Topic summary
Greek civilization
Extracted from the Wikipedia article Culture of Greece.
Ancient Greece
The first great ancient Greek civilization were the Minoans, a Bronze AgeAegean civilization on Crete and other Aegean Islands, that flourished from c. 3000 BC to c. 1450 BC and, after a late period of decline, finally ended around 1100 BC during the early Greek Dark Ages. At the height of their power, they built architecture ranging from city houses and Minoan palaces. Exemplary of this construction was the palace at Knossos, which was composed of two to three levels, had over 500 rooms, and many terraces with porticos and stairs. The interior of this palace included monumental reception halls, vast apartments for the queen and bridesmaids, bathtubs with complete sewage and drainage systems, food deposits, shops, theatres, sport arenas, and other amenities. The walls were built of high-quality masonry that was covered with highly decorated frescos.