ancient greece comprehension worksheet

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The worksheets below look at all aspects of Ancient Greek culture including art, philosophy, religion, Capital Cities, government and even the advent of the Olympics. We will examine the culture in great detail. The mindset set in motion by this civilization eventually circled the world and helped many great thinkers realize their gifts. We will look at the religion and artists of this culture. You cannot discuss this culture without spending a fair amount on the concepts brought about mythology. This section is filled with reading worksheets that are accompanied by multiple choice and free response worksheets.

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Print ancient greece worksheets, click the buttons to print each worksheet and associated answer key., ancient greek philosophy reading passage.

The word philosophy means "love of wisdom." Ancient Greek philosophy was characterized largely by reason and rational thought, and laid the foundation for Western intellectual thinking. The Greek philosophers often challenged the status quo, and their ideas were not always welcome during their time.

Philosophy - Multiple Choice Questions

Aristotle, a student of Plato, studied with Plato for 20 years. Aristotle wrote treatises, not dialogues. His thoughts on ethics, politics, science, art, and metaphysics dominated Western thought for centuries after his death.

Ancient Greek Art

Ancient Greek artists never portrayed human imperfection. While we associate Greek art the most with sculpture, they also frequently painted on the sides of buildings, though few examples have survived.

Art - Short Answer Questions

Which period of Greek art was characterized by the cultures of the people that the Greeks had conquered?

Ancient Greek Temples

The temples of Ancient Greece were places where people went to pray to their gods. Every city had one particular god or goddess that they believed protected the city.

QUESTIONS: Temples

The most famous of the temples built by Pericles' project was the Parthenon, honoring the patron goddess of Athena. It sits on the Acropolis, a naturally-formed pedestal of rock which was the site of the first settlement in Athens.

Athens and Sparta

Athens and Sparta were both city states in ancient Greece. They were similar in their forms of government, in that both cities had an Assembly whose members were elected by the people.

QUESTIONS: Athens and Sparta

What did Athens see as its role in Greece? Why was this a problem?

Hades and the Underworld

The Underworld had three different areas that can roughly be compared to our ideas of heaven, hell, and purgatory.

QUESTIONS: Hades and the Underworld

Hades had a wife called Persephone. Persephone was the daughter of the goddess of nature, Demeter.

The Olympians Reading Passage

The Greeks believed that their lives were influenced by the twelve gods and goddesses who lived on a high mountain called Mount Olympus, the top of which was hidden by clouds.

QUESTIONS: The Greek Gods

What is an example of how the Greeks thought their gods and goddesses intervened in human affairs?

Ancient Greek Democracy

A democracy is a system of government in which the power is vested in the people, and they use that power either directly, through voting, or via representatives that they vote for. In ancient Greek democracies, every male citizen had equal political rights, freedom of speech, and the opportunity to directly participate in the making of political decisions which influenced their daily lives.

QUESTIONS: Democracy

Athenians who became _________________ could be cast out of the city-state.

Ancient Greek Drama Reading Worksheet

Men sang songs to welcome Dionysus, and plays were presented. Early Greek plays included dancing and music, and it was this rhythmic and musical element of Greek drama that eventually became the chorus.

Drama - Multiple Choice Questions

A Greek playwright named Aeschylus made changes to this earlier, more primitive style of drama, and his plays were the first to resemble drama as we know it today.

The Olympic Games

The Olympic Games were the most important sporting event in Ancient Greece, and can be traced back to 776 BC. They originated in Olympia, in southwest Greece, and were a religious festival in honor of Zeus.

The Olympic Games - Short Answer Questions

As the Olympic Games were a religious festival, many people also visited the temple of Zeus at this time, and the climactic event of the festival was the sacrifice of 100 oxen on the Altar of Zeus.

Euclidean Geometry

Elements codified geometry as we know it today. It was written by Euclid, who founded a school of mathematics in the Greek city of Alexandria in Egypt around 300 BC.

Euclidean Geometry - Questions

Euclidean geometry is a synthetic geometry, which means that it proceeds logically from axioms describing the basic properties of things like points and lines to propositions about them, without the use of coordinates on a grid.

The Story of Ancient Greece

Ancient Greece, the cornerstone of modern Western civilization, is known for its innovations in culture, politics, education, arts and architecture, and other fields. However, there is much more to the story of Ancient Greece than that. 

