Ancient Greece – Birthplace of Western Civilisation

Greece is in the south-eastern corner of Europe, almost split in two between its northern and southern halves. It is a country of very different landscapes: mountains, snow-covered in winter, and sun-baked beaches, as well as hundreds – literally hundreds – of islands to its east, west and south. For all these geographical reasons, Greece was not an easy country for a single king to rule in 800 BC, around the time that the story of the Greeks begins. In fact, it was made up of many city-states, often with very different political systems, ways of living and cultures. Of course, this also meant that there was a much greater probability of war between them, until Alexander became king in 337 BC and united the country behind him – by force.