User:Soranin/Sandbox

My sandbox. Probably going to be a collection of attempts to get the databases in functioning wiki order.

Notes

• Must find way to fix the overlap of categories in tabber.
• Add images for Freedom Cry's weapons

Discovery Sites

Lesbos Banner and CoinageFortified CampsA Soldier's LifePetrified Forest of LesbosMedusaMedusa and PerseusMedusa's TempleThe Keryneian HindShipsEuboean BannerWorkshops and Metal WorkersStatue of PoseidonThe Ram: The First Naval WeaponMiltos and the Protective EyeTypes of Boats and Organization of ShipyardsAchaian BannerArmor and WeaponsHoney OfferingsNaxos BannerMarbleExtractionThe Fate of Old ShipsChoosing the Right Materials for ShipbuildingBellerophon, Pegasos and ChimeraOdysseus and PolyphemosJason and the Golden FleeceZeus and TyphonSkyllaOdysseus and the SirensKassandraAlexiosOrchomenosGods and FishTextures and MaterialsBoeotian BannerSphinxThe Battle of PlataiaColor on Greek StatuesSamos BannerMessaran BannerThe Kretan BullKretan HoleFishingFishing MethodsUnderwaterKytheran BannerHue VariationsAphrodite and SaltSaltLokris BannerSea BattlesThucydidesMessenian BannerWar MachinesCharcoalWoodworkingAthens’ Wood SuppliesThe Mares of DiomedesArmorSwordsPanoplyHoplite EquipmentSpearsAphrodite, Adonis and PersephoneAphrodite: A Love StoryThe Belt of HippolytaKorinthian BannerMerchant BoatBiomesThe Cattle of GeryonLegendary AnimalsThe Stymphalian BirdsArkadia BannerGeographyPanExtractionThe HarvestOlive GrowingPhokis BannerOlive GrovesAncient StructuresPoints of InterestTheater of DelphiLesche of KnidiansTripod of Plataia and Palm Tree of EurymedonApollo SalaminaSphinx and OedipusSybil RockBouleuterion of DelphiAthenian TreasurySikyonian TreasuryMonument of EpigonesStoryboardsEncampmentsArtemis OrthiaRiversArchaeology and SpartaMothakesDromosPersian PillarsArchidamosKings of the Peloponnesian WarPeríoikoi and CommerceSpartansDionysos KolonatasWomen in SpartaThe Akropolis of SpartaSpartan BannerThe Temple of Athena ChalkioikosKastor and PolluxNon-Citizen SoldiersCerberosBurial and PollutionThe Augean StablesThe Erymanthian BoarKronosFortsThe Bouleuterion of OlympiaThe Foundations and Origins of the SanctuaryThe Olympic HeritageAlkibiades at OlympiaOrating ContestsElis Coinage and BannerOrganizationHeroic CultsLegendary VictorsWomen VictorsModern Olympic FlameKladeosCult PersonnelThe GymnasionSounion FestivalsPoseidonSounionAtheniansPhilipiddesTumulusHoplitesBig BattlesHippiasThe TelesterionFortificationShipshedsWeapon MakingKyreniaLighthousesCCCCCCCCCCCCC

The banner of Lesbos, home of the famous poet Sappho, was inspired by one of the most interesting monetary types in antiquity.

Unlike others cities, Lesbos changed monetary types from one issuance to another. This provided great variety - notably this unusual depiction of two female heads overlapping.

Lesbos's cities were members of the Delian league from the start. They provided ships to the alliance, but then revolted in 428 BCE and the victorious Athenians sent clerouchs (settlers) to occupy the island.