The Ancient Greece era came in 800 BC after the three-centuries-long Greek Dark Ages and the fall of Mycenaean Greece. The era saw its peak under Alexander the Great and is known as one of the most prolific periods in the history of the world. 

Historians like to break Ancient Greece into three main periods, each of which has its defining characteristics and cultural advancements. However, the differences didn’t take away their shared identity. This article will tell you the highlights of each period.

During the fifth to the fourth centuries B.C. the classical Greek culture set a footprint that provided a huge influence of the development of the Western world. Ancient Greece was the first to establish a democracy which is very interesting because Classical Athens was composed of a population of mostly slaves. At the age of seven Greek boys were either headed to learn or be warriors. This civilization not only understood the importance of mentorship, but really built the future of their culture on it. The Greek alphabet was the first Western world form of the alphabet. It consisted of distinct vowel sounds and consonants. The Greeks were credited for pushing mathematics and science further than thought possible. This culture lead to the concept of standardized medicine that built upon the scientific method. The process of diagnosis and treatment that exists even today in your doctor's office originated from the Greeks.

The Three Periods of Ancient Greece

The three main periods of Ancient Greece are:

• Archaic 
• Classical 
• Hellenistic 

Let's look at them in detail:

The Archaic Period

The Archaic period spans more than two centuries and is commonly known as the renaissance of Greeks. It brought on the culmination of the Dark Ages , during which Greeks were plagued by lawlessness, illiteracy, lack of art and culture, and political and economic instability. 

During this period, the previously dwindling Greek population increased again. The era also significantly improved trade and the onset of colonization . 

Archaic Law

The law became important under Draco, who handed out death penalties for trivial and grave crimes. To this day, we use the term "Draconian Law" for harsh and severe laws. However, there was an improvement in the situation after Draco, and the lawmakers gave fair punishments. 

The Archaic period also saw the foundation of the first city-state, Polis , where eventually, the old aristocratic rule was demolished and replaced by the Tyrants . However, Tyranny also ended, and the world's first democracy was born in Athens after constant political reforms. 

Art and Culture

Art and culture also saw significant changes during the Archaic era. New pottery and architectural designs were introduced and became the period's trademark. 

Temples became important religious and architectural landmarks. They were made using stone entablature and contained emblems and religious statues. 

Olympic Games

The Olympic games also started in the Archaic period in Southern Greece. The games were a homage to Zeus, and the victors thanked the king of gods for their success. 

Many city-states were not on friendly terms during the Archaic period; however, a truce between the cities enabled a peaceful event every four years.

The Classical Period

Ancient Greece saw its peak during the Classical period under Alexander the Great . A decade of military campaigns from Greece to India resulted in one of history's biggest empires.

Alexander the Great 

Alexander's conquests resulted in the widespread dissemination of Greek culture, art and architectural techniques, language, philosophy, etc., across different continents. That led to his more recognized title of Alexander ‘the Great.’ His death marked the onset of the Hellenistic period. 

The Classical Period Highlights

The other significant highlights of these eras were:

• The main highlights were a well-established democracy and the end of the Achaemenid empire . 
• The period is also known for its intellectual prowess due to two of the most celebrated philosophers in history, Plato and Socrates. 
• Athena and Sparta engaged in two major wars, the Peloponnesian Wars and the Corinthian Wars . Sparta came out as the victor in both wars. 
• Some of the leading architectural achievements of the era were the Olympia, The Temple of Zeus, and the Parthenon, the Temple of Athena. 
• The making of coins and their usage in trade is another significant highlight of the Classical Period. 

The Hellenistic Period 

This period started after Alexander's demise and ended with the arrival of the Roman Empire. 

With the extension of Greek civilization as far as the Middle East, the Hellenistic Period absorbed many local traditions and customs of the conquered regions. 

This blending of cultures brought changes in Greek art and culture, philosophy, science, politics, education, etc., during this period. 

Alexander's death started disputes among his generals, who began fighting for power. The empire was split and turned into separate dynasties.

Highlights of the Hellenistic Period

• The Hellenistic Period is known for advancements in art and architecture. 
• Each new dynasty had a king who started importing riches in gold, pearls, sugar, ivory, glass, metals, olive oil, etc., from all over the world. 
• The show of wealth by the kings through splendid palaces, jewels, and commissioned arts became common.
• The period is significant for its educational advancements. Each dynasty didn't hold back funds for museums, universities, and libraries. Some of the greatest mathematicians, including Archimedes and Euclid, lived in the Hellenistic Period.

