How well do you know ancient Greece?
Ancient Greek thinkers shaped science, theatre and language. Six questions, from easy to hard.
Did you know?
- The theatre at Epidaurus, built in the 4th century BC, could seat around 14,000 people. Its acoustics are so good that a coin dropped on the stage can be heard in the top rows.
- Euclid's 'Elements' is one of the most widely printed books in history. It organised geometry into definitions, axioms and proofs, a model later followed by many areas of mathematics.
- The ancient Greeks used water clocks called clepsydras to time speeches in law courts. When the water ran out, the speaker had to stop talking.
Ideas that shaped the world
Ancient Greece was made up of many independent city-states, such as Athens, Corinth and Sparta, sharing a language and culture. Between roughly 800 and 150 BC, Greek thinkers, artists and scientists produced ideas in philosophy, mathematics, medicine and theatre that still influence education and science around the world.
Philosophy and questioning
Greek philosophers such as Socrates, Plato and Aristotle asked questions about knowledge, ethics and nature. Socrates taught by asking questions rather than giving answers, a method still used in classrooms. Aristotle wrote on subjects from biology to logic.
Mathematics and geometry
Greek mathematicians developed geometry into a system of proofs. Euclid's 'Elements' was used as a mathematics textbook for more than 2,000 years, and Pythagoras's theorem is still taught in schools everywhere.
Theatre and storytelling
Theatres such as the one at Epidaurus had excellent acoustics, allowing thousands of spectators to hear actors clearly. Greek myths and epics, including Homer's 'Iliad' and 'Odyssey', continue to inspire books, films and games.
Science and observation
Greek scholars observed nature carefully and looked for natural explanations. Aristarchus proposed that the Earth moves around the Sun, and Hipparchus catalogued stars. Their work was preserved and expanded by later scholars in the Islamic world and Europe.
Words we still use
Thousands of English words come from Greek, especially in science and medicine: biology, geography, telephone, democracy and psychology among them. Learning Greek roots helps explain the meaning of many technical terms.
Education and the gymnasium
In many Greek cities, young men trained in the gymnasium, which combined physical exercise with conversation and study. Famous schools grew from these places: Plato's Academy and Aristotle's Lyceum were both founded near gymnasia in Athens. The word 'academy' comes from Plato's school, and it is still used for institutions of learning around the world.