The ancient Greeks built the beauty of a healthy body into a cult. In the era of prosperity of this state, it was believed that rough physical labor spoils the figure, since the muscles develop disproportionately from the same type of load. Clothing was designed to emphasize the slimness of the body. Artfully arranged folds of matter served as the main way to advantageously outline the silhouette. Rich people devoted quite a lot of time to this process.

Initially, fabrics were made from sheep's wool, then from linen. Subsequently, cotton began to be brought from the countries of the East. It was very expensive, and only very wealthy gentlemen could afford clothes from it.

We can only judge what the wardrobe of the ancient Greeks looked like from the preserved architectural monuments, from the drawings on the dishes and walls of houses, as well as from the literary heritage.

fibulae

A fibula is a brooch or hairpin. She was an integral accessory of the clothes of the ancient Greeks. She fastened the panels of the dress, since it was not customary to sew fabrics - they were freely thrown over one or both shoulders and fixed with brooches.

Brooches were made of metal and decorated with stones, pearls, and mother-of-pearl. They made patterns with granulation, chasing or casting. The size of the brooches varied from one centimeter - for fastening the panels of a thin Ionic chiton, to a ten-centimeter disk - for fastening and decorating a men's outfit made of heavy fabric.

By the appearance of the fibula, they judged the position of a person in society and his material capabilities.

Belts

Belts were worn by all Greeks, with the exception of dancers, whom he prevented from moving beautifully and fettered their movements.

Hellenes attached great importance the type and quality of the material from which the belt was made. It could be leather with various fasteners or ties, fabric or woven from metal rings.

The belt had to match the color of the clothes and demonstrate the status of its owner. Often, not one, but several belts were tied around the waist.

Clothing fabrics

Only the best wool was used for clothes - the fabrics were light and draped beautifully. It is not hot in summer in woolen clothes made of thin and soft fabric, besides, it is not stitched on the sides and allows the wind to cool the body. Casual women's clothing made from fine linen.

traditional drawings

As a decoration, one side of the fabric could be embroidered with a satin stitch or a cross, as well as a printed pattern of thin gold plates could be applied. The most traditional patterns were palmette - a stylized image of palm leaves, honeysuckle or an acanthus flower, kerikion - the rod of Hermes, a rosette - a circle of a blossoming flower, a meander - a continuous broken line consisting of segments located at right angles to each other, a Cretan wave, beads and network.

On the dress, such a pattern was located on the side or along the upper, turning away part. The hem, as a rule, was not decorated - the horizontal line at the bottom reduces height and distorts the proportions. The vertical arrangement of the pattern makes the growth taller, and the strip at the level of the shoulders or chest visually expands this part of the body.

Color

The color of the dress in the culture of ancient Greece was especially important. Clothing was dyed with pigments of plant and animal origin. Clothing was considered the most prestigious white because lightening wool and linen was a long and laborious process.

On solemn occasions, rich men dressed up in purple robes. This pigment was extracted from the shells of nautilus mollusks. More cheap analogue this color was obtained from the flowers of madder, safflower or some lichens.

Dark green, black and gray colors meant mourning. Slaves also wore clothes of inexpressive shades.

The women's costume of ancient Greece was different bright colors yellow, red and blue flowers. Green, but only in a light shade, was also acceptable for everyday wear.

Chiton

Nowadays, a tunic is sometimes understood as any loose dress of a straight silhouette with vertical pleats on the shoulders. This is just a semblance of a real Greek chiton, which was a universal attire for the Greeks of both sexes and all classes. Translated from Greek, the word "chiton" means "clothes".

Depending on the purpose of the chiton, the requirements for its length, width and draping of the folds varied. Gradually, the original, primitive chiton became more complicated, as a result, other types of clothing with new names appeared on its basis.

Warriors wore short, to the hips, chitons, and clergymen, officials and actors of the tragic genre wore long ones.

Women made themselves chitons of medium length, the most advantageous for the figure. The width of the cloth depended on the thickness of its owner's purse and the quality of the fabric. The thinnest panels reached two meters wide. This made it possible to create very beautiful draperies on the shoulders, chest and waist.

To make the figure sculptural, small weights (coins or flat stones) were sewn into the corners and along the edges of the tunic. They created additional vertical lines. In this way, it was possible to emphasize the bulges of individual parts of the body and hide figure flaws.

The chiton is a rectangular piece of fabric, which is broken off with brooches on the shoulders, and tied with a belt at the waist.

The seam was made only along the bottom of the tunic - an unturned hem was a sign of mourning, and also denounced belonging to the lower class.

Dorian tunic

The Dorian tunic is the clothing of the first period of antiquity and the progenitor of all subsequent modifications. For a long time he remained the only clothing of the women of Sparta. This type of short chiton is a piece of fabric measuring 2 m by 1.8 m.

The Dorian tunic is a single piece of fabric folded in half. The fold falls on the left side, and the edges of the fabric - on the right and, accordingly, on the bottom and top. Points on the shoulders are fastened with brooches at a distance of approximately 30-50 cm from each other - so that a small cascade of matter forms on the chest, but the fabric does not fall off the shoulders. Loose parts of the fabric hang down under the arms on the sides. A belt is tied at the waist.

Sometimes the upper edge of the fabric turned away by several tens of centimeters - then it turned out like a blouse, cape or loose collar, such as a collar.

Ionian tunic

The Ionian tunic was also among the items of women's wardrobe. He appeared later than the Dorian.

The Ionic dress consisted of two panels of fabric. Their width was at least two arm lengths to the wrist and the width of the shoulders. The length depended on the height of the woman. The Ionian tunic was below the knees. It was worn with a belt, making a big lap. Also, the upper edge, 50-70 centimeters, was sometimes bent back. In any case, the length of the cut for two panels of such a tunic should be about 4 meters, and the width should be about 2 meters.

The cloths of the tunic from the shoulders to the elbows were fastened with brooches. In these hairpins, the fabric was gathered in folds - beautiful draperies were obtained, especially if the fabric was thin enough. A belt adorned with gold threads and tassels was tied around the waist.

