How was concern for beauty and health woven into the life of the ancient Greeks? In ancient times, they attached great importance to the external harmony and beauty of a person, admired it and knew a lot about it. Both men and, of course, ancient Greek women wanted to look good.

The endless pursuit in search of the elixir of ideal beauty and youth is familiar to every woman. Before the advent of cosmetics, the fair sex invented many effective ways self care.

Beauty secrets of the ancient Greeks

The women of Ancient Greece were proud of their appearance and knew secrets that, centuries later, are available to any modern beauty.

Greek women paid attention to water procedures Special attention. Each day began with a bath and adding oils to the water, which soothed and had a beneficial effect on the skin. and honey were actively used to moisturize the body, facial skin and maintain good condition hair.

In ancient times, the length of hair spoke not only about a person’s preferences, but also about his social affiliation: only slaves wore short haircuts. Ancient Greek women preferred to have their long hair had a golden hue, which was achieved with the help of vinegar, and wax was used for shine.

Already in ancient times, women knew that men were attracted to hair that left a fragrant trail, and Greek women found a way out. They collected herbs, flowers and spices and then made a decoction with olive oil.

However, men also kept up with fashion: for example, in the 6th century BC. Men's hairstyles with long curls were in fashion. Later, after, the curls began to be worn shorter. And in general, in ancient Athens, long, well-groomed hair was considered a sign of aristocracy. Lycurgus argued that long hair makes a handsome man even more handsome, and an ugly man even more unattractive.

Ancient barbers occupied an important place in society - they chatted with all their clients and were aware of everything that was happening around them. They say that when the Macedonian king Archelaus came to the barber and he asked how to cut his hair, Archelaus replied: “Without further ado.” 🙂

Many museums in Greece display small vessels intended for storing ointments and homemade creams. These products had different purposes: they relieved rashes, burns, injuries, or simply soothed the skin.

Mixtures of medicinal powders were prepared from aloe juice, cinnamon and honey. All this is not only applied to the skin, but also taken orally after bathing. If the skin needed cleansing, the following remedy helped: a tablespoon of heavy cream mixed with a teaspoon sea ​​salt, the mixture was applied to the skin of the face and washed off after massaging.

Although Hippocrates was not a woman, he delighted not only ancient but also modern ladies with his discoveries. In his treatises on medicine individual works were dedicated to cosmetology. To this day, many are grateful to the doctor for describing the amazing properties of clay. White clay helps get rid of acne, increases blood circulation and strengthens hair. Blue clay reduces the depth of wrinkles, cleanses the skin, helps fight allergies, and has anti-inflammatory properties.

“How to care for your eyelids and the delicate skin under your eyes?” – this question really worries women. The ancient Greek women had effective way. They lubricated the area around the eyes with warm olive oil and massaged, and washed off after half an hour. Repeating this procedure daily made it possible to smooth out wrinkles.

To maintain the ideal condition of the skin of the body, Greek women also created a special product. For 400 g of rose petals, take 500 g of olive oil, infuse this mixture for a week, filter and add a few spoons to the bath. This recipe was guaranteed to give the skin elasticity and softness.

At all times, people equally strived for the ideal, but achieved what they wanted different ways. Ancient beauties possessed beauty and knew many recipes for achieving this beauty, so modern women have no reason not to trust them.

Ancient Greek word ψιμυθίασις meant “makeup”, and came from the word “blush”. Ancient Greek women actively used face paints. Here is what one ancient writer named Ischomachos writes:

“I noticed that my wife had preened herself: she had smeared her face with lead white to make it appear whiter than she really was, rouged her cheeks to make them appear pinker than she really was, and put on high-heeled sandals to make her appear taller than she actually was. really..."

So, dear men, they were ironic about our attempts to decorate ourselves several thousand years ago! 🙂

We’ll talk about the life of the ancient Greeks later; after all, it was significantly different from the modern one. Perhaps it’s worth taking something useful from the ancients!

One of characteristic features ancient Greek society is complete absence large slaveholding. This is what influenced the development of democracy in this state. The greatest ancient Greek culture was that of the free citizen. The costume of the ancient Greeks could not help but inherit this feature. In addition, the freedom of citizens was reflected not only in their clothing, but also in their hairstyle and jewelry. The history of clothing in ancient Greece will be briefly summarized below.

