In the Greek peninsula and in the Aegean islands, the Minoan and Mycenaean civilizations preceded the formation of the Greek city-states, the most of which were Sparta and Athens. In the poleis, participatory forms of government evolved, as did traditions of philosophy, literature and drama, art and architecture, and medicine. The heroic individualism and competitive spirit of the Greeks led them to bravely confront the encroaching Persian Empire. However, those same traits led to the demise of the city-states, as Greeks failed to cooperate amongst themselves.

In Chapter 2, the students learn

the reasons for the rise and decline of Crete (ca. 2000 B.C.E.) and then of the Mycenaean Greeks (ca. 1450 B.C.E.); the origins of Greek civilization in these cultures.

the ways in which ancient civilizations of the eastern Mediterranean had close contacts through trade and warfare.

about the transition from Bronze Age to Iron Age (after ca. 1200 B.C.E.).

how Greek religion, influenced by Homer and Hesiod, was different from the religions of Mesopotamia.

the different types of societies created by Athens and Sparta.

the nature, and limits, of Athenian democracy.

the cultural values of the ancient Greeks.

how Athens' power gave way to crisis following the Peloponnesian War.

about lasting Greek accomplishments in culture, and especially about the importance of the.

rationalism of the Greeks.

the value of sports and leisure in Greece.