Peplos, Hleina and Diplax

Peplos - clothes of Greek women. It was worn over a chiton. The peplos is slightly longer than the chiton. The fabric is coarser and has a border on the sides and top edge, the color is richer and deeper. The purpose of the peplos is not only to protect from the weather - it was used as a bedding for rest, placed on the bottom of the wagon, used as a curtain or canopy. In some legends, the peplos of the goddesses were attached to the masts of ships as sails.

Khleina is a shortened peplos. It is an equilateral rectangle and allows you to see the lower chiton. Hline was draped in the likeness of a Dorian tunic, but was worn without a belt.

In the cold season, women wrapped themselves in a diplax - a large woolen scarf. They covered their heads like a hood.

Himatius

The costume of Ancient Greece is impossible to imagine without himation. This is a man's cloak worn over a tunic. The himation was never fastened with brooches, but was laid in deep folds on the shoulders. This was done by specially trained slaves. Himatius suggested sparing movements and weak gestures. The folds that fell apart during the conversation testified to the speaker’s poor upbringing and were a sign of bad taste. To keep the himation stronger on the shoulders, small lead rings were sewn along its edge.

Himation is an obligatory accessory of the representatives of the upper class, so the appearance of this wardrobe item was given great importance. Only the most expensive and heavy fabrics were taken, dyed with natural purple, the border was trimmed with a wide strip of gold embroidery.

The width of the himation is 1.7 m, and the length is 4 m. One long edge was sometimes made rounded.

mantle

Chlamyda, or chlamys - a man's cloak. Unlike the himation, it is rather short and was intended for young men no older than 20 years old. Chlamis is an integral part of the clothing of warriors. It was used both as a cape and as a sleeping pad during halts.

The shape of the chlamys resembles an oval or rectangle with cut corners. It was thrown over the shoulders and fastened with a large brooch on the chest. In another case, it was passed under the arm of the left hand and fastened on the right shoulder, leaving the right hand free.

Everywhere they began to wear chlamys after the tunic moved into the category of the lower dress.

Exomis

The ancient Greeks used short cloaks, such as a chiton, which were called exomises, as everyday home clothes. Warriors and free citizens wore exomis with several folds coming from the shoulder and fixed brooches.

In exomis, it was indecent to appear in public, since these clothes were considered to belong to the wardrobe of the poor and were worn for work, and the culture of Ancient Greece was such that simple physical labor aimed at fulfilling utilitarian needs was despised.

Peasants, artisans and slaves made exomis from sheepskins or rough textured fabrics. Both hands in it remained free, which gave room for movement. It was often worn as a loincloth.

Shoes

Greek shoes were very diverse. Varieties of women's shoes alone, scientists counted 94 types. And this despite the fact that the ancient inhabitants of the Pyrenees wore shoes only outside the home.

The most common were carbatin sandals. They were a piece of thick cowhide, cut in the shape of a foot, and having small holes around the entire perimeter for laces, with which carbatins were firmly tied to the legs.

The famous high Greek sandals, cothurni, were originally the shoes of the nobility, and then moved into the number of theatrical accessories. Their high cork or wooden soles made the actors more visible to spectators from the back rows.

On ancient vases, one can see gods in sandals with thick leather soles, with small bumpers around the perimeter of the foot. These are endromids. They were very comfortable, as they were cut to the shape of the foot. Their fingers were open. The lacing reached almost to the knees and was decorated with pendants.

Crepids - also made of leather, but laced lower than endromids.

In addition to leather shoes, the Greeks wore soft boots made of felt. They were meant for the cold season.

Wealthy women wore low shoes, reminiscent of modern moccasins.

Hats

In ancient Greece, appearance was very important. Various wreaths of laurel leaves, olive, myrtle, pine branches, ivy, celery and flowers had a symbolic meaning and were worn on solemn occasions.

Greeks rarely wore hats, and they were not supposed to be for slaves at all.

Craftsmen wore felt caps - pilos, peasants, leather caps - küne, and merchants stood out with low hats with round or square brim - petas. The god Hermes, the patron of trade, is often depicted wearing a petasa tied with ribbons under his chin.

Women needed hats less than men, as they spent most of their time at home, however, when they went on a trip, they put on petas. If it was necessary to go outside during the hot time of the day, they protected their heads and faces with wide-brimmed straw hats - folios. The rest of the time, the head was protected by the edge of a peplos or a thin scarf - a caliptra.

Decorations

If we can judge the clothes of the ancient Greeks only from images and descriptions, then Jewelry and accessories are very well preserved. Museums of ancient art, in particular, in one of the halls of the State Hermitage, present collections found during excavations of Greek settlements.

The inhabitants of Hellas loved to adorn themselves with bracelets, rings, necklaces, earrings and wreaths. They were made of gold, silver, pearls and semi-precious stones.

In Sparta, accessories were more utilitarian. In this area of ​​Greece, men were forbidden to adorn themselves with anything other than military armor.

The heritage of antiquity still inspires artists to create new collections of clothes and shoes. Greek costume, patterns, silhouettes and accessories never cease to amaze with beauty and grace. Great respect is caused by the skill of the ancients to perform very delicate work, being very limited in technical means.

One of characteristic features ancient Greek society is complete absence large slavery. This is what influenced the development of democracy in this state. The greatest ancient Greek culture is the culture of the free citizen. The costume of the ancient Greeks could not but inherit this trait. In addition, the freedom of citizens was reflected not only in their clothes, but also in their hair and jewelry. The history of clothing in ancient Greece will be briefly outlined below.

Costume of ancient Greece

The cultivated craving for simplicity led to the fact that clothing in the ancient state was, perhaps, one of the few ways to stand out from the crowd compared to other people. It should be noted that the ancient Greek dress only seems natural and simple. Although, at first glance, what could be easier - fold in half and wrap a couple of pieces of fabric around the body? However, in fact, the fashion of ancient Greece consisted in all kinds of chipping, drapery and a varied manner of wearing the same thing. This was considered a real art, which was brought up in the family from an early age. In addition, such a skill was part of good taste and etiquette.