Ancient Greece costume

The cultivated desire for simplicity has led to clothing being ancient state was, perhaps, one of the few ways to stand out from other people and stand out from the crowd. It should be noted that the ancient Greek dress only seems natural and simple. Although, at first glance, what could be simpler - fold it in half and wrap a couple of pieces of fabric around the body? However, in fact, the fashion of ancient Greece consisted of all kinds of pinching, draping and different ways of wearing the same thing. This was considered a real art, which was brought up in the family from a young age. In addition, such skill was part of good manners and etiquette.

Color and fabric

The ancient Greeks, whose clothing previously consisted only of pieces of fabric, began to sew tailored suits relatively early. Ionian fief was soon supplanted wool threads introduced by the Dorians. They were painted blue, purple, red and yellow colors. A complex multi-colored ornament could be achieved by weaving with threads of a different color or by embroidering on the main background. As a rule, the Greek chiton was embroidered along the border with geometric patterns, and leaves, stars or flowers could be embroidered on the field. In addition, there were various figurines of gods and animals, scenes of battles and hunting.

Particularly popular in ancient Greece were clothes of pink or white colors, which were edged with a contrasting red or black border.

The history of clothing tells that in the early period the Hellenes preferred large designs. However, starting from the turn of the 5th-4th centuries BC, plain fabric began to predominate in the wardrobe of the Greeks. Often the costume of ancient Greece was either brown or decorated with a blue or yellow border, as well as an ornament that was a broken line with curls. It was called a meander.

Chiton

The main clothing of the ancient Greeks, the name of which was the chiton, as already mentioned, was distinguished by its simplicity and convenience. Chiton is the main item of clothing for a Greek. It was a piece of fabric that had a hole on one side for the arm, and on the other it was attached to the shoulder with a buckle or clasp. Less often it was simply stitched together. Before the wars with the Persians began, in ancient Greece it was customary to tie the waist tightly. The belt played a special role in the ancient Greek costume. It had two functions: firstly, to select the chiton, and secondly, to make it of the required length. The short version - to the knees - was preferred by the Dorians, and the Ionians preferred to wear a chiton to the toes. A little later, fashion changed, so even the Athenians began to wear a shortened Dorian version of this clothing.

There were few slaves in Greece, but for them there was a special version of the tunic: it was distinguished by the fact that the slave’s right shoulder always remained open.

Himation

Himation, or himation, is a spacious cloak that the ancient Greeks threw over a chiton. The clothing was fastened to the chest just below the left shoulder, and then the fabric was simply thrown behind the back.

Women also wore gimation when leaving the house. They could throw the edge of this cloak over their heads. Terracotta figurines and multiple designs on vases demonstrate infinite set options for wearing a himation. If you were standing on the street hot weather, then it served as nothing more than a scarf, which was thrown back over the arms bent at the elbows. But if she wanted, the girl could easily wrap herself entirely in it in such a way that even part of her face was hidden from view.

Chlamys

In addition to the long cloak - himation, the ancient Greeks also had a short cloak, which was called the chlamys. It was fastened with a clasp at the neck. The chlamys was worn on the road, during wars or hunting by the ancient Greeks. Clothes in Athens were reserved only for young guys, and in Sparta chlamys could only be worn by adult citizens.

Tunic

Women in ancient Greece knew hundreds of ways to turn simple clothes - the same as those worn by men - into an exquisite and original costume. One of the varieties of chiton is a tunic; it fell to the toes and was made of soft, but at the same time heavy woolen fabric. In most cases she was white with colored border. The folds on the tunic, draped in many ways, were held in place by a belt that held the garment together. Using irons and starch, the folds were carefully fixed. It should be noted that the girls wore a belt at the waist, but married women I should have worn it under my chest.

It was the loose style of clothing that provided great scope for all sorts of feminine tricks for modeling the figure. Usually, special fabric inserts could be hemmed under the tunic to make the chest fuller and the hips more rounded. Strips of linen canvas could be used to pull the bulging belly tightly. Women who were tall wore shoes with very thin soles, while short girls, on the contrary, wore thick ones.

Fans in the shape of a lotus leaf were popular among Greek women. They were usually painted blue.

