Cruising Greece, history & culture

History

During the Bronze Age (3000-1200 BC) the powerful Cycladic, Minoan and Mycenaean maritime civilisations flourished. According to Homer, this was a time of violence and wars based on trade rivalries, although it is thought that Minoan culture was generally peaceful and harmonious. By the 11th century BC the Minoan and Mycenaean cultures had collapsed due to changing patterns of trade and a Dorian invasion from the north, and a 'dark age' ensued.

By 800 BC Greece was undergoing a cultural and military revival, with the evolution of city-states, the most powerful of which were Athens and Sparta. Greater Greece was created, with southern Italy as an important component. This period was followed by an era of great prosperity known as the classical (or golden) age. During this time, Pericles commissioned the Parthenon, Sophocles wrote Oedipus the King, Socrates taught young Athenians the rigours of logic, and a tradition of democracy (literally, 'control by the people') was ushered in. The classical age came to an end with the Peloponnesian Wars (431-404 AD) in which the militaristic Spartans defeated the Athenians.

While embroiled in the Peloponnesian Wars, the Spartans failed to notice the expansion of Philip of Macedon's kingdom in the north, which enabled him to easily conquer the war-weary city-states. Philip's ambitions were surpassed by his son Alexander the Great, who marched into Asia Minor, Egypt (where he was proclaimed pharaoh and founded the city of Alexandria), Persia and parts of what are now Afghanistan and India. The reign of the Macedonian empire, which lasted in the form of three dynasties after Alexander's death at the age of 33, is known as the Hellenistic period, due to the merging of Greek ideas and culture with the other proud cultures of antiquity, creating a new cosmopolitan tradition.

From 205 BC there were Roman incursions into Greece, and by 146 BC Greece and Macedonia had become Roman provinces. After the subdivision of the Roman Empire into Eastern and Western empires in 395 AD, Greece became part of the illustrious Byzantine Empire. By the 12th century, the Crusades were in full flight and Byzantine power was much reduced by invasions by Venetians, Catalans, Genoese, Franks and Normans.

In 1453 the Turks captured the Byzantine capital, Constantinople, and by 1500 almost all of Greece had also fallen under Turkish control. The lands of present-day Greece became a rural backwater, with many merchants, intellectuals and artists exiled in central Europe. It was traditional village life and Orthodox religion that held together the notion of Greekness. A cultural revival in the late 18th century precipitated the War of Independence (1821-32), during which aristocratic young philhellenes such as Byron, Shelley and Goethe supported the Greeks in their battle against the Turks. The independence movement lacked unity, however, and in 1827 Russia, France and Britain decided to intervene. After independence, the European powers decided Greece should become a monarchy, with a non-Greek ruler to frustrate Greek power struggles, and installed Otto of Bavaria as king in 1833. The monarchy, with an assortment of kings at the helm, held on despite popular opposition until well into the 20th century, although George I established a new constitution in 1864 that returned democracy and pushed the king into a largely ceremonial role.

Greece - Culture

A thriving visual-arts scene exists, and traditional folk crafts such as embroidery, weaving and tapestry continue.

Greek literature's ancient heritage spans poetry, drama, philosophical and historical treatises, and travelogues. Homer (9th century BC), author of The Iliad and The Odyssey, was the greatest ancient Greek writer. The world's first travel writer was Pausanias, who, in the 2nd century BC, wrote The Guide to Greece. Umpteen editions later, it is now available in English in paperback. Sappho (who lived on the island of Lesvos in the 5th century BC) is famous for her love poetry dedicated to women. These days, the novelist Nikos Kazantzakis is the most widely read Greek writer, and there is a vibrant poetic tradition in modern Greece that includes the Nobel laureates George Seferis and Odysseus Elytis.

In summer, Greek dramas are staged in the ancient theatres where they were originally performed.

Greece's most acclaimed film director is Theodoros Angelopoulos, whose films include The Beekeeper and Travelling Players.

Much of Greece's culinary heritage can be sourced to the 400 years of Turkish rule, particularly appetisers such as tzatziki (cucumber and yoghurt dip) and octopus pickled in lemon juice and olive oil. Cheap snacks such as souvlaki (skewered, grilled meat in pita bread) and spanakopita (spinach and cheese pie) are easy to find. Popular main dishes include mousakas (eggplant baked with minced meat and béchamel sauce), stuffed tomatoes, and freshly grilled seafood. The mainstay of the Greek diet is the ubiquitous horiatiki salata (country salad), consisting of cucumber, tomatoes, onions, feta cheese and olives. Greek yoghurt, more like sour cream than the thin sharp-tasting version available in most countries, is delicious and sold everywhere. The old joke about the Greek woman who used to shout to her husband 'Come and eat your lunch before it gets hot' is based on truth, for Greek food is invariably served lukewarm. Typical Greek drinks include retsina, ouzo, tsipouro and raki.