Color and fabric

The ancient Greeks, whose clothes previously consisted only of pieces of fabric, relatively early began to sew suits to measure. Ionian flax was soon forced out woolen threads introduced by the Dorians. They were painted in blue, purple, red and yellow. A complex multi-colored ornament could be achieved by weaving with threads of a different color or by embroidering on the main background. As a rule, the Greek tunic was embroidered along the border with geometric patterns, and leaves, stars or flowers could be embroidered on the field. In addition, there were various figurines of gods and animals, scenes of battles and hunting.

Especially popular in ancient Greece were clothes of pink or white flowers, which were edged with a contrasting red or black border.

The history of clothing tells that in early period Hellenes preferred large drawings. However, starting from the turn of the 5th-4th century BC, plain fabric began to prevail in the wardrobe of the Greeks. Often the costume of ancient Greece was either brown, or was decorated with a blue or yellow border, as well as an ornament that was a broken line with curls. It was called meander.

Chiton

The basic clothing of the ancient Greeks, whose name is a tunic, as already mentioned, was distinguished by simplicity and convenience. Chiton is the main garment of the Greek. It was a piece of fabric, which had a hole for the hand on one side, and on the other it was attached to the shoulder with a buckle or fastener. Less often it was simply sewn together. Before the start of the wars with the Persians in ancient Greece, it was customary to tightly tighten the waist. The belt played a special role in the ancient Greek costume. It had two functions: firstly, to pick up a tunic, and secondly, to make it the required length. The short version - to the knees - was more loved by the Dorians, and the Ionians preferred to wear a tunic to the heels. A little later, the fashion changed, so even the Athenians began to wear a shortened Dorian version of this clothing.

There were few slaves in Greece, but for them there was a special version of the chiton: it differed in that the right shoulder of the slave always remained open.

Himation

Himation, or himation - a spacious cloak that the ancient Greeks threw over the tunic. The clothes were fastened on the chest just below the left shoulder, and then the fabric was simply thrown behind the back.

Himation was also worn by women when they left the house. They could throw the edge of this cloak over their heads. The terracotta figurines and multiple designs on the vases show an endless variety of ways to wear the himation. If I was standing on the street hot weather, then it served as nothing more than a scarf, which was thrown back over the arms bent at the elbows. But if desired, the girl could easily wrap herself in it entirely in such a way that even part of her face was hidden from view.

mantle

In addition to the long cloak - himation, the ancient Greeks also had a short cloak, which was called chlamys. It was fastened with a clasp around the neck. Chlamys was worn on the road, during wars or hunting by the ancient Greeks. Clothing in Athens relied only on young guys, and in Sparta, only adult citizens could wear a chlamys.

Tunic

Women in ancient Greece knew hundreds of ways to turn simple clothes - the same as men's - into a sophisticated and original costume. One of the varieties of chiton is a tunic, it fell to the heels and was made of soft, but at the same time heavy woolen fabric. In most cases, it was white with a colored border. The folds on the tunic, draped in many ways, were held by a belt that tightened the clothes. With the help of irons and starch, the folds were carefully fixed. It should be noted that the girls wore a belt at the waist, but married women had to wear it under their breasts.

A wide scope for all sorts of female tricks for modeling a figure was provided precisely by the free style of clothing. Usually, special fabric inserts could be sewn under the tunic to make the chest lush and the hips more rounded. Stripes of linen canvas could be tightly pulled over a bulging belly. Women who were tall wore shoes with very thin soles, while short girls, on the contrary, wore thick ones.

Fans in the shape of a lotus leaf were popular with Greek women. Usually they were painted blue.

Hairstyles in ancient Greece

The hairstyles of the inhabitants of Greece, which are depicted on vases and frescoes, amaze with their diversity. Assyrian fashions dominated in archaic times. Hair during this period was also preferred not to be cut, but carefully curled, and then intertwined. According to the Cretan fashion, young men preferred to wear hair, which was divided into strands, reaching the length of the elbows.

Greek men wore long and thick beards. They went from the temples to the cheeks and strongly protruded forward, leaving a strip around the mouth free. Often, the beard was cut so that it bulged downwards with a comb, and curled. A thick beard among the Greeks was considered a sign of the masculinity of its wearer. However, after the Greco-Persian War, they began to shorten it somewhat, and from the period of Alexander the Great, the Greeks generally preferred to shave. However, the razor was known to the Hellenes since the Mycenaean period. Later, some Athenian fashionistas, back in the time of Pericles, plucked or shaved their hair, for which they were ridiculed by the townspeople.

For a long time, long hair was considered a sign of noble birth. However, by the 4th century BC, the male population began to cut their hair relatively short so that it could lie around the head in natural curls. Curls were left only to children, and while the young man was studying at the gymnasium, a short hairstyle was required. Later, when he became a citizen, it was up to him to choose any length, and in most cases they settled on the middle one.

In Greece, there were many options for women's hairstyles. After the wars with the Persians, they lost the bulkiness that they were famous for in the east. Spartan girls wore long hair that was not braided, but on their wedding day they had to shave their heads. In other regions, hair was tied at the back of the head in a knot, combed up, strengthened with a wreath or several turns of ribbon, shortened at the back and hidden in some kind of net or bag.

With the help of plant substances, the hair was dyed and lightened in a golden color. A rarely attainable ideal was white curls. However, most Greek fashionistas had to be satisfied with one or another hair color. For curling, tongs were used.

As excavations show, there were many hairdressers in Athens. There, the hair was not only dyed, cut and curled, but also strangled. In addition, they could order a wig or attach artificial strands to the hair. Alien curls are one of the most popular goods in all of Greece, except for Sparta. There women were famous for their thick hairstyles.