Hairstyles in ancient Greece

The hairstyles of the inhabitants of Greece, which are depicted on vases and frescoes, are striking in their diversity. Assyrian fashions dominated during archaic times. During this period, they also preferred not to cut their hair, but to carefully curl it and then intertwine it with each other. According to Cretan fashion, young men preferred to wear their hair, which was divided into strands that reached the elbows in length.

Greek men wore long and thick beards. They went from the temples to the cheeks and protruded strongly forward, leaving the strip around the mouth free. Often the beard was cut so that it bristled downwards like a comb and curled. A thick beard among the Greeks was considered a sign of the masculinity of its bearer. However, after the Greco-Persian War, it began to be somewhat shortened, and from the period of Alexander the Great, the Greeks generally preferred to shave. However, the razor was known to the Hellenes since the Mycenaean period. Later, some Athenian fashionistas, even during the time of Pericles, plucked or shaved their hair, for which they were ridiculed by the townspeople.

For a long time, long hair was considered a sign of noble origin. However, by the 4th century BC, the male population began to cut their hair relatively short so that it could lie around the head in natural curls. The curls were left only to children, and while the young man was studying at the gymnasium, short haircut was required. Later, when he became a citizen, he was free to choose any length, and in most cases they settled on the medium one.

In Greece, there were many options for women's hairstyles. After the wars with the Persians, they lost the bulkiness for which they were famous in the east. Spartan girls wore their hair long and unbraided, but on their wedding day they had to shave their heads. In other regions, the hair was tied in a knot at the back of the head, combed up, strengthened with a wreath or several turns of ribbon, shortened at the back and hidden in some kind of net or bag.

With the help of plant substances, hair was dyed and lightened golden. White curls were a rarely achieved ideal. However, most Greek fashionistas had to be happy with one hair color or another. Curling irons were used for curling.

As excavations show, there were many hairdressers in Athens. There, hair was not only dyed, cut and curled, but also strangled. In addition, they could order a wig or attach artificial strands to their hair. Other people's curls are one of the most popular goods in all of Greece, except Sparta. Women there were famous for their thick hairstyles.

Hats

The ancient Greeks, whose clothing was simple but unusual, did not cover their heads in cities. But on the road or in rural areas She was protected from the sun by a small felt cap that had no brim. It was called pilos. They could, on the contrary, wear a wide-brimmed hat made of straw and felt.

Ancient Greek shoes

Residents of Greece in most cases walked barefoot, so ancient Greek sandals were very popular. It is interesting that a woman was considered a real artist if she knew how to lace her shoes so that her feet seemed almost naked to others. However, in this country there were also shoes with thick leather soles, and leather boots, laced with straps in the front, reaching the owner to the middle of the shin. In most cases, such rough shoes were used for horseback riding.

Cosmetics in ancient Greece

In classical Greece the art of perfumery was extremely developed. Vegetable white, blush, wax - all this was part of the Greek. Of all the incense, spikenard was most valued. Egyptian pencils were used for eyeliner; Greek women also knew lipstick and powder. Numerous “guises of husbands” have survived to this day. They called for appearing “in a decent and simple manner.”

Such behavior was unquestioningly condemned, since it was believed that it led to effeminacy, and, moreover, promised a decline in morality in the near future. Boxes with fashionable trinkets and blush were presented as real Pandora's boxes, from which numerous troubles and misfortunes were already emerging right before the eyes of strict husbands. The main one - imitation of barbarians and the desire for luxury - was especially condemned. But the larger and wider the Greek world became, the more closely it intertwined with the cultures of other peoples, the more difficult it was to resist the emergence of fashionable and everyday trends that had become established there. Jewelry art is where this manifested itself especially clearly.

Jewelry in ancient Greece

The ancient Greeks were able to make elegant and at the same time complex jewelry, both for local sale and for export to the barbarian world, for example, the Scythians, artisan jewelers had to cater to the tastes of buyers.

They were very restrained in their choice of jewelry. They tended to wear almost no jewelry. An engraved stone in a simple frame is the maximum of their imagination and imagination. The imprint of such a carved seal was perceived as the signature of its owner. It was impossible to find a single men's bracelet or necklace in Athena's shops.