Field camps were built at the end of a day's march to provide protection in case of a surprise enemy attack. They were widely-used when attacking cities during sieges. The camps are where soldiers would eat, sleep, and store their weapons, food rations and spoils - often for months at a time. It's also where a soldier would take refuge when and if things went badly in battle. Building a good fortified camp or fortifying a village or small city in the enemy's territory may have meant the difference between victory and defeat. As sieges would stretch on, a good fortified camp meant that an army could safely remain in unfriendly lands and exert pressure on the enemy. This could be done by burning or taking their crops, by preventing resupply, or simply by exerting their demoralizing presence. Establishing a fortified position in enemy lands in order to constantly raid it was a common tactic in the Peloponnesian War. Athens employed it at Pylos from 425 to 409 BCE, and so did the Spartans with a more devastating effect over a weakened Athens when they fortified Dekeleia from 413 to 404 BCE.

Soldiers on the move mostly slept under the sky on beds of reeds, for in most cases tent materials were too great a burden. They ate two meals a day - one at mid-day [except when battle was expected), and then dinner. They usually cooked these meatls themselves. In most cases, the meal consisted of maza, a sort of barley porridge. The Spartans did things differently; they had dedicated cooks in their armies. When the soldiers need to relieve themselves, they simply went wherever they could outside of camp, as there was no special location for this act. There was little in the way of entertainment in military camps. The Spartans, however, did have some techniques for avoiding boredom. After their regular practice and exercise, they had a sort of contest of singing songs by the poet Tyrtaios, and the winner received a prize in meat. Even in a war camp, the gods had to be honored. Whenever possible, sacrifices were made and seers were consulted, often about the tides of battle.

(Behind the scenes) Lesbos is an island situated in the north-east of the Aegean Sea. Lesbos rebelled against the Athenians, leading to its eventual surrender to Athens. Lesbos is notable in real life for its 18-million-year-old petrified forest, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, home to fossilized remains of a once vast swathe of vegetation and forest. The art team used their artistic license to grow the trees into dense forests of tangled roots and branches, a maze for our hero to navigate. The atmosphere of the forest is oppressive, with temple ruins appearing from the murky background, and a sense of dread lingering behind every corner. Finished concepts by Hugo Puzzuoli show the red and yellow accents in the rock of the petrified trees, caused by intense volcanic activity millions of years ago.

The Medusa has been portrayed in many different ways over the years, from a beautiful young woman, to a monstrous creature with a serpent's body and tail. The art team decided to move away from these depictions, concentrating on the details of her appearance. The snakes are based on actual Greek species found on the islands and mainland Greece. Her dress is made from targe swathes of snake skin, suggesting even bigger serpents once existed. “Medusa is represented in her Greek form, as a humanoid woman, rather than in the Roman version that would follow," explains art director Thierry Dansereau. She is, after all, a woman transformed by an ancient artifact, rather than the will of the gods.

Perseus was the Greek hero who ultimately killed Medusa. He was the son of Zeus and Danai, and he promised to obtain the head of Medusa to King Polydektes. Medusa was a gorgon, a female monster that had living snakes on her head instead of locks of hair. Her gaze petrified all who locked eyes with her, and turned them to stone. Perseus went to the Hesperides to acquire the weapon that would help him defeat Medusa. They also gave him a sack to hold her head (kibisis). He received a sword [harpe) from Zeus, winged sandals from Hermes, a shiny shield from Athena, and the ability to hide from Hades. When Perseus entered Medusa's cave, he used the shield's reflection to avoid eye contact, and successfully decapitated her. Perseus used the head of Medusa as a weapon, but later gave itas a gift to Athena, who placed the head of the gorgon (gorgoneion) on her shield, or the Aegis.

Where better to have the home of the notorious Medusa, famous for turning her victims to stone, than in a petrified forest. As one of the most well-known creatures from Greek myth, featuring in countless books, movies, and historical records, it was a challenge for the development team to strip away the previous incarnations and start fresh. In mythology, Medusa was one of the three Gorgons, sisters with wings and snakes for hair, able to petrify onlookers. The Medusa in Assassin's Creed Odyssey is a woman, transformed by a First Civilization artifact into a creature of great power. As such, her temple features the classic geometry and architecture of First Civilization constructions, and is the only open-air First Civilization temple in game.