Hats

The ancient Greeks, whose clothes are simple but unusual, did not cover their heads in cities. But on the road or in countryside a small felt hat, which had no brim, protected from the sun. She was called a pilos. They could, on the contrary, wear a wide-brimmed hat made of straw and felt.

ancient greek shoes

The inhabitants of Greece in most cases went barefoot, so the ancient Greek sandals were very popular. It is interesting that a woman was considered a real artisan if she knew how to lace up her shoes in such a way that the leg seemed almost naked to those around her. However, in this country there were also shoes with thick leather soles, and leather boots, laced up with straps in front, reaching the owner to the middle of the lower leg. Such rough shoes were in most cases used for riding a horse.

Cosmetics in ancient Greece

In classical Greece, the art of perfumery was extremely developed. Vegetable white, rouge, wax - all this was part of the Greek. Of all the incense, nard was most valued. Egyptian pencils were used for eyeliner, Greek women also knew lipstick and powder. Numerous "guises of husbands" have survived to this day. They called for appearing "in a decent and simple form."

Such behavior was subjected to unquestioning condemnation, since it was believed that it leads to effeminacy, and, moreover, in the near future promised a decline in morality. Caskets with fashionable trinkets and rouge were presented as real Pandora's boxes, which are right in front of our eyes. strict husbands numerous troubles and misfortunes are already emerging. The main of them - imitation of the barbarians and the desire for luxury - was subjected to special censure. But the larger and wider the Greek world became, the more closely it intertwined with the cultures of other peoples, the more difficult it was to resist the emergence of fashion and household trends that had established there. Jewelery art is where this is especially evident.

Jewelry in ancient Greece

The ancient Greeks were able to produce elegant and at the same time complex jewelry both for local sale and for export to the barbarian world, for example, the Scythians, artisan jewelers had to cater to the tastes of buyers.

They were very reserved in their choice of jewelry. It was common for them to wear almost no jewelry. An engraved stone in a simple setting is the maximum of their imagination and fantasy. An impression of such a carved seal was perceived as the signature of its owner. It was impossible to find a single male bracelet or necklace in the shops of Athena.

However, a completely opposite picture was revealed in the colonies that were in contact with the barbarian world. There, wealthy citizens, natives of Olivia and Panticapaeum, under the influence of local culture, could shamelessly succumb to the desire to look as impressive as visiting nomad kings. In turn, the border guards were not averse to adopting Greek culture, but at the same time not giving up their passion for jewelry.

As for Greek women, anywhere in the country, whether it be the capital or the province, they were distinguished by their uncontrollable bathing in jewelry. They wore elegant earrings, bracelets, belts, chains, tiaras and hairpins.

In 1833, at the London conference of the three great European powers, Otto I of Bavaria was appointed king of the Greek state that had just gained independence from the Ottoman Empire.

When the young king arrived in Athens, the city he had chosen for his capital, there was not a single more or less decent building for the royal residence.

Such were the consequences of the bloody, long and destructive war for the independence of the country.

The population of Athens in that post-war period was hardly more than 12 thousand inhabitants. But the most terrible consequences of almost 400 years of Turkish yoke and almost uninterrupted hostilities were the irreparable destruction of many historical monuments.

And before them, the Venetians and the Frankish crusaders “worked” here. The early Christian struggle against paganism, as well as the raids of the southern Slavs, also played a significant role. And in ancient times, Hellas was not spared by the aggressive campaigns of the Roman legions of the dictator Lucius Cornelius Sulla.

But fortunately, one of the main historical achievements of the “golden era” of ancient classicism was the creation by the Hellenes, in addition to material monuments, of unprecedented spiritual witnesses: theater, literature, sculpture and painting, thanks to which we can today, comparing the results of archaeological excavations of ancient cities with artistic life descriptions of the life of their population, it is much better to learn and understand how they lived in ancient Greece ...

Literary sources - witnesses of the era

The history of ancient Greece is usually divided into several historical periods., in each of which the life of the Hellenes was strikingly different from another, later time:

1. Archaic Crete Mycenaean, which we know mainly from mythological plots and from two brilliant poems of the great Homer.

2. "Dark" Ancient Middle Ages, when new conquerors - the Dorians poured into the Greek lands, dividing the culture of ancient Hellas into two branches: Achaean and Doric, and the country's history into two eras: archaic and classical.

This transitional period left much less cultural evidence, but at that time, memories of more ancient eras were preserved and recorded for posterity, which became a connecting thread and prepared the ground for the subsequent rapid spiritual flowering.

3. To the highest material, spiritual and cultural achievements classical period, prepared by previous legislative and social reforms, Hellas rose immediately after the victories in the Greco-Persian wars. The unprecedented upsurge of the national spirit, which made it possible to defeat the strongest enemy, became the source of the greatest spiritual upsurge. This was expressed in the appearance of many works of art that have become witnesses of the era for us.

Magnificent descriptions of the way of life, life, habits and traditions of the ancient Hellenes can be found in many works of ancient authors, ranging from Iliad and Odyssey by Homer or Works and Days by Hesiod to filled with everyday details comedies of Aristophanes, all-encompassing "Descriptions of Hellas" Pausanias or encyclopedic "Feast of the Wise Men" Athenaeus.

Life in ancient Greece

Chronology

There are different opinions on what date to take as a starting point, which can fix the beginning of the most interesting for us classical period of ancient Hellas.

It is most logical to follow the Hellenes themselves, who determined the beginning of their new time to be the date corresponding to our calendar 776 BC uh. and became the first unifying symbol of Hellas.

Until that moment, each policy had its own, sometimes very confusing, time measurement system. And starting from this date, they all began to measure time everywhere four-year periods, called the number of the corresponding Olympiad.

It was a time of rapid growth of new city-states, the colonization of the territories of Asia Minor, the Apennine Peninsula and Sicily, the development of trade and crafts, the improvement of legislation and the judicial system, the birth of sciences, philosophy and art, moving from the power of kings and tyrants to popular, democratic principles management.

Family life

Cult family relations, quite strong in modern Greece, in ancient Greece was one of the foundations of ancient society.

The basis of this, of course, lies in the tribal community of the early Bronze Age.

For example, describing the palace of the Trojan king Priam in the Iliad, Homer, who talks about its gigantic size, lists all the numerous relatives who lived in these chambers.

