Life In Ancient Greece Essay, Research Paper

The way of life in Greek city-states remained

mostly the same for a long time. Depending on their wealth, people in the

urban center lived in low apartment buildings or single-family homes. Homes,

public buildings, and temples were where people gathered for conversation

and to buy food and crafts at daily markets. Citizens also lived in small

villages or farmhouses scattered around the city-state’s countryside. In

Athens, more people lived outside the city’s wall than inside.

Houses were simple, containing bedrooms,

storage rooms, and a kitchen around a small inner courtyard, but no bathrooms.

Waste was dumped in a pit outside the door and then collected for disposal

in the countryside. Most families consisted of parents and their children,

but generally no other relatives. Fathers were responsible for supporting

the family by work or by investments in land and commerce. Mothers were

responsible for managing the household’s supplies and overseeing the slaves,

who fetched water in jugs from public fountains, cooked, cleaned, and looked

after babies. Light came from olive oil lamps, heat from smoky charcoal

braziers. Furniture was simple and sparse, usually consisting of wooden

chairs, tables, and beds.

Food was simple too; they grew olives,

grapes, figs, and some grains, like wheat and barley, and kept goats to

provide milk and cheese. Bakeries sold fresh bread daily, and small stands

offered snacks. Most people also raised chickens and ate eggs regularly.

Although the soil was poor for growing many types of grains, olive trees

and grapes grew quite well in Greece and they still do today. Fish,

seafood, and wine diluted with water were very popular food items. In some

of the larger Greek city-states, meat could be purchased in cook shops.

Meat was rarely eaten, and was used mostly for religious sacrifices.

Men kept fit by exercising daily to be

ready for military service. Every city-state had at least one gymnasium,

a combination exercise building, running track, bathing facility, lecture

hall, and park, open only to males. Men who lived in the city went there

for physical training, ball games, gambling, and relaxation. Women entertained

themselves by visiting friends and attending public festivals.

City-state festivals provided the most

exciting entertainment. Gods were honored with competitions in music, dance,

drama, and poetry. Athens boasted of holding a festival nearly every other

day. The huge Panhellenic festivals held at Olympia, Delphi, Nemea, and

Isthmia attracted spectators and professional contestants from throughout

the Greek world. Athletes and musicians who won competitions became rich

and famous. The most spectacular event was chariot racing, which required

excellent horses.