The ancient greeks were very fond of their food, gods and sports.
Delphi was one of the holiest places in ancient Greece. People travelled from all over the country to visit a famous priestess called the Pythia. She was said to offer advice from Apollo, the god of sun. Before making her prophecies, the Pythia would go into a trance by breathing in vapours rising from a crack in the ground. Delphi was also home to the Pythian Games. These were like the Olympic Games but included acting, painting and dancing events, as well as athletics.
Olympia was home to the ancient Olympic Games. Every 4 years, athletes came from all over Greece to compete in running, wrestling, boxing, jumping, throwing and horse racing. The Olympic Games were also a religious festival dedicated to the god Zeus. Visitors stared in wonder at the huge gold and ivory statue of him inside the Temple of Zeus. There was also the Great Altar of Zeus, where 100 oxen were sacrificed in his honour every year.
The Spartans were very serious soldiers and they spent their entire lives training for battle. Boys left their families when they were seven years old to begin their 23 years of training to become a soldier. Only those who made it through this gruelling system were considered true Spartan citizens. Sparta was ruled by two kings, who were supposed to be descendants of Heracles. One king might stay at home, while the other was away fighting battles. The most famous king of Sparta was Leonidas. He led 300 Spartans against the Persian army at the Battle of Thermopylae.
Around 400BC, Corinth was one of the largest and most important cities in ancient Greece. It was located right at the centre of Greece, so was in a good place for trade. Corinthians used a special type of silver coin called a stater. Traders had to use these for buying and selling when they were in the city. On one side of the coin was a winged-horse called Pegasus and on the other was the goddess Athena.
Between 500BC and 400BC, Athens was the most important city in the world. Many of ancient Greece's greatest thinkers, artists and writers lived here. At the centre of Athens is a rocky hill called the Acropolis. This was the site of the city’s most important temples. The largest temple was called the Parthenon. Inside there was a stunning gold and ivory statue of the goddess of the city, Athena. Athens was also the world's first democracy. Instead of being ruled by a king, Athenian citizens would meet to decide how the city should be run. However, not everyone got a say - women, slaves and foreigners were not allowed to vote.
Knossos was the oldest city in Greece. It was located on the island of Crete and was the centre of the Minoan civilisation. At the heart of the city was the Palace of Knossos. This vast building had over 1,000 rooms, some decorated with beautiful paintings of dolphins and bulls. Legend has it that Knossos was also home to a man-eating bull, called the Minotaur, which roamed the palace labyrinth.