Indholdsfortegnelse for November/December 2021 i Faces People, Places, and World Culture for Kids and Children

Ancient Greek culture is around every corner in Athens. The city is a mix of old and new—a modern hotel is just blocks from 2,000-year-old ruins. Here are five fascinating facts to get you started in this city of Athena. 1 Athens was named for the goddess Athena. In a contest between Athena and Poseidon, the god of the sea, the people of the city felt Athena’s gift of an olive tree was more useful than a salty spring of water that Poseidon bestowed upon the city. 2 The Greek alphabet shaped the vocabulary of Western languages, including English. Greek provides the vocabulary for many arts and sciences. Many English prefixes and suffixes ome from Greek. For example, the prefi “psycho,” as in psychology, means “the mind” or “mental activity.”…

Imagine you are a citizen of Athens, Greece, enjoying a warm Mediterranean night in the Theater of Herodes Atticus. You are wearing jeans and a T-shirt, listening to a great concert. Now back this picture up about 1,850 years. You are in the same seat, but you are watching classical Greek entertainment and wearing a simple chiton (KYE-ton), or tunic. The city of Athens is a fun mix of the old and the new, the classic and the modern. Often a little shop is located next to the ruins of a temple, which is only a block from a large, air-conditioned hotel. The great city of 2,500 years ago is still visible. Ruins are the most obvious sign of ancient Athens, and the most famous of these are those of…

The idea of a democratic form of government is closely associated with many modern countries, including the United States. But democracy—in a direct form—was first documented in ancient Greece, particularly in the city-state of Athens. Tradition says that, in 621 B.C.E, the people of Athens entrusted the lawgiver Draco with writing down their laws. In turn, Draco’s codification weakened the nobles’ power. In 594 B.C.E., a statesman named Solon was appointed a special magistrate with the power to revise Draco’s laws. Solon made many important changes. He freed all who had been made slaves as punishment for failing to pay their debts, and he abolished the laws that had permitted such enslavement. Solon then set up a People’s Court, which was manned by sworn jurors. It gave dissatisfied citizens the…

LOCATION: Athens is located on the Attica peninsula in southeastern Greece. It is Greece’s capital and largest city. It is one of the oldest cities in the world—evidence of human habitation dates back as far as 5000 B.C.E. POPULATION: 3.7 million (metro area) TERRAIN: Athens is a hilly city surrounded by mountains on three sides. HIGHEST POINT: Mount Lycabettus (also called Lycabettus Hill) 909 feet CLIMATE: Mediterranean (hot, sunny summers and mild, rainy winters) LANGUAGE: Greek RELIGION: Greek Orthodox NICKNAME: The Violet-Crowned City…

“It’s Greek to me” is often said when something is beyond one’s understanding or is especially difficult. But nothing could be further from the truth when it comes to the Greek language. The Greek alphabet and language look and sound exotic and complicated, but they shaped the vocabulary of Western languages, including English. When early peoples began to write, they drew pictures that represented what they were writing about. In about 2000 B.C.E, early Greeks known as Minoans (mi-NOHahns) developed a system of picture or hieroglyphic (HI-roh-GLIF-ik) writing. They used this system to keep accurate records of goods they stored and exported. Their picture writing spread from the island of Crete to mainland Greece. By 1100 B.C.E, the Greek world was crumbling. As the Greeks abandoned their cities, they forgot…

Tzatziki. Dolmades. Spanakopita. These are words that don’t really trip off the tongue, but they will ripple and rage with flavor in the mouth. You’ve probably had pita bread, munched on moussaka, and nibbled on feta cheese. But have you ever savored a gemista or downed a hearty bowl of chicken bamies? Forget grabbing a quick burger in Athens—reach for a souvlaki sammie, which are as popular and convenient as any cheeseburger. And of course, you must try that most delicate of pastry desserts, tiropita, phyllo drenched in local chestnut honey. A bounty from the sun and the sea, Athens’ Greek fare is more than simply feeding an empty belly. It’s a mindset, a philosophy of eating, and one of the healthiest diets in the world. A Timeless Cuisine Like…