However, a completely opposite picture was revealed in the colonies that came into contact with the barbarian world. There, wealthy townspeople, natives of Olivia and Panticapaeum, under the influence of local culture, could, without any twinge of conscience, succumb to the desire to look as impressive as the visiting nomadic kings. In turn, the border guards were not averse to adopting Greek culture, but at the same time not giving up their passion for jewelry.

Concerning Greek women, then they, anywhere in the country, be it the capital or the province, were distinguished by their uncontrollable desire to bathe in jewelry. They wore elegant earrings, bracelets, belts, chains, tiaras and hairpins.

We heard about the Gods and myths of ancient Greece in history and cultural studies lessons, read in educational, historical and fiction, and also saw dozens of cartoons and films about the gods and heroes of Hellas. Greek culture and religion are inseparable from ancient civilization, so it is impossible to say for sure whether the formation of one of the greatest civilizations of antiquity influenced the development of its own religion, or vice versa, and the worldview of the ancient Greeks was the reason that these people were able to create an advanced civilization ancient world. The religion of ancient Greece was one of the most complex religious systems antiquity, as it included belief in impersonal deities, humanoid deities, semi-deities, demonic entities, heroes, as well as a number of cults and traditions associated with the worship of gods and heroes.

Features of the religion of the ancient Greeks

The ancient Greeks considered the supreme deity, contrary to popular belief, not Zeus at all, but the absolute (cosmos). According to their belief, the absolute is a rational, comprehensive and omnipotent super-entity that created the earth, people, and gave birth to deities. Despite this belief, the ancient Greeks had practically no cults dedicated to the absolute, since they believed that it was necessary to glorify individual deities who personified and embodied the ideas of the absolute on earth.

The two main characteristics that describe and distinguish the religion of ancient Greece from the beliefs of other peoples of antiquity are considered to be polytheism and anthropomorphism. Polytheism or polytheism is the belief in the existence of many gods, and in the beliefs of the ancient Greeks, polytheism is most clearly visible, since the Hellenes believed that almost every natural element and every social phenomenon had its own god or goddess. The second characteristic of the religion of the ancient Greeks, anthropomorphism or humanization of the gods, was expressed in the fact that the Greeks attributed human qualities and habits to their gods. The gods of the ancient Greeks lived on Mount Olympus, worked together and watched over people, and sometimes quarreled and fought among themselves.

Another feature of the beliefs of the ancient Greeks was the belief in the constant interaction of people with the gods. According to the inhabitants of Hellas, the gods were not only not alien to everything human, but they themselves often descended to earth from Olympus and even entered into contact with people. The results of such a connection were heroes - demigods, half-humans, children of a deity and a person, not immortal, but possessing great power. One of the most famous heroes in Greek religion was Hercules, the son of the god Zeus and the earthly woman Alcemina.

Unlike the Greeks, who deified their rulers and considered priests to be the highest caste, the Greeks did not treat clergy with special reverence. Most rituals and religious ceremonies were carried out separately in each family or community by the heads of families or people respected in society, and the oracles (as the Greeks called their priests) serving at the temples were responsible for conducting only the most large-scale rituals, requiring preparation and special knowledge. However, it cannot be said that oracles were considered superior to other people in Greek society - despite the certain isolation of their lives and the ability attributed to them to communicate with the gods, the law and right of Greek society equally applied to both laity and clergy.

Deities of the ancient Greeks

The ancient Greeks believed that the first Danes were created by the absolute along with the creation of heaven and earth, and these gods were Uranus and Gaia - the god of the sky and the goddess of the earth, respectively. Uranus and Gaia became the parents of Kronos, the first supreme god and tyrant, who married his sister Rhea and became the father of other deities. However, as stated Greek mythology, Kronos was very afraid that his children would take away his power on Olympus, so he devoured his own children. Then the goddess Rhea, wanting to protect the newborn Zeus, hid the baby from his father in a cave, and instead of the child, she fed Kronos a stone. When Zeus grew up, he defeated his father, freed his sisters and brothers from his womb, and began to rule on Olympus himself. Zeus, his wife Hera, their children, and Zeus' brothers, sisters and nephews formed the pantheon of gods of the ancient Greeks.