Final Thoughts

Despite being overtaken by the Roman Empire, Ancient Greece still left an impression evident in modern literature, art, education, and science. The Greeks also revolutionized warfare and introduced the concept of cities and the first-ever democracy.

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Ancient Greece Reading Comprehension Worksheets

Related standards: ri.6-8.1 & rh.6-8.8.

The ancient Greek civilization cultivated a great deal of invention to the world. The formation of a government run by the people for the people (Democracy) was born in this civilization that occupied what is today called the countries of Bulgaria and Turkey. The first form of the Olympic games was held in Olympia in 776 B.C. This culture bore the dawn of the consciousness of man. People took the time to create art, study science, and simply think about why humans were put on Earth. These worksheets will help you explore the culture and history of ancient Greek civilization.

Ancient Greece Worksheets To Print:

The Food and Clothing - What people ate and wore. The Ancient Greeks ate a fairly simple but healthy diet based upon what farm products they could grow with their soil conditions and climate. Reading Passage Multiple Choice Questions Short Answer Questions

Famous Architecture - Greek column styles and Greek Revival architecture. The Ancient Greeks were masters at building marvelous public buildings and temples. Reading Passage Multiple Choice Questions Short Answer Questions

Historic Wars and Battles of Ancient Greece - Tales of the Trojan and Persian Wars. Historians can trace back to a major war that occurred in 1250 BCE. Reading Passage Multiple Choice Questions Short Answer Questions

Everyday Life in Ancient Greece - Contrasting life in Athens and Sparta. In Sparta the native citizens spent their time preparing for war while slaves called helots did the work. Athens was a more open society that prized freedom of speech. Reading Passage Multiple Choice Questions Short Answer Questions

Time Periods of Ancient Greece - Summary from Neolithic to Hellenistic. The civilization spanned over two thousand years and during this extended time a variety of civilizations came and went in the area. Reading Passage Multiple Choice Questions Short Answer Questions

Mythology of Ancient Greece - The major gods and goddesses. The most powerful god was Zeus, a male who was thought of as a father. Zeus was also the god of the sky and he lived in a fancy palace at the top of Mount Olympus, the highest mountain in Greece. Reading Passage Multiple Choice Questions Short Answer Questions

The Sports and Olympics of Ancient Greece - Typical sports and then there was the Olympics, of course. Games and athletic contests have been an important part of all civilizations around the world. Reading Passage Multiple Choice Questions Short Answer Questions

Famous People of Ancient Greece - The civilization was an important influence on the world for over fifteen hundred years. Summary of Homer, Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Alexander. Reading Passage Multiple Choice Questions Short Answer Questions

The Art and Culture of Ancient Greece - Arts and theater in Ancient Greece. Greek theatre is the basis for how plays are portrayed today. Reading Passage Multiple Choice Questions Short Answer Questions

Geography of the Region - Working with the map of Ancient Greece. Map Skills

Ancient Greek civilization survived thousands of years ago. It was situated near the Mediterranean. The Greeks ruled that area for a long period of time. The time of the utmost success for the Greek civilization was during the reign of Alexander the great. Alexander the great ruled many parts of Europe and western Asia. The Greeks became very powerful during this time. The famous roman culture is also influenced by the Greeks because the Romans came after the Greeks. The western culture has its foundation laying on ancient Greece. There are many things adopted from the ancient Greek civilization, for example, mathematics, literature, arts, sports, and philosophy.

The two main cities of the ancient Greek civilization were Sparta and Athens. They were considered as rivals as well. This is because they had the responsibility to protect the Greek land from the possible invaders. These two cities were very different from each other. They had an extremely different culture and lifestyle. Sparta was the city that was all about war and fight. They had the best soldiers whereas the city of Athens also focused on different aspects of life such as arts and literature.

The ancient Greek civilization had many interesting factors. The yo-yo that kids play with these days was invented by the Greeks. It is the second oldest toy after the doll. There were many slaves in the city. Almost one-third of the population of the Greek civilization was slaves. Most people believe that Athens and Sparta were the only two cities of the great Greek civilization. That is not true and the Greek civilization had almost a hundred cities in its control. The culture of Rome was inspired and influenced by the Greeks. The religion, architecture, and language were the main things that Romans copied from the Greeks.

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Ancient Greece Reading Comprehension (Yrs 4-6)

Subject: Basics

Age range: 7-11

Resource type: Worksheet/Activity

Last updated

22 February 2018

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