The unconditional head of the tribal clan was the father of the family, after which power passed to the eldest son, even if he was not born in this family, but adopted.

The power of the head of the family was so strong that he could even sacrifice one of his children to the gods if they demanded it. Such, for example, is the story of Iphigenia from the same Iliad.

If the head of the family was in need, he could sell his daughters, and expel his son from home for disrespect, which was even enshrined in law.

About the feelings of the young at the conclusion of a marriage nobody asked: buyout price was the determining factor, donated by the groom to the future father-in-law, and sometimes a real auction was arranged for the bride, and the main motive for creating a family was procreation.

It is believed that a woman in a Greek family did not have the right to vote. This is not entirely true: she had her own specific range of duties around the house, for which she was responsible, disposing of slaves, food, supplies and all household chores. The man was responsible for everything else.

So, in the Odyssey, Telemachus, the son of Agamemnon, says to his mother Penelope: “Take care of the order of the economy, yarn, weaving, see that the slaves are diligent in their work: speaking is not a woman’s business, but a man’s business, and now mine. I myself am the only master ... "

But at the same time family property, especially land, did not belong solely to its head: it was considered as common property and what was received from the previous generation was to be passed on to descendants not diminished, but exaggerated.

The concept of gender was given great value. Today, many of us are unlikely to be able to remember our ancestors before the third generation, the Greeks kept and remembered their own genealogy sometimes counted in centuries.

Many tragedies of the ancient theater, especially those of Euripides, began with a description of the genealogy of the heroes, and this did not surprise the audience at all: everyone could find among actors his distant relative. Echoes of such tribalism can be found even in modern Greek society.

Religion, ceremonies and rituals

The ancient Hellenes built their dwellings from cheap clay, which was in abundance in these places.
The best building materials were dedicated to the houses of the gods - temples, which were initially built from wood that was quite expensive here.

But wood is a short-lived material, moreover, combustible, and many ceremonies held in temples were accompanied by a large amount of open fire.

One of the impetuses for the construction of a masterpiece of classical architecture - the magnificent Acropolis complex, was the burning of old wooden buildings on it, which captured Athens by the Persians.

Therefore, gradually the tree became replaced by limestone everywhere and then marble.

In turn, the mass construction of temple complexes gave a powerful impetus to the development ancient architecture like art.

The significance of religion in the life of the Hellenes was enormous. Without the advice of the gods, expressed in the predictions of the oracles, not a single important business began.

indicative semi-mythical story of the capture of the Peloponnese by the Dorians, who, on the advice of the oracle, waited until three generations were replaced by them before starting an aggressive campaign, which ended, as you know, with a quick victory and the formation of the state of Sparta.

Considering that these three generations were busy preparing for the campaign and creating a powerful army, the wisdom of the oracle's advice should be recognized.

marriage ceremony

Of considerable interest for the general concept of the religious life of the Hellenes is marriage ceremony, which was performed not in the temple, but at the home altar and symbolized the transition of a girl from one family to another: in her father's house, a sacrifice was made to the gods at the altar, at the end of which the head of the family handed over his daughter to the groom according to the established formula, tore her away from her kind, giving to another .

Then, accompanied by messengers, covered with a veil and with a wreath on her head, in white clothes, she was transported, accompanied by wedding hymns, in a chariot to the groom's house.

The young one carried the betrothed, depicting an abduction, in his arms to his dwelling. The bride, on the other hand, had to scream, showing that she did not enter here of her own free will, but, obeying her new master - her husband.

A real wedding ceremony was already held here, where the young woman was presented to the household gods at the groom's family altar. A rite of purification with water and fire was carried out, the young shared bread and fruits among themselves, then making a joint prayer to the gods.

worship of the dead

The cult was of great importance in the life of the Hellenes. veneration of the dead, who were not considered dead forever, but only moved to another kingdom, and according to some legends, for example, Hercules even managed to return from there. Visiting the graves of their ancestors, relatives brought them food and drink, as if alive, so that they would not feel deprived in another life.

Public life

A remarkable feature of the ancient Hellenes, which distinguished this people from others and allowed them to cope with an opponent many times superior in numbers, was the importance of the role and superiority of public consciousness over private.

A fair part of the life of the male population of the country took place not in houses, where they came only for an evening meal and sleep, but in public places, mostly in the Agora, where trade and production were combined, "on the spot" with politics.

The art of persuasion - rhetoric- revered at the level of worship. A public figure who was able to prove, convince, lead was honored with lifetime veneration. Disputes of representatives of various philosophical schools in the squares gathered huge crowds of spectators.

Unconditional obedience to laws, no matter how unfair they may seem, was in the blood of the inhabitants of Hellas.

So, the great Socrates, in the injustice of the sentence of which all his students were convinced, who offered the teacher to flee, unconditionally obeyed the verdict of the court and drank the prepared cup of poison. After all, if he did not do this, the ideals of the teachings of the great philosopher and his great authority among the citizens of Athens became meaningless.

Army and Navy

The Greeks, great admirers of geometric order and harmony, were among the first to use combat formations in military operations.

Iron discipline of the Greek warriors, standing to the death, forced the enemy to shamefully leave the battlefield, even with multiple numerical superiority. This was achieved by a full-fledged combat education of the male population from infancy, especially in.

The importance of the fleet in the life of ancient Hellas can hardly be overestimated. Not only was most of the country located on the islands: superiority at sea allowed for uncompetitive trade throughout the Mediterranean region. best example to that - the Athenian Maritime Union, created at the end of the Persian wars.

The art of building ships, which the ancient masters achieved, is amazing: within a few weeks they could build and launch a full-fledged combat fleet. The fruits of this skill were not lost in time - the Greeks are still one of the best navigators and owners of the world's largest merchant fleet.

Cloth

The simplicity of the Greek costume admires. All its varieties and details were built from ordinary rectangular pieces of linen or woolen fabric, fastened at the shoulders and sides with brooches.

A rich suit from a poor one was distinguished only by coloring, and the richness of the geometric border pattern. The main types of patterns were the classic meander and the Cretan wave.
To a greater extent, the nobility of the origin of the owner of the costume was emphasized by various jewelry. Women richly used cosmetics: blush, antimony, various creams, masks and hair mixtures.

