Ancient Greece and the Olympics, page 1
A Note from
Mary Pope Osborne About the
When I write Magic Tree House® adventures, I love including facts about the times and places Jack and Annie visit. But when readers finish these adventures, I want them to learn even more. So that’s why my husband, Will, and my sister, Natalie Pope Boyce, and I write a series of nonfiction books that are companions to the fiction titles in the Magic Tree House® series. We call these books Fact Trackers because we love to track the facts! Whether we’re researching dinosaurs, pyramids, Pilgrims, sea monsters, or cobras, we’re always amazed at how wondrous and surprising the real world is. We want you to experience the same wonder we do—so get out your pencils and notebooks and hit the trail with us. You can be a Magic Tree House® Fact Tracker, too!
Here’s what kids, parents, and teachers have to say about the Magic Tree House® Fact Trackers
“They are so good. I can’t wait for the next one. All I can say for now is prepare to be amazed!”
—Alexander N.
“I have read every Magic Tree House book there is. The [Fact Trackers] are a thrilling way to get more information about the special events in the story.”
—John R.
“These are fascinating nonfiction books that enhance the magical time-traveling adventures of Jack and Annie. I love these books, especially American Revolution. I was learning so much, and I didn’t even know it!”
—Tori Beth S.
“[They] are an excellent ‘behind-the-scenes’ look at what the [Magic Tree House fiction] has started in your imagination! You can’t buy one without the other; they are such a complement to one another.”
—Erika N., mom
“Magic Tree House [Fact Trackers] took my children on a journey from Frog Creek, Pennsylvania, to so many significant historical events! The detailed manuals are a remarkable addition to the classic fiction Magic Tree House books we adore!”
—Jenny S., mom
“[They] are very useful tools in my classroom, as they allow for students to be part of the planning process. Together, we find facts in the [Fact Trackers] to extend the learning introduced in the fictional companions. Researching and planning classroom activities, such as our class Olympics based on facts found in Ancient Greece and the Olympics, help create a genuine love for learning!”
—Paula H., teacher
Text copyright © 2004 by Mary Pope Osborne and Natalie Pope Boyce
Illustrations copyright © 2004 by Sal Murdocca
Cover photograph copyright © Gianni Dagli Orti/CORBIS
All rights reserved. Published in the United States by Random House Children’s Books, a division of Random House, Inc., New York. Originally published by Random House Children’s Books, New York, in 2004.
Random House and the colophon are registered trademarks and A Stepping Stone Book and the colophon are trademarks of Random House, Inc. Magic Tree House is a registered trademark of Mary Pope Osborne; used under license.
The Magic Tree House Fact Tracker series was formerly known as the Magic Tree House Research Guide series.
Visit us on the Web!
MagicTreeHouse.com
randomhouse.com/kids
Educators and librarians, for a variety of teaching tools, visit us at randomhouse.com/teachers
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Osborne, Mary Pope.
Ancient Greece and the Olympics: a nonfiction companion to magic tree house #16, hour of the olympics / by Mary Pope Osborne and Natalie Pope Boyce ; illustrated by Sal Murdocca.
p. cm. — (Magic tree house fact tracker)
“Originally published by Random House, New York, in 2004.”
Includes index.
“A Stepping Stone book.”
eISBN: 978-0-307-97528-7
1. Olympic games (Ancient)—Juvenile literature. I. Boyce, Natalie Pope.
II. Murdocca, Sal, ill. III. Osborne, Mary Pope. Hour of the Olympics. IV. Title.
GV23.O73 2011 796.48—dc22 2011006591
Random House Children’s Books supports the First Amendment
and celebrates the right to read.
v3.1
For Bill Kruse
Scientific Consultant:
DR. MIKE NORRIS, Associate Museum Educator, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
Very special thanks to Will Osborne, for his invaluable encouragement and help.
We would also like to acknowledge Pam Kosty and the staff at the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology; Paul Coughlin for his ongoing photographic contribution to the series; and, as always, the great creative team at Random House: Joanne Yates, Angela Roberts, Cathy Goldsmith, Mallory Loehr, and especially our editor, Shana Corey, whose patience, skill, and diligence made this book possible.
Cover
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
1. Ancient Greece
2. Religion
3. Daily Life in Ancient Greece
4. The Culture of Ancient Greece
5. Early Olympics
6. Olympic Grounds
7. Let the Games Begin!
8. The Olympics Today
Doing More Research
Index
About the Author
Greece is a small country that lies on the Mediterranean Sea. It is a land of tall mountains and deep valleys. Much of the soil is dry and rocky. Olive groves and grapevines dot the hillsides.
People first settled in Greece thousands of years ago. They were simple shepherds, farmers, and fishermen. As the years passed, the country changed. Greeks lived in cities as well as in the country.