All the deities in which the inhabitants of ancient Hellas believed can be divided into three main groups: heavenly (gods living on Olympus), underground (gods living in other underground spheres) and earthly (gods who patronize people and spend most of their time on earth). earth). The most revered deities in ancient Greece were:

1. Zeus - god of thunder and lightning, ruler of Olympus;

2. Hera - goddess of family and marriage, wife of Zeus;

3. Apollo - god of the Sun and art;

4. Aphrodite - goddess of beauty and love;

5. Athena - the goddess of wisdom and justice, was also considered the patroness of those fighting for a just cause;

6. Artemis - goddess of the hunt;

7. Hestia - goddess of the hearth;

8. Poseidon - god of the sea;

9. Demeter - goddess of fertility and agriculture;

11. Hades is the god of the underworld, where the souls of people go after death;

12. Ares - god of war;

13. Hephaestus - god of fire and patron of artisans;

14. Themis - goddess of justice;

15. Dionysus - god of winemaking and musical art.

In addition to the gods, the ancient Greeks also believed in the existence of so-called “demons” - immortal entities serving one or another deity and possessing a certain supernatural power. The inhabitants of Hellas included selenium, nymphs, satyrs, oceanids, etc. among such entities.

Cults of the ancient Greeks

In the religion of the ancient Greeks, much attention was paid to various cults associated with the veneration of deities and attempts to get closer to the Vivid examples of cults associated with the glorification of deities were Religious holidays, which were celebrated on a grand scale by all the inhabitants of ancient Hellas. The “Great Panathenaia” holiday in honor of Athena was celebrated especially magnificently, which included sacrifices in the Acropolis, built specifically for this purpose. The Greeks organized similar holidays in honor of other gods, and a number of them included mysteries - rituals performed by oracles, to which lay people were not allowed. Also, the ancient Greeks paid a lot of attention to the cult of ancestors, which consisted of honoring and making sacrifices for the dead.

Since the ancient Greeks endowed the gods with human qualities and considered them ideal creatures endowed with immortality, supernatural strength, wisdom and beauty, it is natural that ordinary people tried to get closer to the divine ideal. The cult of the body in ancient Greece was the result of such attempts, because people considered beauty and health physical body a sign of spirituality, harmony and favor towards a person of higher powers. A manifestation of the cult of the body in ancient Greece was a number of traditions associated with raising children, as well as the attitude of the Greeks towards beautiful people. The Greeks were not ashamed of their bodies, they admired athletes with an athletic physique, and were not embarrassed to be naked in front of other people in public baths.

The cult of the body in ancient Greece contributed to the formation of the ideal of beauty in the minds of the Greeks. People were considered beautiful if they had regular and symmetrical facial features, a fit athletic figure, golden hair and light eyes, and the standard of female beauty was the statue of Aphrodite. Since fair skin, big eyes and bright, full lips were in fashion, rich Greek women and Greeks did not spare money on cosmetical tools for skin whitening, blush and lipstick, which were made from natural ingredients. Thanks to the cult of the body, which obliges us to exercise physical culture and take care of your body, the ancient Greeks, in comparison with other peoples, were more good health And longer duration life.

The following stereotype is popular regarding the differences in appearance between ancient and modern Greeks:

The Greeks supposedly used to be all fair, with regular facial features. That's what it says in ancient Greek poems. And the fact that they are completely different now is the consequences of the Turkish conquest.

“Recent genetic studies of Greek populations have provided evidence of statistically significant continuity between ancient and modern Greeks.” (Wikipedia).

The myth about fair-haired people is explained very well on the Greek forum:

Thanks to user Olga R.:

“The Greeks were never a “homogeneous” ethnic group. Since ancient times, they were divided into two tribal groups: the Ionians (Achaeans) and the Dorians (within these groups there were also subgroups, but this is not relevant to the subject of our conversation). These tribes differed from each other each other not only in culture. but also in appearance. The Ionians were short, black-haired and dark-skinned, and the Dorians were tall, fair-haired and light-skinned. The Ionians and Dorians were at enmity with each other, and both tribal groups mixed completely only in Byzantine times. Although the word “completely” this is not entirely appropriate: in geographically isolated areas - for example, on some islands - a relatively pure Ionic or Doric type can still be found.