The basis of the ancient Greek costume was an undershirt: a chiton - for men, a tunic - for women, which were worn at home, but when they went outside, they were added different kinds cloaks: long himation and short mantle, as well as capes: calyptra and peplos.

The clothes of the slaves, and often also peasants, fishermen, hunters, shepherds, urban poor could only consist of a loincloth.

Walking barefoot was by no means considered a sign of poverty, although sandals were the most popular footwear, consisting of a wooden, cork or rope sole tied to the leg with straps. In addition, leather or felt endromide boots were popular.

Hats made of felt or straw were most often used in bad weather or for protection from the sun during long walks. For the same purpose, various fans and fan.

Great importance in appearance ancient Greeks, especially women, were given hairstyle and hair decoration hairpins, tiaras, ribbons, etc.
For men, the main decoration, one might even say, a detail of the costume, was beard considered a sign of dignity and wisdom.

Furniture

The most common type of seats were semi-benches, which were located during the symposium dinners.
The same purpose was served by low tables with short legs. Also in great use were folding diphra chairs with legs in the form of the letter “X” and a seat linen or woven from a rope.

Armchairs with armrests - thrones - were available only in noble houses, and in royal palaces, serving as one of the symbols of supreme power.

Great importance was attached to the manufacture and decoration of beds.. They were made of wood and decorated with rich carvings, and sometimes real sculptures. Used to store clothes and valuables various chests, which were also decorated with carvings or inlays.

There was practically no other furniture in the houses., even in pantries food stocks were stored in earthenware vessels standing right on the floor. The kitchens also had a hearth for cooking.

In the cold season, clay or metal braziers with coals were used to heat the dwellings, which were melted on the street and then brought into the house. They also served as primitive lamps. If more light was needed, oil lamps or torches were lit.

Dishes

Ceramic art in ancient Greece reached unprecedented heights.
No wonder the largest and oldest district of ancient Athens was the pottery quarter of Keramikos, practically adjoining the central trading square of the Agora.

But the most remarkable feature of the pottery of ancient Greece was the transition from simple geometric patterns to early stages development to real works of art decorating ceramics.

Thanks to these amazing paintings, sometimes real masterpieces that have witnessed the era, we can learn many small details from the everyday life of the ancient Greeks, and some images were accompanied by inscriptions, such as vase kept in the Hermitage.

By the way, even by coloring the images on the dishes, one could determine the time of its creation: black figures on a red background are earlier than red ones on a dark one.

The variety of forms of Greek utensils is also impressive. These are pithoi and skyphoi, amphoras and phials, lekythos and kylixes, craters and hydrias, inochoias and cyathos, kantharas and rhytons. Even archaeologists sometimes puzzle over the purpose of this or that object for a long time.

The Hellenes also used all kinds of comic devices: bowls that poured wine over the one who started drinking from them, or, conversely, did not allow them to quench their thirst, no matter how you tilt them.

Another feature of ancient Greek dishes was the presence, in addition to ordinary household utensils, of a large number of all kinds of large-volume vessels for storing and transporting liquid and bulk products. Undoubtedly, their appearance was facilitated by the all-round development of trade in the Mediterranean.

food and wine

Many products that have become a symbol of the modern Greek table, such as tomatoes, were not yet known in Europe in ancient times. This also applies to potatoes, eggplants, peppers, rice and some other plants.

So beloved by the Greeks tobacco and coffee also appeared much later. Nevertheless other vegetables: cucumbers, carrots, onions, cabbage, zucchini, radishes were widely represented on the tables of the Greeks.

The basis of the daily diet was various legumes: numerous types of beans, peas, lentils, etc. Seafood was of great importance: fish and seafood, which were available in every home. Meat was consumed daily only in rich families, and in simply wealthy, or even more so poor, only on holidays, when sacrifices were made to the gods.

All kinds of cheeses played an exceptional role in the diet. It must be said that the art of cheese making in Greece reached a very high level, and it was widely known and widespread already in the time of Homer. So, in the Odyssey, the Cyclops Polyphemus, who captured sailors, was engaged in the manufacture of cheese from sheep's milk.

Of great importance in the diet of the ancient Hellenes was bread made from wheat or barley flour, of which there were many types. His role was so significant that a meal without bread was even considered sinful, objectionable to the gods. In fact, bread was the basis of the table, while the rest of the dishes were just an addition to it. In addition to unleavened bread, yeast bread was already known, which was considered a delicacy because of its high cost.

And a special form of vessels for leaven was called, by the way, "klibanos". Perhaps the Russian word "bread" also came from this word.

Priceless the gift of the goddess Athena - an olive tree was the subject of constant reverence and gratitude for this gift to the beloved and wise goddess. The value of the olive was that its use did not have any waste: everything from fruits to wood and leaves went into action. Oilseeds and olive oil occupied an overwhelming place in the daily diet.

The cult of the vine and wine, expressed in the worship of one of the beloved Greek gods- Dionysus, was one of the most common in ancient Hellas. Wine in the diet of the Hellenes occupied one of the leading places. Used it three times a day, with every meal.

By the way, the well-known procedure for diluting wine with water played a completely opposite role. The ancients did not dilute wine with water, but added it to the latter in order to disinfect it.

Trade and craft

The first people of ancient times, who lived mainly due to trade, were the Phoenicians - noble merchants and sailors. The Hellenes borrowed a lot from them, including taking the Phoenician script as the basis of their alphabet. And not just borrowed, but significantly developed and improved in the future.

The importance of trade in the life of the Hellenes was so great that The central square of many large cities was the market Agora. But it wasn't just trading. In Athens, for example, on the Agora was the highest rock of the Council and Supreme Court - Areopagus.

People's meetings of free citizens were immediately held, making landmark decisions. Speakers spoke here, and philosophers gave lectures ... Everything, in order to, being engaged social life, not to be distracted from the main business - buying and selling.

