Greece/ˈɡriːs/ⓘ (
Greek: Ελλάδα,
Ellada), officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία, Elliniki Dimokratia), and historically Hellas (
Ancient Greek: Ἑλλάς, Hellas; Modern
Greek: Ελλάς, Ellas), is a country in the southeast of
Europe on the southern tip of the
Balkan peninsula. Bounded on land by
Bulgaria,
North Macedonia, and
Albania to the north, to the east by
Turkey and the waters of the
Aegean Sea and to the west and south by the
Ionian and
Mediterranean Seas. Regarded by many as the cradle of Western civilisation, Greece has a long and rich history during which it spread its influence over three continents. Read more...
Following the Italian invasion on 28 October 1940, Greece, with British air and material support, repelled the initial Italian attack and a counter-attack in March 1941. When the German invasion, known as Operation Marita, began on 6 April, the bulk of the
Greek Army was on the Greek border with
Albania, then a vassal of Italy, from which the Italian troops had attacked.
German troops invaded from
Bulgaria, creating a second front. Greece received a small reinforcement from
British,
Australian and
New Zealand forces in anticipation of the German attack. The Greek army found itself outnumbered in its effort to defend against both Italian and German troops. As a result, the
Metaxas defensive line did not receive adequate troop reinforcements and was quickly overrun by the Germans, who then outflanked the Greek forces at the Albanian border, forcing their surrender. British, Australian and New Zealand forces were overwhelmed and forced to retreat, with the ultimate goal of evacuation. For several days, Allied troops played an important part in containing the German advance on the
Thermopylae position, allowing ships to be prepared to evacuate the units defending Greece. The
German Army reached the capital,
Athens, on 27 April and Greece's southern shore on 30 April, capturing 7,000 British, Australian and New Zealand personnel and ending the battle with a decisive victory. The conquest of Greece was completed with the capture of Crete a month later. Following its fall, Greece was occupied by the military forces of Germany, Italy and Bulgaria. (Full article...)
Image 9A page from a 16th-century edition of the 10th century Byzantine
encyclopaedia of the ancient Mediterranean world, the
Suda. (from Culture of Greece)
Image 31Shards of pottery vases on the street, after being thrown from the windows of nearby houses. A
Holy Saturday tradition in
Corfu. (from Culture of Greece)
Image 53The most famous artist born in Greece was probably Doménikos Theotokópoulos, better known as
El Greco (The Greek) in Spain. He did most of his painting there during the late 1500s and early 1600s. (from Culture of Greece)
Image 71The ancient theatre of
Epidaurus continues to be used for staging ancient Greek plays. (from Culture of Greece)
Image 72The I Battalion of the
Army of National Defence marches on its way to the front, 1916. Greece joined united with the Allies side in summer 1917. (from History of Greece)
Image 73Alexander the Great also known as Alexander III, king of Macedon, was one of the most successful military commanders in history. (from Culture of Greece)
...that the
Greco-Buddhist art is an artistic manifestation of
Greco-Buddhism, a cultural syncretism between the Greek culture and Buddhism, which developed in Central Asia after the conquests of
Alexander the Great?
...that the country's highest mountain,
Mount Olympus was said to be the home of the
Greek Gods in ancient Greek religion?
...that the
Olympic Games, originated in Greece 3000 years ago, and that the 1st games of the
modern Olympics were held in Greece in 1896, as a revival of the Games?
...that the Greek state comprises only the centre of the
ancient Greek world, which comprised also Southern Italy, the coastal areas of modern Turkey and the Black Sea, as well as some colonies in North Africa, Southern France and Spain?
...that even though the modern Greek state was established in 1832, some areas of
Greece were not liberated until after the
Balkan Wars and
WW2?
In Greece, from ancient times down to the present, has been produced countless world-famous poetry in addition to philosophers like
Socrates,
Plato and
Aristotle and historians like
Herodotus and
Thucydides. Notable figures of modern Greek literature include
Odysseas Elytis and
Constantine Cavafy.
Sing, O goddess, the anger of Achilles son of Peleus, that brought countless ills upon the Achaeans. Many a brave soul did it send hurrying down to Hades, and many a hero did it yield a prey to dogs and vultures, for so were the counsels of Zeus fulfilled from the day on which the son of Atreus, king of men, and great Achilles, first fell out with one another.
Greek art began in the Cycladic and Minoan prehistorical civilization. The art of ancient Greece has exercised an enormous influence on the culture of many countries from ancient times until the present, particularly in the areas of sculpture and architecture. In the West, the art of the
Roman Empire was largely derived from Greek models. In the East, Alexander the Great's conquests initiated several centuries of exchange between Greek, Central Asian and Indian cultures. During the
Renaissance , the
humanist aesthetic and the high technical standards of Greek art inspired generations of European artists.Read more...
A short video of the main sites at the ancient sanctuary of
Delphi in
Central Greece. Delphi was considered to be the center of the world by the Greeks and the most important oracle in the Greek world.