The Greeks wrote a great deal, and a surprising amount of what they wrote is still available to us today. Their literature consisted of poems, epics and plays as well as historical and philosophical writings. The great poets of early Greece include Hesiod, Sappho and Archilocus. Plays were divided into comedies and tragedies, and some of the great playwrights were Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides, Aristophanes, and Menander.
Ancient Greek philosophy is dominated by three very famous men- Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. All three of these lived in Athens for most of their lives, and they knew each other. Socrates came first, and Plato was his student. Aristotle, who was younger, came to study at Plato’s school, and ended up starting his own school as well.
Ancient Greek architecture reached its heights in the many magnificent temples, monuments, theatres and public places. The ancient Greeks invented three types of columns that were used all over ancient Greece. The columns were placed to support a building, but also adjusted in size and angle. The Greek architectural style may be found not only in Greece, but throughout the Mediterranean.
