Beginning
in the Bronze Age, the region that is now Greece was home
to early civilisations such as the Minoan civilisation and
the Mycenaean civilisation, which laid the foundations for
later cultural development. During the Archaic and Classical
periods, powerful city-states like Athens and Sparta emerged,
contributing to advances in philosophy, politics, and the
arts. The conquests of Alexander the Great in the 4th century
BC spread Greek culture across a vast empire in what became
known as the Hellenistic world. Ethnically, modern Greeks
largely descend from these early populations and belong to
the Hellenic branch of the wider Indo-European family, with
some additional influences from neighbouring regions over
time. The region later became part of the Roman Empire and
subsequently the Byzantine Empire, preserving Greek language
and traditions. After the fall of Constantinople in 1453,
Greek lands were absorbed into the Ottoman Empire for several
centuries. Independence was achieved in the 19th century following
the Greek War of Independence, after which Greece was established
as a monarchy under foreign-backed kings before later transitioning
to a republic. In the 20th century, Greece experienced wars,
occupation during the World War II, and a subsequent civil
war before stabilising politically. Today, Greece is a democratic
republic and a member of organisations such as the European
Union, with a modern political system shaped by its 20th-century
reforms. |