The Greeks of the Black Sea region (Ponti-Romans, Azov Rumians, Urums, etc.), like the rest of the Greeks, are also very heterogeneous: among them there are both pure Ionians and Dorians, and mixed type(The Black Sea region has been populated for many centuries by people from different areas Greece). Therefore, some Greeks in Ukraine may well differ from some Greeks in Greece - but, of course, not all and not from everyone. For example, if you go to Crete, you will find there as many “white and curly” Greeks as you like (most Cretans have retained the Doric type of appearance)."

“Then where did such a “classical” Greek image come from and take hold?

Thanks to the "Western European artists of the 17th-19th centuries. They depicted the ancient Greeks as similar to themselves, their loved ones - that is, to the Germans, Dutch and other Western Europeans. Hence the "stereotype" (not at all based on historical data.

“White-haired blonds are also, of course, called “ξανθοι” (what else can you call them?) But if you hear or read this word in relation to a Greek, it means light brown hair.”

"Homer describes Odysseus as a typical Ionian: dark and black-haired."

"...The fact is that the appearance of the ancient Greek gods was, as it were, a symbol of their essence - that is, it depended not on how the admirers of these gods looked, but on the “properties” of the gods themselves. Thus, Apollo’s golden hair is a symbol The "gray" eyes of Athena are actually not gray, but "owl": A8hna glaukwphs (the interpretation of this word as "gray" appeared because the ancient Greek word glaux - "owl" - was confused by modern translators with the word glaukos - “gray” or “blue”). The owl was a symbol and one of the incarnations of the goddess Athena; many scientists believe that Athena was originally the goddess of death and was revered in the form of an owl (a typical Neolithic image of death and burial). By the way, there are images Athens with the head of an owl."

What is it? Where did the sculptures with “Greek profiles” (i.e., with the absence of the bridge of the nose) come from? Where did the descriptions of golden-haired people come from? Let's even say that it was blondes who were mentioned. Well, the gods can do anything! They must be different from mere mortals by definition. The absence of the bridge of the nose seemed to hint at such an origin. On the contrary, scoundrels and commoners were depicted with prominent eyebrows. It's a question of symbols. Greek art was not realistic in every way.

Tnm, if you look at the busts of philosophers and imagine them in natural colors. And it’s even easier - check out the pictures Everyday life, where simple collective farmers are depicted - on a red-figure vase painting. Or even like gods, but in the clothes of mere mortals:

Classic Mediterranean type! Curly dark hair. And the profile, initially stylized to resemble the canon, later becomes more and more realistic.

The Italians, who never knew the Turkish occupation, look approximately the same. They have a different theme: the earliest Romans looked like the northern French of today. And then the blood of slaves from the Middle East was mixed in. Well, maybe. But this does not deprive them of classification among the “true Aryans”:

Moreover, southern Italians (i.e., residents of Naples and Sicily) are in many ways descendants of Greek colonists.

This is what the inhabitants of these areas looked like in ancient times:

And most importantly, look carefully at these faces. They can be dark-skinned and brown-eyed. But the common origin, one way or another, is felt. Here's Despina Vandi, for example:

And here is a Greek collective farmer from the film “The Day When All the Fish Floated Up.” Isn’t this an ancient Greek bust of a philosopher?):

Yes, no matter how many times I looked at all sorts of Greek mosaics, vases, frescoes - all curly.

Why were the Achaeans and Dorians at war? How was this expressed? Ancient Greece, this is essentially a bunch of policies, city-states, warring and collaborating, was the population in them homogeneous and consisted of one type or not?

Why is it that fair hair is a cool sign (as far as I know, most of the gods were fair-haired), but large brow ridges are not?

Answer

Sorry for not answering right away. Pre-holiday chores, sir)

In fact, here ordinary story when a nation is formed, over time, gradually from different ethnic groups, closely related, and sometimes not so much. The fragmentation of a single civilization at different stages is also natural. The Achaeans created the Mycenaean civilization in the 2nd millennium BC. The fight against Crete, where the evil Minotaur is, and the war with Troy are from that era. The Dorians, although they spoke a similar language, for a long time they lived to the west, and compared to the Achaeans, they almost climbed trees.

The Bronze Age Catastrophe has arrived. Due to difficult conditions, the Dorians invaded the borders of the mentioned power. Some of the Achaeans had to be evacuated, where they joined the “peoples of the sea” who pirated in the Mediterranean.

