were from 336 B.C. to 146 B.C. The Ancient Greeks left quite a legacy too. They made improvements on everything from architecture to science to plumbing!

The Ancient Greeks, however, weren’t all brains with good ideas. The best aspect of Ancient Greek society was their warriors and weapons. If it wasn’t for the Ancient Greeks’ amazing fighting skills, they would’ve been conquered hundreds of years earlier. One example of this is when the 300 brave Spartans led by King Leonidas made their last stand against the Persians who were trying to take over all of Greece. These were later known as the Persian Wars. If this sparks your interest, watch the great movie 300 which is an accurate representation of what happened in the Persian Wars. Three very interesting things about Ancient Greek’s warriors and weapons are the weapons and armor they used, the training of a warrior, and also the many wars and battles in which the Greeks fought.

One of the reasons the Ancient Greeks were able to withstand big opposing armies was because of their warriors and armor. The Ancient Greeks commonly used phalanx formation, fighting style where soldiers were tightly packed with shield and spears, and their powerful Hoplon shields with a revolutionary argive grip, a grip with a forearm strap and handle, which gave warriors the ability to use their shields on defense as well as on offense. Some popular swords that the Ancient Greeks used were the zyfoss, or long sword used for cutting, the short zyfoss, dagger used for jabbing, and the kopis, a curved sword usually used for animal sacrifices. Lastly, the Ancient Greeks, mostly Spartans, sometimes used long spears, 8-9 feet long, when in certain war formations. Because of these weapons and armor, the Spartans were the most dominant Ancient Greek warriors.

Because an Ancient Greek Warrior’s training started when they were really young, Ancient Greece had really great warriors. In Sparta, training started when a male child turned 7 so they would learn how to be the best soldier there was. The boys all lived in dorms, and were put through intense training without much food or water to toughen them up. They had to be able to take pain and survive with their smarts if they wanted to live. If the boys survived the camp, they took a rigorous test at age 20 and became citizens. Some courageous, smart, and strong soldiers would receive the aristocratic citizenship. Finally, the boys are turned into Spartan men.

In Ancient Greece, warriors fought in many wars and battles. Everything from the Trojan War in 1250 B.C.E. to the Persian Wars and the battle of Thermopylae to the invasion of Greece by Rome in 146 B.C.E.. The Greeks, especially the Spartans, were some of the Ancient World’s best warriors because of their weapons, armor, and intense training from early ages. This is why the Ancient Greeks conquered and kept so many lands from the Mesolithic Period to the Greco-Roman Period. One famous battle was the Battle of Marathon in the Persian Wars. This was a battle fought between the Athenians and the Persians, led by Darius. Afterwards, when Athens won, a messenger ran 26.2 miles to Athens, across the Marathon Plain, to warn Athenians of the remaining Persians trying to attack the city, then he died of exhaustion. This is where our modern-day marathon comes from which means a long distance race that is 26 miles and 385 meters long. The wars were definitely the most important means of survival for the Ancient Greeks.

Unfortunately, in 146 B.C.E., the Romans took Greece, led by Mummius Achaicus, and in 30 B.C.E., Ancient Greece was conquered, at the same time of Cleopatra’s death. From then on, it was part of Ancient Rome. Even though no Ancient Greeks are left, we still use some of their greatest achievements such as their phalanx fighting formation and argivegrip shields, both used by South Korean riot policemen as well as others. We can also learn some valuable lessons from the Ancient Greeks. One is to always be fearless and determined to fight in and win every battle and war just like the Spartans. Another lesson we should learn from the Ancient Greeks is to not be a backstabber in order to get ahead, get there through hard work. The Greeks obviously had a big influence on today’s world.

__Glossary__ argivegrip- a grip on a shield with a forearm strap in the middle and a hand grip to its right aristocratic- having the manners, values, or qualities associated with the [|aristocrac] y Hellas- Ancient Greek name of Greece Hellen- a Thessalian king and ancestor of the Hellenes Hellenic- referring to Greek Hoplon- a circular shield, with a three foot diameter, made of composite, wood, and bronze King Leonidas- Leonidas I, was a warrior king of the Greek city-state of Sparta. He led the Spartan forces during the Second Persian War and is remembered for his heroic death at the Battle of Thermopylae. kopis- a heavy knife with a forward-curving blade, used for cutting of limbs and animal sacrifice phalanx- a group of heavily armed infantry formed with shields joined and long spears overlapping short zyfoss- a short, jabbing-sword used by the Spartans zyfoss- a long, striking sword used by the Ancient Greeks

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