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The 8th century BCE brought big changes to Greece, including an increase in population and a dramatic upswing in economic activity. Many of the defining features of Greek civilization began to take shape. Monumental temples appeared. The Olympic Games began, inspiring a sense of a common Greek identity. Perhaps most importantly, the Greeks adapted a Phoenician alphabet and produced the writing system through which we can experience all of ancient Greek literature, history, philosophy, and science. In this episode, host Scott Emmons takes you on a meandering journey through the period that has justly been called the Greek Renaissance.

For accompanying photos, visit Episode 9 at epicgreekhistory.substack.com

Reading Suggestions:

Archaic Greece: The Age of Experiment by Anthony Snodgrass

Citadel to City State: The Transformation of Greece, 1200-700 B.C.E. by Carol G. Thomas and Craig Conant

Greece in the Making 1200-479 BC by Robin Osborne

The Other Greeks: The Family Farm and the Roots of Western Civilization by Victor Davis Hanson

The World of Odysseus by M.I. Finley

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