About Greece Tours & Attractions

Greece History

Greece has a long and rich history that dates back to the Neolithic period, around 7000 BC. The first advanced civilization in Greece was the Minoan civilization, which flourished on the island of Crete from around 2000 BC to 1400 BC. This was followed by the Mycenaean civilization, which was centered on mainland Greece and lasted from around 1600 BC to 1100 BC. The Classical period of Greek history began in the 5th century BC and lasted until the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC. This period saw the rise of the city-states of Athens and Sparta, the development of democracy, and the flourishing of the arts and sciences. The Hellenistic period followed the death of Alexander the Great and lasted until the Roman conquest of Greece in 146 BC. This period saw the spread of Greek culture throughout the Mediterranean and Middle East. The Roman period of Greek history lasted until the fall of the Roman Empire in the 5th century AD. During this period, Christianity became the dominant religion in Greece and the Greek language and culture were preserved. Greece was part of the Byzantine Empire from the 5th century until the fall of Constantinople in 1453. During this period, the Greek language and culture were preserved and the Orthodox Church became the dominant religion. Greece was part of the Ottoman Empire from the 15th century until the Greek War of Independence in 1821. During this period, the Greek language and culture were suppressed and the Orthodox Church was persecuted. Greece gained its independence in 1821 and became a monarchy in 1832. The modern Greek Republic was established in 1924 and has been a member of the European Union since 1981.