The Greek Empire

The Greek Empire, primarily during the classical period (5th-4th centuries BCE), was a collection of independent city-states like Athens and Sparta that shared language and culture. These city-states often cooperated but also competed, leading to famous achievements in philosophy, democracy, art, and architecture. Greece's influence spread across the Mediterranean through colonization and conquest, laying the foundations for Western civilization. Greece was eventually conquered by Macedonia under Alexander the Great, creating an empire that blended Greek culture with local traditions, which persisted through Hellenistic times and influenced later civilizations.