Next to the Agora, or even right in the trading pavilions, there were workshops of artisans: weavers, blacksmiths, cabinetmakers, jewelers, etc., and a little further away, to protect against a strong smell, there was a leather production. Many products of ancient artisans still captivate connoisseurs of beauty with their beauty and grace.

The development of trade required the creation of commodity equivalents - banknotes.

It is the ancient Greek measures of weight: talent and drachma, which later became the names of coins, were the first monetary units of the ancient world to become widespread.

Science and education

Everyone knows that Greece is the birthplace of most sciences, and this topic requires a separate large article. Most of the citizens of Hellas were quite educated people. A lack of education was considered even a vice.

For example, there was a law that allowed a son not to take care of his father in old age, which was generally considered a huge sin if the younger could prove that his parent, having the opportunity to do so, did not give his offspring any education.

The sacred island of Crete with a detailed history of the life of the gods - read

There is no doubt that Ancient Greece is an important part of the history of human civilization, which has given a lot for future generations. After all, it was there and then that the foundations of modern knowledge about mathematics, politics, culture, medicine, and philosophy were laid.

Ancient Greece itself left us many myths about gods and heroes. But even around the history and culture of that civilization, there are many misconceptions. But we believe in this truth, which in fact has no basis. In the history of ancient Greece, there are some misconceptions that it is time to debunk.

Myths about the ancient Greeks.

Trojan War. This story is sung by the famous Homer. Who has not heard about the famous war of the Greeks with the Trojans, in which Achilles and Hector proved themselves. Even the gods took part in that epic, sharing sympathy. The very concept of "Trojan horse" has become a well-known aphorism, meaning a gift with a hidden secret meaning. Yes, and the legend of the Achilles' heel appeared from here. But who said that there was such a war at all? Scientists for a long time could not detect at all. When the remains of this supposedly ancient city were found, it became clear that at some point it had indeed been attacked and plundered. But were they the Greeks with their huge army? There is simply no historical confirmation of this whole story and the myths it gave birth to. Troy may have been besieged by someone, only this can be said for sure.

Battle of Thermopylae. We all studied the feat of three hundred Spartans at school. And thanks to the recent creation of Hollywood, people were able to see how it was approximately. But this movie further reinforced the historical untruth. It would be a mistake to assume that a handful of Spartans defended the pass and thereby saved all of Greece. As a result of the battle, the troops of Xerxes were indeed stopped for some time. Nevertheless, the invaders inflicted great damage on Greece, withdrawing only after being defeated in a naval battle. It would be a mistake to assume that it was three hundred Spartans who fought against an entire army. In fact, by the beginning of the battle, the defending forces consisted of seven thousand people. On the last day of the battle, fourteen hundred people remained, three hundred were really Spartans, but after all, four hundred warriors represented Thebes, there were eighty Mycenaeans and seven hundred Thespians. No one denies the combat prowess of the Spartans, just do not exaggerate their merits and importance.

Spartan Warriors. Today we know that the Spartan warriors were some kind of super soldiers. The aforementioned story gave rise to this myth, among other things. It seems to us that all the men in Sparta did nothing but train in preparation for battle. These warriors returned home either with a shield or on a shield. About some other life in his youth, love for women, and there could be no question. Actually this is a myth. Young Spartans really devoted part of their time to military affairs, but the rest of the time they spent together with their peers and peers. Spartan warriors not only trained, but also performed in plays, sang and danced. And when the soldiers became so old that they could no longer fight, they began to train the younger generation. So do not think that in Sparta, men only did what they fought.

Spartan women. Against the background of the previous myth, it seems that women should have been almost in the position of slaves to such strong warlike men. But things were different in Sparta. While the men fought, the women did most of the work. Therefore, this work was highly valued in Spartan society. Even Aristotle spoke of women's high places in Sparta and even their right to own land. The “weaker sex” bore almost complete responsibility in the matter of raising children, society encouraged mental pursuits and exercises in the arts. And yes, it was women who owned most of the land. There is even a legend that once women in Athens asked the Spartan queen why she was allowed to rule over men. To which the ruler of Sparta replied that it was in this city that women give birth to real men.

Greece and homosexuality. It is believed that Greece is not only the birthplace of the arts, but also of various forms of love. The Greeks, and especially the Athenians, were accused of actively cultivating homosexuality by having sex with youths and boys. The men of Ancient Athens became strongly associated for many with pedophiles. In fact, this is a rather complicated question, here you cannot try to clearly find out whether it was or not. In those days, pederasty or intimate relationship between an experienced man and a young teenager were of an intellectual nature. In this way, the teacher could more frankly and deeply establish a relationship with his student. Adult men ended up helping young people find their place in society. It is not at all necessary to speak of mass and encouraged pederasty. Some especially zealous fans of close communication with students were even tried.

Ancient Greek theatre. It seems to us that the ancient Greek theater was a place where large groups of people came to celebrate some kind of holiday. Few people have any idea what the ancient dramas really were. Theatrical performances in ancient Greece were highly symbolic. To understand the play, it was necessary to have certain knowledge about what myths underlie each part of the dialogue, to understand all the symbols used. Often, the audience themselves took part in the production, as is customary in modern stand-up. A theatrical performances were originally part of religious rites.

Olympic Games. The tradition of celebrating originated in Greece. These large-scale competitions were so popular that they are still held today, simply by changing their format to a modern one. But also regarding the history of the Olympic Games, people have various misconceptions. First of all, it is a mistake to assume that the Olympics were held only in antiquity. This tradition continued for many years, even during the reign of the Romans. Only Theodosius did away with the Olympics, in order to finally establish Christianity as the official religion throughout the Roman Empire. It is known that women were strictly forbidden to attend the Olympic Games. But there were exceptions - the priestesses of Demeter. And to prevent women from entering the arena in men's outfits, Olympians eventually began to compete completely naked. In addition, athletes smeared themselves with olive oil, which helped them improve the quality of the skin and make it shiny, visually attractive.

