Eras of Greek History
From the first Aegean seafarers to the Greek state of today, explore every era of Greek history, from the Minoans and Classical Athens to Byzantium, Ottoman rule, the 1821 Revolution and modern Greece.
Browse Greek History by Era
The Story of Greek History
Greek history stretches across more than ten thousand years, from the first seafarers of the Aegean to the modern Greek state. It began with prehistoric farmers and the island culture of the Cyclades, followed by the Bronze Age palaces of the Minoans on Crete and the warrior kingdoms of Mycenae. After the collapse of the Bronze Age and the Dark Ages, the Greek city-states rose in the Archaic period and reached their golden age in Classical Athens, before Alexander the Great carried Greek culture across the known world. Greece then became part of the Roman Empire and, for more than a thousand years, the heart of the Greek-speaking Byzantine Empire. After 1204, crusaders and Venetians ruled much of the land, and from 1453 most Greeks lived under Ottoman rule. The Revolution of 1821 created the modern Greek state, which grew through the Balkan Wars, endured world wars, civil war and dictatorship, and has been a democracy since 1974. Each era below tells part of that story.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is Greek history divided into eras?
Historians divide Greek history into eras based on major turning points, such as the rise and fall of civilizations, empires and states. They run from the Prehistoric and Cycladic era to Modern Greece, grouped into three broad periods: Ancient Greece, Byzantine and Ottoman Greece, and Modern Greece.
Why do some eras of Greek history overlap?
Different powers often ruled different parts of Greece at the same time. The Byzantines held Constantinople and Mystras while Venetians and Franks ruled Crete and the Peloponnese, and Venice kept the Ionian Islands long after the Ottoman conquest.
What is the oldest era of Greek history?
The Prehistoric and Cycladic era is the oldest, beginning with the first Aegean seafarers around 11,000 BC and the arrival of farming around 7000 BC, followed by the Cycladic island culture of the Early Bronze Age.
Which era is considered the golden age of Greece?
Classical Greece, from around 500 to 323 BC, is usually called the golden age. It produced Athenian democracy, the Parthenon, Greek theatre, and the philosophy of Socrates, Plato and Aristotle.
Which era of Greek history lasted the longest?
The Byzantine Empire lasted the longest, from the founding of Constantinople in 330 AD until its fall in 1453, more than eleven centuries of Greek-speaking Christian empire.
When does modern Greek history begin?
Modern Greek history is usually said to begin with the War of Independence in 1821, which created the modern Greek state. It continues through the Kingdom of Greece, the world wars, the junta and the democracy restored in 1974.