The third labor of Herakles was to capture the Keryneian Hind, a beast notoriously faster than an arrow. This particular labor was not about strength, but about speed and patience. Herakles chased the hind on foot for over a year -in Thrace, and as far as Istria in the Adriatic Sea. However, there's more than one legend that tells of its capture. In one version, Herakles caught the hind when it was asleep with a trap-net or a thrown arrow. In another, it was Artemis - whose sacred animal was the hind - who helped Herakles after he told the goddess that he didn't intend on desecrating the animal.

The Greeks have long been known as a naval powerhouse. The development team created multiple ship models, covering the Trireme (with three rows of oars], the bireme (with two), merchant ships and other smaller boats. Historical pop culture sources, including a visit to a life-size replica of a trireme, 3rd century BCE graffiti, depictions on vases and stone relief, and movies like Hercules [1958], Jason and the Argonauts (1963) and many others, all served to inform the design team to create realistic and functional digital replicas of these classic ships. The color and animal based designs of the ships are also significant. To the far right, the Athenian ship is clear, not just from its blue coloring but also the owl adorning its sail - the owl being the symbol of wisdom, associated with Athena, the protector goddess of Athens. In the center is a darker colored ship common among pirates, to the left a Spartan ship, and in the far left, the smaller and less streamlined ship is a fishing boat. 3D renders of the figureheads featured in Odyssey range from the proud griffin and Pegasos to the terrible hydra and medusa.

Euboea was an important source of grain and cattle - its name even means “rich in cattle”. Knowing this, it isn't that surprising to find depictions of bulls on their coins. The banner was inspired by the head of a bull, taken from the silver drachmae of the Euboean league. Bulls are sometimes presented in full on other Euboean coinages, like those of Eretria, Karystos, or Histiaia. Because of its resources, Euboea was a strategic region to control, and Athens invaded in 506 BCE. The Athenians defeated Chalkis, confiscated the land, and gave it to 4,000 settlers [clerouch] who could retain their Athenian citizenship.

Metal workshops of different sizes coexisted in ancient Greece. By the second half of the óth century BCE, the development of armament workshops [ergasteria] employing a few craftsmen or up to a few dozen slaves is quite noticeable. Larger production units soon appeared, making metalworking one of the most lucrative crafts in Classical Greece - at least, it is assumed so by historians. As with many other crafts, metalworking was exclusively practiced by men. The smallest workshops for local supply might have been comprised of only three workers: one smith, and two slaves to assist him. On the other hand, the largest workshops resembled factories. They could be very large and employ more than fifty slaves. For example, in Athens, on the slopes of the Akropolis, four giant 40-meter-long workshops dating back from 470-440 BCE have been excavated. The Athenian metic Kephalos might have possessed such a weapons workshop, since it was said that he had 120 slaves working for him. By contrast, the metal workshops found in the sanctuary of Nemea are smaller, but they are not necessarily the more common scale. The overall trend was super-specialization; the sword makers, for example, were not the same as helmet or shield makers. There were doryksoi [lance makers) and machairopoioi, who crafted swords or knives. Helmets workshops could also produce greaves, but the cuirasses, especially the “muscle armors”, were manufactured by specific craftsmen. Moreover, in the large workshops, one could assume that all the workers were assigned very narrowly-defined tasks.

The Bronze Statue of Poseidon at the Archaeological Museum of Athens [National Museum of Athens) depicts either Zeus or Poseidon. It is one of the few remaining original bronze statues from Greece's Classical period, but it is also one of the most impressive. The statue depicts a thick-bearded, curly-haired god with a muscular, well-detailed anatomy. It is missing its eyes, which were made of a different material - perhaps semi-precious stone or glass. The statue's right hand clutched either a lightning bolt, if it depicted Zeus, or a trident, if it depicted Poseidon. For the purposes of the game, we decided it was Poseidon. The sculpture was made by an artist of great skill. It's possible it was created by the renowned sculptor Kalamis.