The ancient (AIN-shunt) Greeks became great artists, writers, builders, and thinkers. By 500 BC, Greek culture had spread all around the Mediterranean and Black seas.
Ancient means “very old.”
Athens
Ancient Greece was divided into about 300 city-states, or poleis (POE-lace). A city-state was made up of a city and the countryside around it. The city governed the city-state. Athens was one of the most powerful city-states. It got its name from Athena, the goddess of wisdom.
Athens was a center of art and learning. The people who lived in Athens were called Athenians (uh-THEE-nee-unz). Athenians loved beauty. They built great buildings. They created wonderful art. They wrote poetry and plays. They studied math and science.
Athens had one of the first democratic (dem-uh-KRA-tick) governments in the world. This means that the people, not a king, ran the government.
Voting was very important in ancient Greek democracy. In Athens, only male citizens (SIT-uh-zunz) 20 years old or older could vote. A citizen was usually someone born in Athens. Women could not vote. Slaves could not be citizens and had no voting rights.
Over half the people in Athens were slaves.
Sparta
Sparta was a powerful rival (RIE-vul) of Athens. Sparta and Athens often fought one another. But sometimes they joined together to fight other countries.
Rivals compete with each other.
Sparta was not a democracy like Athens. It was ruled by two kings.
Greek soldiers sometimes rode into battle on elephants.
Spartans were warriors. They spent much of their time training for war. They didn’t share the Athenians’ love of beauty and learning. They left behind no beautiful buildings or art.
Athens and Sparta were very different. But even though the city-states were not all alike, they had many things in common. Everyone spoke Greek. They worshiped the same gods. They had many of the same customs. And they were all proud to call themselves Greek.
Most cities in Greece were near the Mediterranean Sea. There were few roads. Traveling by boat was usually easier than traveling over the hilly land.
Religion was a big part of Greek life. Greeks worshiped many different gods. They imagined the gods looked and acted like humans with special powers. They told stories about the gods’ adventures. These stories were called myths.
The Greeks believed there were 12 major gods. They thought these gods lived on top of the tallest mountain in Greece. It was called Olympus (oh-LIM-pus). The Greeks believed the gods lived happy lives on Olympus. Everyone thought they rested all day and ate wonderful food called ambrosia (am-BRO-zhuh).
People believed the gods punished them when they were angry. To please the gods, people honored them with gifts and prayers. Families often had altars in the house. They prayed to their favorite gods for protection.
Temples
The Greeks built temples for the gods. Temples were often the largest buildings in ancient Greece. Many were very beautiful. Each temple had a statue of a god inside. Some temple statues were 40 feet tall. That’s as tall as a school bus standing on end! Sometimes the statues were covered with gold and ivory.
Festivals
The Greeks held festivals to honor the gods. A festival was an exciting event.
People often traveled to the festival from miles away. They walked to the temple in lines called processions (pruh-SEH-shunz). They brought food, animals, and other gifts to offer the gods.
Sometimes men and women had separate festivals.
When they arrived, they sometimes washed the temple statue. Then they put new clothes on it.
Festivals often included sporting events. Greeks believed sports honored the gods. People also danced and made music. They believed all these things made the gods happy.
Zeus
(zoose)
Zeus was ruler of the gods. He was god of the sky, clouds, and rain. When Zeus was angry, he hurled thunder and bolts of lightning down to earth. Zeus re-warded people who pleased him. But if someone made him mad, watch out! One of Zeus’s enemies was named Atlas (AT-lus). Zeus made Atlas hold up the sky on his back forever!
Atlas is also the name for a book of maps.
Zeus’s wife was Hera (HEH-ruh), but he fell in love with many other women. He always tried to hide his other loves from Hera. The Greeks believed that when the oak leaves rustled, Zeus was talking.
Hera
(HEH-ruh)
Hera was the goddess of marriage and married women. She was very jealous of Zeus’s girlfriends. Their fights made the heavens shake!
Hera never forgave the women Zeus fell in love with. She spent all her time getting even with them. One time Hera was looking for Zeus. She thought he was with his girlfriends. She was distracted by a beautiful girl named Echo. Echo was laughing and chattering. As Echo talked, the girls managed to slip away.
Our word echo comes from this myth!
Hera got very angry at Echo. She forbade her ever to speak her own thoughts. Instead, poor Echo could only repeat the last word someone said to her over and over again.
Poseidon
(poe-SIDE-un)
Zeus had a brother named Poseidon. He was god of the seas. Poseidon lived in a palace under the sea. He always carried a trident (TRY-dent). When he was angry, he would hit the water with it. This caused terrible earthquakes, storms, and drownings.