“The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not winning, but taking part; the essential thing in life is not conquering, but fighting well.”—Pierre de Coubertin, French educator Although Citius, altius, fortius (“Swifter, higher, stronger”) is the Latin motto of the modern Olympic Games, athletes have been striving to improve their athletic skills since ancient times. All over ancient Greece, people held athletic contests, dance contests, and horse, boat, and torch races. Greek literature describes the many sports that were popular in ancient times; murals and statues show discus throwers, wrestlers, and charioteers. Organized games in Greece began 3,500 years ago. By the sixth century B.C.E., there were several Greek sporting festivals, but the most important one took place in Olympia every fourth summer. The Olympic Games were held…

Ancient Greek art is some of the most influentia in history. Many of its styles are still used. During the height of the ancient Greek empire, art and artists thrived because of general wealth and prosperity. Although paintings from that time have not survived because they were done on wood panels or walls, we know that painting was highly developed because many have survived on the surfaces of pottery and vases. Initially, painting on vases was considered an important form of art, but as vases began to be mass-produced, the art became less significant Vases were sold to people throughout the Greek empire. More than 100,000 pieces have survived and have been collected by museums worldwide. You can recreate some specific elements of Greek-inspired pottery. How about giving it a…

Sea turtles are an ancient species. About 110 million years ago, they might have shared their beaches with duck-billed dinosaurs. Now, these air-breathing reptiles spend most of their adult lives at sea, only returning to land to lay eggs. The loggerhead turtle is the largest of all hard-shelled turtles, named for its massive head and strong jaws. It has a heart-shaped, reddish-brown carapace (shell) and front flippers that it uses like wings to move through water. The hind feet help steer and keep the turtle stable. Its strong jaws can crush hard-shelled conchs (sea snails with spiral shells) and horseshoe crabs. Loggerheads also eat jellyfish, shrimp, sponges, fishes, and sometimes free-floating brown algae called sargassum. Because the loggerhead is a keystone species, other animals in the ecosystem depend on it…

The Huge Temple to the goddess Athena, the Parthenon, has sat atop the Acropolis, a large hill in the center of Athens, Greece, for more than two thousand years. The temple was completed in 438 B.C.E., and an enormous gold-and-ivory statue of Athena was placed in the cella (the inner chamber of the temple). For the next 700 years, the building stood relatively untouched (the enormous statue of Athena was replaced by a smaller marble, one probably in the second century B.C.E.). Sometime in the third century C.E, however, a great fire destroyed the temple’s roof and the inside of the cella. Scholars think that the Herulians, a tribe that invaded Athens from the north in C.E. 267, were responsible. Some years later, the Athenians repaired the temple with the…

Thrilling Greek stories about gods, heroes, and monsters told more than 2,700 years ago have had a lasting effect. Here is how Greek myths and gods still factor into our everyday lives. MYTHS Before the invention of modern sciences, ancient Greeks tried to explain natural events such as fire, earthquakes, sunsets, volcanic eruptions, thunderstorms, and the seasons through stories. These stories are still popular today—and that’s no myth! Where Did Fire Come From? Prometheus stole fire from his fellow gods. He took it to give to humans for light, warmth, and cooking food. What Causes Earthquakes? Every time that Poseidon, powerful god of the sea, crashed his trident to the ground, the Earth shook. How Does the Sun Rise and Set? The sun was pulled in a golden chariot by…

Beyond the Parthenon: Explore Athens Athens has many famous attractions that people all over the world recognize. But what are some of Athens’ secret treasures? The Olive Tree of the Acropolis Legend has it that Athena, the goddess of wisdom, planted an olive tree at the Acropolis. One has grown there ever since ancient times, and when the tree has been damaged, a branch or cutting is always saved to grow a new tree. Agia Dynami The Agia Dynami church is a beautiful, tiny church built in the 16th century. But what makes it unusual is that it’s almost completely surrounded by a modern building. It’s still a functioning church, even if it does look a little out of place. Lycabettus Funicular Are all those hills and stairs of Athens…