The offensive weapon of triremes was the ram [embolos). The objective of all naval tactics was to bring the ram to bear on the enemy's flank or quarter. The ram was made of bronze and attached to a protruding plank at the front of the ship. The ram was a warship's most expensive piece of equipment, but luckily, it could be salvaged and reused when a ship was broken up. The ram was located at the forward tip of the keel. This area was heavily-armored and built up to a sharp point with three chisel-like blades just above water level. Building a ram required a high level of metallurgical expertise and complicated foundry facilities, as they were cast in one single huge piece. The ram's tip flared into fins rather than coming to a pointin order to prevent it from getting wedged into the hull of its opponent, and the timbers that the bronze casing covered were carefully designed to distribute the shock of impact over the entire length of the Light hull. The ram could smash a hole in an enemy vessel and therefore cripple it, but could not literally sink it. The shape of the ram was designed to cause maximum damage without penetrating the hull too far, and make it difficult for the attacking vessels to back off. The prow, with its ram and heavy buildup of timbers, was both the offensive weapon and the best-protected area of the ship. The stern and sides were its vulnerable quarters. As long as a warship kept its prow toward the enemy, it was poised for both offensive and defensive action. Its role was to disable other ships in battle. The Athenians in particular were very adept at maneuvering their ships to utilize this weapon effectively.

Miltos is a type of red fine-grained ochre made up of red iron- oxides often mixed with earth, sand, clay, wax, resin or other impurities, creating a reddish pitch. It played a vital role in waterproofing and ship maintenance due to its astringent, binding, and drying properties. lts use is attested to in Mycenaean clay tablets, inscribed in the script known as "Linear Bº and dating from the 2nd millennium BCE. Specifically, by the Classical period, miltos from Kea was prized in Athens due to its effectiveness in the maintenance of ships, protecting the hull from rot and infestation. The high lead levels meant that the powder, once mixed into an organic medium, would make a very effective anti-fouling agent, preventing the growth of bacterial colonies on vessel hulls that could slow the ship down. In this way, applying lead-rich miltos paint mixed with pitch to the hull of a ship could inhibit biotic growth and prevent fouling. The prow of a trireme was often decorated to look like the head of an animal, with the ram as its snout. Aischytos called the triremes "the dark-eyed ships”. The eye was a regular decoration for the triremes. It was made from a piece of polished marble, then shaped and painted to resemble an eye. Sometimes oculi could be rather large and, if not painted, were an inlaid decoration occasionally made of expensive materials. Seafarers attached oculi to their ship because they looked upon their vessel as a living entity that needed eyes to find its way. Black warships with red or purple painted bows and large dark-blue enamel oculi seen sailing on the dark seas would have had a powerful effect on any observer - especially enemy forces.

The various kinds of ships used by the Greeks could be divided into two main types: ships of war, and ships of burden. The latter were not designed for quick movement or rapid sailing, but to carry the greatest possible quantity of goods. Their structure was therefore bulky, their bottom round, and although they were not without rowers, the chief means by which they were propelled were their sails. The most common ships of war were triremes. This warship was an example of ancient engineering at its highest level. The trireme derives its name from its three rows of oars, with one man per oar. They were very fast and maneuverable, which gave them a critical advantage in the close-quarter battles that were typical of ancient naval engagements. The triremes could move fast under sail, reaching maximum speeds of perhaps fourteen knots under the most favorable weather conditions, while their speed without the sails was probably around eight knots. They'd also become waterlogged if left in the sea for too long. To prevent this fromm happening, ships would have to be pulled from the water, and kept and maintained in shipsheds, These were buildings built on limestone bedrock. They incorporated an inclined slipway which the triremes were normally hauled up on when not at sea. The remains of the Zea shipsheds at the Athenian port of Piraeus offer useful archaeological evidence about triremes' maximum dimensions: about 115- 120 feet long, 16 feet wide and about 8% feet tall above the waterline. As for the order of the rowers and their positioning, valuable information could be extracted by the famous Lenormant relief, which shows the middle of a trireme, with three clear levels of oars coming out at different angles. The trireme was first used in Greece during the óth century BCE by the tyrant of Korinth, Periander, and then by Polykrates, the tyrant of Samos. It became the dominant warship type of the eastern Mediterranean, playing a vital role in the Greco-Persian Wars, the creation of the Athenian maritime empire, and its downfall in the Peloponnesian War.