Greek statues. Today, in many museums, we admire the shiny marble ancient statues. At one time, the British took a lot of valuable exhibits to their museums, simply taking them away from the Greeks. This happened during the 19th century. Careless transportation, hostilities or just time spoiled many masterpieces of ancient art. Recall at least Venus de Milo with missing arms. But even here there is a myth - it seems to us that samples of Greek architecture and statues in those days shone with marble in the sun. In fact, both temples and statues were not at all snow-white in those days - they were covered with paint. Over time, it just faded away. One can only imagine how bright and colorful the statues were centuries ago. In addition, many of them also had bronze applications. The statues were often inlaid with black stone, which allowed the eyes of the heroes to look spectacular.

Greek technology. We know that the ancient Greeks were well versed in art, mathematics, philosophy and other areas of life. But how technically advanced they were is often forgotten. At the beginning of the 20th century, a diver exploring the bottom near the island of Andikitira found several green boulders. It turned out that they were part of some mechanical device. Scientists have named it the Antikythera Mechanism. It turned out that this amazing device could do some pretty interesting things. The device could predict solar eclipses and track the cycles of the Olympics. The mechanism had a complex dial, which was synchronized with the Moon and the Sun. In fact, it was the first computer in history. According to some reports, the creator of this device could well be Archimedes, whose mathematical genius is not questioned.

Athenian democracy. Today modern democracy called the heir to the Greek structure of society. In fact, this opinion is erroneous - it was not the Greeks who invented modern democracy, as many believe. And Athenian democracy is markedly different from any modern democratic institution. That ancient form of government was one of the few examples of direct democracy in history. All political questions were to be put to a vote in which all the citizens of Athens took part. True, one should not rush to consider this form of society reasonable, because women and slaves were deprived of the right to vote. Those citizens who were born outside the city could not vote either. Although formally the poor had the right to vote, in fact, few of them could leave their affairs to influence political affairs. So, in fact, only adult and free Athenians, relatively wealthy, took part in the vote. Naturally, they simply could not represent the interests of the entire population. Yes, this form of government had its advantages, especially given the tyranny that was in many cities in Greece. But the very fact that the adoption of the most important decisions for the city was not without ordinary people, became an important political innovation. Now the fate of Athens was determined not only by the rich or aristocrats.

How did concern for beauty and health intertwine in the life of the ancient Greeks? In ancient times, they attached great importance to the external harmony and beauty of a person, admired her and knew a lot about her. Both men and, of course, ancient Greek women wanted to look good.

The endless pursuit in search of the elixir of ideal beauty and youth is familiar to every woman. Before the advent of cosmetics, the fair sex invented many effective ways to take care of themselves.

The beauty secrets of the ancient Greeks

The women of Ancient Greece were proud of their appearance and knew the secrets that, centuries later, are available to any modern beauty.

Greek women paid special attention to water procedures. Each day began with a bath and adding oils to the water, which was soothing and beneficial to the skin. and honey were actively used to moisturize the body, face skin and maintain good condition hair.

In ancient times, the length of the hair spoke not only about the preferences of a person, but also about his social affiliation: short haircuts worn only by slaves. Ancient Greek women preferred their long hair to have a golden hue, which was achieved with the help of vinegar, and wax was used for shine.

Already in ancient times, women knew that men were attracted to hair that left a fragrant trail, and Greek women found a way out. They collected herbs, flowers and spices and then made a decoction with olive oil.

However, men did not lag behind fashion: for example, in the 6th century BC. men's hairstyles were in fashion with long curls. Later, after, the curls began to wear shorter ones. And in general, in ancient Athens, long well-groomed hair was considered a sign of aristocracy. Lycurgus argued that long hair makes a handsome man even more beautiful, and an ugly man even more unattractive.

Ancient hairdressers had an important place in society - they chatted with all the clients and were aware of everything that was happening around. It is said that when the Macedonian king Archelaus came to the barber and he asked how to cut his hair, Archelaus replied: "No further talk." 🙂

Many museums in Greece showcase small vessels used to store ointments and homemade creams. These remedies had different purposes: they relieved rashes, burns, injuries, or simply soothed the skin.

Mixtures of medicinal powders were prepared from aloe juice, cinnamon and honey. All this is not only applied to the skin, but also taken orally after bathing. If the skin needed cleansing, the following remedy helped: a tablespoon of heavy cream was mixed with a teaspoon of sea salt, the mixture was applied to the skin of the face and washed off after massaging.

Hippocrates, although he was not a woman, pleased with his discoveries not only ancient, but also modern ladies. In his treatises on medicine, separate works were devoted to cosmetology. To this day, many are grateful to the doctor for describing the amazing properties of clay. White clay helps to get rid of acne, increases blood circulation and strengthens hair. Blue clay reduces the depth of wrinkles, cleanses the skin, helps fight allergies, and has anti-inflammatory properties.

“And how to take care of the eyelids and delicate skin under the eyes?” – this question really excites women. The ancient Greeks had effective way. They smeared the area around the eyes with warm olive oil and massaged it, and washed it off after half an hour. Daily repetition of this procedure allowed to smooth wrinkles.

To maintain the ideal condition of the skin of the body, Greek women also created a special tool. For 400 g of rose petals, we took 500 g of olive oil, insisted this mixture for a week, filtered and added a few tablespoons to the bath. This recipe is guaranteed to give the skin elasticity and softness.

At all times, people alike aspired to the ideal, but achieved the desired different ways. Ancient beauties had beauty and knew many recipes for achieving this beauty, so modern women have no reason not to trust them.

ancient greek word ψιμυθίασις meant "make-up", and came from the word "blush". Ancient Greek women actively used face paints. Here is what an ancient writer named Ishomachos writes:

“I noticed that my wife was preening herself: she smeared lead white on her face to make it look whiter than it really is, rouged her cheeks to make them look rosier than they really are, and put on sandals with heels to appear taller than they are. really…”

So, dear men were ironic about our attempts to embellish a few thousand years ago! 🙂

We will talk about the life of the ancient Greeks, after all, it was significantly different from the modern one. Perhaps it is worth taking something useful from the ancients!

Elena Meteleva