THE BEECHMONT CREST GUIDE TO ANCIENT GREECE
Ancient Greece was a land divided
Let’s begin with a few facts about the modern country of Greece. Greece has a population of about 10 million people. It is a member of the United Nations, the European Union, and NATO. The Greek flag bears nine equal horizontal stripes of blue alternating with white. In the upper left corner of the flag is a cross that symbolizes the Greek Orthodox religion.
This version of Greece dates back only to 1829, when the Greeks won their independence from the Ottoman Empire. For centuries before that date, Greek affairs were governed from Istanbul, the center of the Ottoman Empire (in present-day Turkey). Before the Ottomans, the Greeks had other masters. Greece became a province of the Roman Empire in 146 B.C. Two hundred years before that, Greece was conquered by Macedon, a Greek-speaking kingdom located in the northern part of the peninsula.
Why did the Greeks lose their independence so early in their history? After all, they did not lack raw martial prowess. Ancient Greece was home to a several major military powers. The Spartans’ entire culture was dedicated to the development of its army. Athens was also powerful entity in its own right; the Athenian navy was especially formidable in its day.
At least part of the answer lies in the political divisions mentioned in the above section. In classical times, Greek nationalism was a fuzzy concept at best. The Greeks shared common cultural elements and a common language—but not political unity. Political loyalty was based on the concept of the polis: the small community surrounding a particular town or city.
Polis is derived from the ancient Greek polis (πόλις). The plural form of the word is poleis.
Sports fans will be able to relate to this concept of localized loyalties. If you happen to live in Chicago, then perhaps you are a Chicago Bulls fan. During basketball season, your loyalty to your city grows deeper. When the Bulls are in the NBA playoffs, your loyalty to Chicago might temporarily seem stronger than your loyalty to the United States. Suppose that the Bulls are about to play an important game against the Indiana Pacers, a team based in Indianapolis. Just before and during the big game, you may view Indiana fans as citizens of a rival country.