Location and Land
Greece sits on a peninsula in southern Europe that juts south toward Africa. To the east and west of Greece are large bodies of water—the Mediterranean and Aegean seas—that have long served as important transportation routes. Even in ancient times, these waterways offered opportunities for trade with other civilizations and encouraged influences from other cultures, especially Egypt.

Greek construction techniques were probably influenced by those of Egypt. Greece's location on the Mediterranean Sea provides a warm and arid climate that has helped preserve many of the structures built thousands of years ago.



The Age of Pericles
The classic works of Greek artists and architects were produced between 1000 and 400 B.C., the period during which Athenian democracy developed. The Parthenon was dedicated in 438 B.C. at the direction of the Athenian statesman Pericles (495?-429 B.C.). Pericles was such an influential figure in Athens that the years in which he led Athens are commonly known as the "Age of Pericles." Among his great accomplishments, Pericles allowed ordinary citizens to participate in Athenian democracy, established an Athenian naval empire, and ordered the construction of numerous temples on the Acropolis. Of these structures, the Parthenon was the outstanding example.

The crumbling frame of the Parthenon still stands today—proof that stone was an improvement over the wood and mud bricks used in earlier architecture. The construction of the Parthenon was a major accomplishment for ancient Greece and a lasting memorial to Athenian democracy and the Age of Pericles.

Credits: Parthenon © SuperStock.

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