Welcome to Ancient Greece!
During the "Classical Era" early civilizations spread beyond river valleys. Some of these civilizations achieved enough power to conquer neighbors and create large empires. This was a time when civilizations also began to reflect more on morality and the meaning of life.
These same civilizations developed institutions, systems of thought and cultural styles that still influence us today. Their art, music and literature set the standards against which later works would be judged. People still admire the marble statutes of Greek Sculptors and read Greek Playwrights and philosophers, more than 2,000 years later. For these reasons, we refer to Ancient Greece as one of the "classical" civilizations, meaning of the highest class or rank.
These same civilizations developed institutions, systems of thought and cultural styles that still influence us today. Their art, music and literature set the standards against which later works would be judged. People still admire the marble statutes of Greek Sculptors and read Greek Playwrights and philosophers, more than 2,000 years later. For these reasons, we refer to Ancient Greece as one of the "classical" civilizations, meaning of the highest class or rank.