The Culture of Greece

One of the oldest cultures from at least 1000BC is Greece and its surrounding islands. The Greeks loved mythology and worshiped idols of their god Zeus and the other lesser gods of Mt. Olympus. These pagan beliefs have trickled to the present, although today 97% of the population today is made up of Orthodox Christians. The others are Muslims, Jews and Roman Catholics. Even though the ancient religions are no longer practiced, there are still ancient temples to these gods that dot the landscape.

Unfortunately, a lot of Greece's ancient art, including paintings, pottery, and buildings, no longer exists. Most of their paintings were created on wood, and for centuries, they could be enjoyed by the public. However, after about 300 years, they faded badly and rotted. Even the walls of ancient homes had paintings depicting life, gods and other beautiful reliefs, have faded and can barely be seen today.

In ancient times, their food consisted of grains, figs, bread, honey, cakes, seafood and wine, and these still serve as bases for their meals. The Olympics began in Greece as a day to honor Zeus, and they loved to prepare for this grand event. Since then, the Olympics have been revived and are held in cities all over the world. The Greeks have been instrumental in the furthering of philosophy, science and mathematics, and these things still play an important role in their culture. The Greek language has gone through very little evolution since ancient times, and is known as a fixed language.

Greece has always been a country with strong ties to their past. Their culture is full of beauty that is not only present in art and their magnificent landscape, but in all aspects of their lives. Greece is a country of gentle people who pursue their goals and enjoy their outdoor plays, music and dancing.