At first it looked almost like an invasion of barbarians in animal skins. But during the Greek “Dark Ages” the conquerors assimilated some of the achievements of the conquered, mixed with them, and, coupled with their progressive energy and the achievements of the advancing Iron Age, eventually gave life to what in our understanding is classical Ancient Greece.

In total, four branches played a role in the formation of the ancient Greek ethnos: the Achaeans, Dorians, Ionians, and Aeolians.

Some kind of memory was preserved locally. The people of Athens remembered that they used to have a great civilization, and that they were mainly descendants of the Achaeans. The Spartans were Dorians in their purest form. The Ionians eventually ended up in the east - in Asia Minor and on the adjacent islands. There, apparently, the connections with the existing local population turned out to be quite significant. Due to mixing with which, the Ionians, presumably, acquired a characteristic southern appearance.

Of course, there were differences on the ground. Even in our time, for example, we distinguish between northern and southern Russians. There are different dialects. In Greece to this day, depending on the region, either the Dorian or the Ionian type prevails. According to the records of one knowledgeable guy known online, known simply as the Greek (he even starred in one of the “Dinner Party” programs), the indigenous population of the country is now, in the majority, of the European type, but repatriates from the CIS countries are usually Ionians.

Comment

There is no doubt that Ancient Greece is an important part of the history of human civilization, giving much to future generations. After all, it was there and then that the foundations of modern knowledge about mathematics, politics, culture, medicine, and philosophy were laid.

Ancient Greece itself left us many myths about gods and heroes. But even around the history and culture of that civilization, there are many misconceptions. But we believe in this truth, which in fact has no basis. There are some misconceptions in the history of Ancient Greece that it is time to debunk.

Myths about the ancient Greeks.

Trojan War. This story is sung by the famous Homer. Who hasn’t heard about the famous war between the Greeks and the Trojans, in which Achilles and Hector showed themselves. Even the gods took part in that epic, sharing their sympathies. The very concept Trojan horse" has become a famous aphorism meaning a gift with a hidden secret meaning. And the legend about the Achilles heel originated from here. But who said that such a war even happened? Scientists for a long time could not detect it at all. When are the remains of this supposedly ancient city and were found, it became clear that at some point it had indeed been attacked and looted. But were they the Greeks with their huge army? There is simply no historical evidence for this entire story and the myths it gives rise to. Troy may have been besieged by someone, that's all we can say for sure.

Battle of Thermopylae. We all studied the feat of the three hundred Spartans at school. And thanks to the recent creation of Hollywood, people were able to see what it was like. But this movie further reinforced the historical untruth. It would be a mistake to think that a handful of Spartans protected the pass and thereby saved all of Greece. Xerxes' troops were indeed stopped for some time as a result of the battle. Nevertheless, the invaders inflicted great damage on Greece, retreating only after defeat in a naval battle. It would be a mistake to assume that it was three hundred Spartans who fought against an entire army. In fact, at the beginning of the battle the defending forces consisted of seven thousand people. On the last day of the battle, one thousand four hundred people remained, three hundred were really Spartans, but four hundred warriors represented Thebes, there were eighty Mycenaeans and seven hundred Thespians. No one denies the combat prowess of the Spartans, but their merits and importance should not be exaggerated.

Spartan warriors. Today we know that the Spartan warriors were some kind of super soldiers. The above-mentioned story also gave rise to this myth. It seems to us that all the men in Sparta did nothing but train in preparation for battle. These warriors returned home either with a shield or on a shield. There could be no talk of any other life in his youth, of love for women. In fact, this is a myth. The young Spartans actually devoted part of their time to military affairs, but the rest of the time they spent together with their peers. Spartan warriors not only trained, but also performed in plays, sang and danced. And when the soldiers became so old that they could no longer fight, they began to train the younger generation. So you shouldn’t think that in Sparta all men did was fight.

Spartan women. Against the background of the previous myth, it seems that women should have been almost in the position of slaves to such strong warlike men. But in Sparta things were completely different. While men were fighting, women did almost all the work. Therefore, this work was highly valued in Spartan society. Even Aristotle spoke of women's high places in Sparta and even their right to own land. The “weaker sex” bore almost complete responsibility in the matter of raising children; society encouraged mental pursuits and exercises in the arts. And yes, it was women who owned most of the land. There is even a legend that once women in Athens asked the Spartan queen why she was allowed to rule over men. To which the ruler of Sparta replied that it was in this city that women give birth to real men.