The Achaian banner appropriately depicts a trireme, since the region includes Patrai, which served as naval base for the Spartans during the Peloponnesian War. The trireme was the most famous Greek ship. It was first built in Korinth in the 7th century BCE and became an important war ship for centuries - a fleet of triremes defeated the Persians in Salamis. Ships are a common image in iconography. They're present on vases and also on coins, with most of them depicting only the prow, like this bronze coin from Megaris.

The source material concerning weapon manufacturing in Ancient Greece is not prolific. However, we do know that as early as the 7th century BCE, more specialized-production centers emerged in regions already known for their metallurgical activities. Chalkis, in Euboea, specialized in the production of swords, while Korinth was renowned for its bronze helmets - both crucially important elements of hoplite equipment. Sykyon, in the Peloponnese peninsula, provided the iron for the manufacture of Spartan weapons. Athens, famous especially for its cuirass workshops, was also an important location in the world of Greek weapons production. During what's called the “Dark Ages” in Greek history [1200- 800 BCE), a transition took place in weaponry. The material used switched from bronze to iron - a substance that was lighter, tougher, and able to take a sharper edge. Swords became shorter and larger than the preceding bronze specimens. Both conical helmets with ornamented crests and all shapes of shields may have also been made of that metal. Around the 7th century BCE, a new tactical formation, the phalanx, gradually made its appearance in Greece. It marked the return of the use of bronze in weaponry. The new infantryman, the hoplite, was required to pay for his panoply, a set of weapons and pieces of equipment including a cuirass, greaves, helmet with cheek plates, shield, spear, and sword. Bronze was used to make all or some parts of the body armor, shield, and helmet, while the sword and spearhead were crafted with iron. The costliness of the panoply made it difficult or altogether impossible for lower-class citizens to purchase one. Therefore, only members of the elite could afford the entire set.

The ancients often made bees and honey into symbols related to the deities. Honey was considered heavenly since it never expired, and was a typical offering placed on altars for the gods. These offerings were given to rustic deities such as Pan and Priape, who were protectors of beekeepers, but also to Chthonian deities worshiped in mystery cults such as Hermes, Dionysos, and Demeter. Honey and bees were also a symbol of resurrection. Honey was considered a gift - a remnant of the Golden Age - that the gods kindly gave to men. It guaranteed long life and good health. In this way, it was connected to nectar and ambrosia - drinks of the immortal gods. In childhood, Zeus was nourished with honey and milk. Mead was seen as a substitute for these divine drinks. Honey's religious symbolism was all the more important since it could be food for newborns - a young Plato was said to be fed with honey - but also for the dead.

Naxos was the largest island in the Kyklades. lts protective deity was Dionysos, god of wine, who was born on the island according to mythology. The money of Naxos served as model for the banner, and is linked with the god as the coins show a kantharos - a wine cup. Naxos produced wine, but was more famous for its marble. It was exported and widely used. For example, it was used in Olympia and on the Akropolis in Athens. Its craftsmen were pioneers in the development of monumental marble sculptures and architecture.

