Ancient Greece (Years 7–9) — History

City-states, the birth of democracy in Athens, philosophy, the Olympic Games, myths and Greece's lasting legacy.

Ancient Greece was not a single country but a collection of independent city-states scattered across mainland Greece, its islands and the coasts of the Mediterranean. Though small, its ideas shaped the modern world.

Why this matters Words we use every day — democracy, philosophy, politics, theatre, athlete — all come from Greek. Ideas about how people should govern themselves, question the world and compete fairly began here and still influence us.

Life in the city-states

Each city-state, or 'polis', had its own government, army and customs. Two are especially famous:

Athens was known for trade, art, learning and its experiments in democracy.
Sparta was a strict military society where boys trained as soldiers from childhood.

The city-states often quarrelled, but they united to resist invasion, most famously when Greeks fought the mighty Persian Empire.

Athens and Sparta show how varied life could be between Greek city-states, even though both were a 'polis'.

The birth of democracy

Around 508 BC, Athens developed 'demokratia', meaning 'rule by the people'. Male citizens could vote directly on laws in a great assembly. It is important to be honest about its limits: women, enslaved people and foreigners could not vote, so it was far from equal by modern standards. Yet the idea that ordinary people could decide public matters was revolutionary.

Common exam mistake: describing Athenian democracy as if it gave everyone a vote. Only adult male citizens could take part — women, enslaved people (a large part of the population) and foreigners born elsewhere were excluded. Always mention this limit when evaluating how democratic Athens really was.

Thinkers and myths

The Greeks loved asking questions. Philosophers such as Socrates, Plato and Aristotle explored how to live wisely and understand the world; Aristotle's ideas shaped science for centuries. The Greeks also told rich myths about gods like Zeus and Athena, and heroes such as Heracles, to explain nature and teach lessons.

Exam technique: when writing about Greek 'legacy', name a specific thinker and their specific contribution — 'Aristotle's ideas shaped science for centuries' rather than 'the Greeks were clever' — and link it forward to how it was used later, for example by the Romans.

The Olympics and legacy

From 776 BC the Greeks held the Olympic Games at Olympia in honour of Zeus. Athletes competed in running, wrestling and chariot racing, and even wars were paused so people could travel safely to watch. Greek achievements in maths, medicine, architecture and theatre passed on to the Romans and then to the wider world, which is why we still study them today.

Put these events in order, earliest first:

The first Olympic Games are held at Olympia (776 BC)
City-states such as Athens and Sparta develop their own governments and customs
Athens develops 'demokratia', rule by the people (508 BC)
Greek city-states unite to resist the Persian Empire
Philosophers such as Socrates, Plato and Aristotle shape Greek thought