* City-states: Greece was divided into many independent city-states, each with its own government, laws, and culture.
* Democracy: Athens was the first democracy in the world. Citizens (adult male landowners) had the right to vote and participate in government.
* Philosophy: Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle were some of the most influential philosophers in history.
* Art and architecture: The Parthenon and other temples on the Acropolis in Athens are some of the most famous works of art in the world.
* Literature: The Iliad and the Odyssey, two epic poems by Homer, are some of the oldest and most influential works of literature in the world.
Hellenistic Greece (3rd to 1st century BCE)
* Empire: After Alexander the Great conquered the Persian Empire, Greece became part of a large empire that stretched from Greece to India.
* Cultural exchange: The Hellenistic period was a time of great cultural exchange between Greece and other cultures. Greek ideas and culture spread throughout the empire, and new ideas and cultures were introduced to Greece.
* Science and technology: The Hellenistic period saw many advances in science and technology, including the development of the astrolabe, a device used to measure the positions of stars and planets.
* Art and architecture: Hellenistic art and architecture was influenced by both Greek and Eastern cultures. The Colossus of Rhodes, a giant statue of the sun god Helios, was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
* Literature: The Hellenistic period saw the rise of new genres of literature, such as the novel and the pastoral. Theocritus was a famous pastoral poet who wrote about the lives of shepherds and farmers.