A trident is a three-pronged spear.
In one myth, Poseidon got angry when the Greeks lost a war. The soldiers tried to return to Greece on ships. Poseidon sent a huge storm over the ocean. The storm wrecked all the ships.
Sailors always thanked Poseidon when the seas were calm.
Aphrodite
(af-ruh-DIE-tee)
Aphrodite was the goddess of love and beauty. Some myths said she came from foam in the sea.
Aphros means “foam” in Greek.
Aphrodite was so charming that no one could resist her. Flowers sprang up when she walked through the fields. The waves laughed when she passed by.
Aphrodite is always shown with a smiling face. But she caused problems among the gods, too. She made them fall in love with her when they shouldn’t.
Her special bird was the dove, and her tree was the myrtle.
Athena
(uh-THEEN-uh)
Athena was Zeus’s daughter. She was one of his favorite children. He let her carry his shield. Athena was the goddess of wisdom and the arts. She was also the goddess of war.
Athena was born in full armor out of Zeus’s head!
But Athena’s main job was as protector of Athens. Poseidon had wanted Athens for himself. Athena got the city instead. Poseidon was angry. He sent a huge flood. But Athena refused to give the city up. It is also said that Athena tamed the first horses. The owl was her favorite bird, and the olive tree her special tree.
Phoebus Apollo
(FEE-bus uh-PAHL-oh)
Zeus was also the father of Phoebus Apollo. Phoebus means “shining and bright” in Greek. Phoebus Apollo was usually just called Apollo.
Apollo was a beautiful god with shining golden hair. He was the god of the sun, healing, music, and poetry.
Apollo carried a silver bow and raced his chariot across the sky. He often played music for the gods on his golden lyre.
A lyre is a harp-like instrument.
The dolphin, wolf, swan, and crow were Apollo’s favorite animals. The laurel was his special tree.
Greek cities were usually protected by walls. The walled section of Athens was called the Acropolis (uh-CROP-uh-lis). It stood on a hill overlooking the city. People did not live on the Acropolis. They lived in houses and apartments in the city below.
Much of daily life in Athens and ancient Greece took place in the agora (AG-ur-uh). The agora was the marketplace. It was crowded with stalls selling food, crafts, and other household items. In Athens, men usually did all the shopping. They often met in the agora to visit and chat about the news of the day. There were also important public buildings, temples, and houses in the agora.
Agora comes from a Greek word that means “to come together.”
Houses
Greek houses and apartment buildings were made of stone, clay, or wood. The roofs were made of tile or reeds.
Inside there were usually very few rooms. The floors were made of packed dirt or stone. There were wooden chairs, tables, and couches. The family stored their things in baskets or chests.
Couches were often for sleeping as well as sitting.
In the middle of the house stood an open courtyard. In good weather, the family gathered there to relax.
Sometimes the family cooked and ate their meals in the courtyard. They often ate bread, olive oil, goat cheese, and a porridge made of grains. They also ate figs, grapes, and honey.
Clothing and Grooming
Greek clothes were very simple. Everyone wore a rectangular piece of cloth called a tunic (TOO-nick). Men wore tunics called chitons (KIE-tunz) that came to the knee. Women and girls wore a longer tunic called a peplos (PEP-lus).
Girls and women used a belt to shorten their tunics when they exercised.
Rich women wore jewelry and makeup. Sometimes they put white powdered lead on their faces to look pale. Men often went to barbershops to get their hair cut and to see their friends. One Greek man wrote that barbershops were like “parties without wine.”
Help! Lead is poisonous!
Education
Schools in ancient Greece were just for boys. In Athens, boys began school when they were seven years old. The boys learned reading, writing, and poetry. They also studied music and sports. Sports were very important in ancient Greece. The Greeks believed in a strong mind in a healthy body.
Slaves sometimes went to school with boys to make them behave!
In Athens, girls stayed at home and learned how to run a house. Most mothers taught their daughters to spin, weave, sew, and cook. If a girl was rich, she usually learned to read and to write at home.
When a girl was born, her family hung wool over the door.
Spartan boys went away to military schools when they were seven years old. Their schools taught them how to be soldiers.
When a boy was born, the family hung an olive wreath over the door.
In Sparta, girls had more freedom than in Athens. Although they didn’t go to school, they learned sports, singing, and dancing. Their main job was to grow up and produce strong Spartan boys!
Marriage
Greek girls and women seldom met men who were not in their family. When male visitors arrived, women and girls went into a separate room. But girls in Athens married very young. They were usually only 15 years old!
Their fathers chose their husbands. The men were often in their thirties. Before marriage, girls presented all their toys to the goddess Artemis (AR-tuh-mis). This meant that childhood had come to an end.