Greek soil contains great geological diversity. Since the beginning of the Early Cycladic period, the Greeks used marble in architecture, sculpture, figurines, and more. The word marble, from the Greek term marmaros, means “resplendent stone”. It quickly became a luxury furniture in Greek cities, and it played a big part in the Greek economy. Some regions stand out for their marble-related wealth, including Naxos, Paros, Thasos, Attika, the Peloponnese, and Euboea Island. Marble is made up of different colors (red, pink, yellow), and each has a different texture (translucent, wavy, streaked, swirly, etc.). For example, Peloponnesian marble was red with touches of black. Pentelic marble, found near Athens, was greenish with a grainy pattern. The most prestigious marble of the time came from Paros, and was greyish white.

In Naxos, ancient quarries were located on the Ágios loannis hill on the north side of the island, with another one in the central region, Melanes. In general, the quarrymen exploited natural fissures and applied pressure to extract massive blocks. They then drilled holes into the marble, drove wooden shafts into the holes, and poured water over the wood so it swelled and split off the desired blocks of stone. In Naxos, whiter parts of the stone were preferred during the quarrying process, which had a direct impact on the price of this marble. Around 5000 m³ of the most prestigious Naxian marble was exported annually. The workers carried the marble with cranes and rails. They moved it around with pullies, cranes, levers, rails, and inclined planes.

It is archeologically attested that systematic reuse of wood from old ships was practiced throughout antiquity. When triremes were sunk during a sea battle, combatants went to great lengths and took heavy risks to recover the wreck. Sometimes, vessels were towed home as prizes, and after being repaired, equipped, and renamed, they became part of the enemy navy. In addition, older triremes were used as service vessels. One was the “soldier-vessel”, a troop transport. There was also the “horse-transport”, made out of old triremes by removing the two lower levels of seats and converting the space into stalls for thirty horses.

Pitch and timber were the main materials used to create triremes. The pitch was produced from various trees and was extracted by heat. The pitch and wax were customarily applied, either successively or as a mixture, to the wetted surface of the ship's hull, giving the vessel its speed potential as well as its watertightness and protection from sea microorganisms. The seams of newly built warships - as well as older ships under maintenance - were caulked with flax soaked in pitch. It seems likely that a new coat of pitch was put on before each new sailing. Although pitch was used generously on the triremes' hulls, they seem to have leaked water into the bilges fairly quickly. This is why ships had to be beached and dried out. The emphasis of lightness for the hull timber was obviously a prime consideration in its overall design. For lightness combined with strength, a trireme's timber was mostly made of soft wood such as pine and fir, but the keel was made of oak for extra strength. Masts were made of fir - one of the tallest and straightest trees - while carefully prepared rough, young fir trees ensured that the grain of the wood was aligned along the shafts, making the oars strong for their weight. For the inner part of the ships, larch (pitys) or plane (platanos) were also used because of their Light weight, while the stem- posts adjoining the breastwork and the bow timbers were made of ash, mulberry, and elm. One result of using softwoods was that the trireme hull tended to soak up water. The hulls not onty became waterlogged and leaky, but they also suffered from the scourge of wooden ships: the marine borer (teredo navalis). Consequently, alltriremes were beached and carried out of the water as often as possible to dry and clean their hulls.

Pegasos was the mythical winged-horse bred by the dead Medusa after Perseus killed her. Bellerophon captured the animal while it drank water from a well. Pegasos helped Beilerophon in fighting and killing Chimera in Lycia. Chimera was a monster that had the body of a goat, the head of a lion, and the tail of a snake. Bellerophon attacked her from the sky, and thought of placing a block of lead on the tip of his spear. He threw the spear - aiming for the neck of the fire-breathing monster - and the heat of the fire made the lead melt, asphyxiating her. Bellerophon returned victorious, but several quests followed that would leave him blind and miserable.

On his way back home, Odysseus found himself on the island of the Cyclops - giants that have one single eye in the center of their forehead. Odysseus reached the island and entered a cave with his companions. They were so hungry, they began to drink and eat everything in sight. When a Cyclops named Polyphemos returned to the cave with his flock, he blocked the entrance with an enormous rock, and began to eat the men. Trapped, Odysseus introduced himself as simply “nobody”, and offered wine to the confused Cyclops. Once the giant was drunkenly asleep, Odysseus blinded him with a burning wooden stake. The next day, Odysseus and his men escaped the cave hidden under the bellies of animals, while the blinded Polyphemos shouted to his fellow Cyclopes that he was blinded by "nobody".