Greece and homosexuality. It is believed that Greece is not only the birthplace of the arts, but also of various forms of love. The Greeks and especially the Athenians were accused of actively cultivating homosexuality by having sex with young men and boys. The men of Ancient Athens became strongly associated for many with pedophiles. It's actually quite complex issue, here you can’t try to clearly find out whether it happened or not. In those days pederasty or intimate relationships between an experienced man and a young teenager were of an intellectual nature. This way the teacher could establish a relationship with his student more openly and deeply. Adult men ultimately helped young people find their place in society. There is no need to talk about mass and encouraged pederasty. Some especially zealous fans of close communication with students were even put on trial.

Ancient Greek theater. It seems to us that the ancient Greek theater was a place where large groups of people came to celebrate some kind of holiday. Few people have any idea what ancient dramas actually were like. Theater performances in Ancient Greece were highly symbolic. To understand the play, one had to have some knowledge of what myths underlie each part of the dialogue, and understand all the symbols used. Often the audience themselves took part in the production, as is customary in modern stand-up comedy. And theatrical performances were originally part of religious rituals.

Olympic Games. The tradition of carrying out originated in Greece. These large-scale competitions were so popular that they are still held today, simply changing their format to a modern one. But people also have various misconceptions regarding the history of the Olympic Games. First of all, it is a mistake to believe that the Olympics were held only in ancient times. This tradition continued for many years, even during the reign of the Romans. Only Theodosius put an end to the Olympics, in order to finally establish Christianity as the official religion throughout the Roman Empire. It is known that women were strictly forbidden to attend Olympic Games. But there were exceptions - the priestesses of Demeter. And to prevent women from entering the arena in men's clothing, Olympians eventually began to compete completely naked. In addition, athletes smeared themselves with olive oil, which helped them improve the quality of their skin and make it shiny and visually attractive.

Greek statues. Today in many museums we admire shiny marble ancient statues. At one time, the British took many valuable exhibits to their museums, simply taking them away from the Greeks. This happened throughout the 19th century. Careless transportation, military actions or simply time ruined many masterpieces of ancient art. Let us recall, for example, the Venus de Milo with missing arms. But there is also a myth here - it seems to us that examples of Greek architecture and statues in those days sparkled like marble in the sun. In fact, both temples and statues were not snow-white at all in those days - they were covered with paint. Over time, it simply faded away. One can only imagine how bright and colorful the statues were centuries ago. In addition, many of them also had bronze applications. Black stone was often inlaid into the statues, which allowed the eyes of the heroes to look impressive.

Greek technology. We know that the ancient Greeks were well versed in art, mathematics, philosophy and other areas of life. What is often forgotten is how technologically advanced they were. At the beginning of the 20th century, one diver studying the bottom near the island of Antikythera found several green stone blocks. It turned out that they were part of some kind of mechanical device. Scientists called it the Antikythera Mechanism. It turned out that this amazing device could do some pretty interesting things. The device could predict solar eclipses and follow the Olympic cycles. The mechanism had a complex dial that was synchronized with the Moon and the Sun. In fact, it was the first computer in history. According to some sources, the creator of this device could well have been Archimedes, whose mathematical genius is not in doubt.

Athenian democracy. Today modern democracy is called the heir to the Greek structure of society. In fact, this opinion is wrong - it was not the Greeks who invented modern democracy, as many believe. A Athenian democracy markedly different from any modern democratic institution. That ancient form of government was one of the few examples of direct democracy in history. All political issues were to be put to a vote in which all citizens of Athens took part. True, one should not rush to consider this form of society reasonable, because women and slaves were deprived of the right to vote. Those citizens who were born outside the city also could not vote. Although the poor technically had voting rights, in fact few of them could leave their businesses to influence political affairs. So, in fact, only adult and free Athenians, relatively rich, took part in the voting. Naturally, they simply could not represent the interests of the entire population. Yes, this form of government had its advantages, especially considering the tyranny that existed in many cities in Greece. But the very fact that making the most important decisions for the city could not be done without ordinary people, became an important political innovation. Now the fate of Athens was determined not only by the rich or aristocrats.