Jason was the rightful king of lolkos in Thessaly, though the position was occupied by King Pelias. When Jason appeared in front of Pelias and asked to return to the throne, Pelias told him that he should bring him the Golden Fleece. This was the fleece of the golden ram held in Kolchis. Jason set out on this quest with his crew, the Argonauts. After several adventures, they arrived in Kolchis to claim the fleece. While there, Jason felLin love with the witch Medea, daughter of Aietes, the king of Kolchis. Medea helped Jason in the quests her father required, and her potion lulled the giant snake that was protecting the Golden Fleece to sleep. Once he held the fleece tightly in hand, Jason began his journey back home, with Medea at his side.

Typhon was an extremely dangerous monster in Greek mythology. À giant serpent-like creature with “a hundred heads, fearful eyes, and terrible voices”, Typhon was either the son of Gaia (goddess of the earth] and Tartaros [one of the primordial deities), or of Hera, or of Kronos. At some point, Typhon chalienged Zeus in order to overthrow him and take his place. The battle between them was desperate, but Zeus managed to win with the aid of his powerful thunderbolts. After losing to Zeus, what happened to Typhon differs depending on the account. He was either thrown to Tartaros, the deep abyss, or buried under either Mount Etna, or under the volcanic island Ischia. Zeus, on the other hand, became the legitimate ruler of the gods.

Skylla was a mythological female sea monster that was placed opposite Charybdis in a very narrow passage of water, thought to be the channel of Messina. The mention of Skylla is first seen in “The Odyssey”, when Odysseus and his companions had to travel the channel and found themselves between the two monsters. Circe advised Odysseus to sail at full speed, but closer to Skylla - Charybdis was more dangerous and could sink the entire ship. Odysseus followed this advice, and as they passed by, Skylla devoured six of his men. They quickly escaped, and managed to pass through with no further losses.

The sirens were beautiful but deadly creatures that lived on a rocky island. Their song was so enchanting, sailors who heard their singing fell to the rocks. Sirens were half-women, half- birds - or at least, that was how they were represented in Greek art. They were usually depicted played musical instruments, such as harps. In "The Odyssey”, Odysseus was very curious to listen to them, so Circe the witch told him how he could enjoy their song without danger. Odysseus had his sailors plug their ears with beeswax and tie him to the pole of his ship. When they passed near the sirens, Odysseus was mesmerized by the song. He begged his sailors to release him, but they couldn't hear him. This trick saved his life and the lives of his companions.

(Behind the scenes) We first meet Kassandra in her home on Kephallonia; she is a mercenary, hardened and scarred by her experiences. When designing her features, the team wanted her to look strong and vibrant. Bringing such a character to life includes the smallest of details. “We had to create a false reflection in her eyes to ensure she looked alive. She needed to Look great in every angle," explains Thierry Dansereau.

(Behind the scenes) The development team kept the siblings as close as possible in look and feel, with a few distinctions. Alexios has a different body and gait, he's larger and sports dark brown dreadlocks, but they share the same coloring and variations on the same outfits. Alexios and Kassandra fight with a sword, bow, or spear. The development team wanted to show proactive combat, wielding dual weapons with a focus on attack rather than defense. Earty concept sketches of Alexios by Fred Rambaud show different outfits and weapons, from bare-chested brawler, to full Spartan warrior.

The city of Orchomenos in Boeotia has origins going back to the Neolithic period. Discovered in the 19th century, it was excavated by Heinrich Schliemann - the same person who discovered and searched for the cities of Troy, Mycenae, and Tiryns. The excavations left few details. Remains of fortifications dated to the 4th century BCE were discovered. A tholos tomb known as the Treasury of Minyas was also uncovered. The possible remains of a Mycenaean palace on the flank of the akropolis would have been found just above the spring of the Charites. Fragments of paintings have also been found in the vast architectural complex between the 9th century church and the theater. Clues suggest that the church, one of the oldest in Greece, was built on the remnants of the Charites temple. The remains of a theater also dating back to the 4th century BCE are still visible today.

The main god of the sea was Poseidon. There were temples dedicated to him in many coastal cities, such as Cape Sounion south of Athens. Fish, like other animals, were offered as sacrifices for the gods. A painting described by Athenaios showed Poseidon offering a tuna to Zeus just before he gave birth to Athena. It was believed that in order to get a good tuna harvest, one needed to sacrifice eels to Poseidon. Fish were also used in divination. The Lykians, for example, practiced ichthyomancy. Meat was thrown into a special sinkhole to attract fish, and depending on which species were attracted, the response from the gods was determined.

(Behind the scenes) Assassin's Creed Odyssey's focus on the details is what really takes the game to the next Level in terms of immersion. The sheer variety of textures that make up the layered background to the cities and landscapes are what give the locations their character and quality. The art and development team are constantly pushing the boundaries, aiming for bigger, better, and higher quality than ever before. The textures here are a fraction of what appears in the game. Even the simplest white stone blocks are not plain but richly detailed with grains and imperfections. The colorful tiles and murals speak to the craftsmanship of Greece itself, giving history and life to each wall and column.

The Boeotian banner naturally depicts the Boeotian shield, which was the main type of coinage of Thebes, and later of the Boeotian confederation. The shield is the most important weapon of defense. Greek soldiers usually used a round-shaped shield, the aspis, but Boeotians eventually developed an oval shield with a semicircular indentation on either side of the middle. This would have reduced its weight, and allowed the bearer to thrust and stab while staying protected. None of these shields have survived, which may suggest they were made from animal hides instead of bronze or wood like other shields.

(Behind the scenes) In Greek mythology, the Sphinx was a creature with the face of a human, the wings of a bird, and the body of a lion. The Assassin's Creed Odyssey team have melded more than one mythological creature into their Sphinx, adding elements off the mythological Chimera, like the tail ending in a snake head. The Sphinx offers a different challenge to the Hero, explains Thierry Dansereau, “You cannot defeat her by force, instead you must answer her riddle.” In traditional myth, those who cannot answer her riddle suffer a terrible fate: killed and devoured by the beast. “It was challenging to try to create a menacing creature but still have a feeling of beauty to transpire.” - Gabriel Blain

The Persians's crushing defeat at the Battle of Salamis in 480 BCE greatly discouraged King Xerxes from continuing his invasion. However, one of Xerxes's military commanders, Mardonios, convinced the king that their campaign could continue, Mardonios's hopes were dashed the following year at the Battle of Plataia. The Greeks, who were outnumbered by the Persians, held their own in the open countryside. They fought until they were victorious, killing Mardonios in the process and putting an end to the second Persian invasion of Greece.

(Behind the scenes) “What impressed me was the way historians and archaeologists found out about the color that the Greek artists would use on their creations. Before working on this project, | always thought that the artists of the Classical age would leave the marble uncolored. By using ultra-violet light, archaeologists were able to debunk what we thought to be true. The colors revealed by this process were dazzling and bright, exactly the opposite of what | would have expected them to be.” - Vincent Pamerleau

The lion was chosen for the banner of Samos, as it is a frequent image of ancient Greek iconography. A lion scalp was the emblem of the coinage of Samos. This lion's head was specifically related to Herakles's task of killing the Nemean lion. This legendary lion ravaged the plain of Argolis, and had skin so thick that Herakles couldn't kill it with his arrows. The her chose instead to strangle it. The battle against the Nemean lion symbolized combat against savagery and barbarism, and became the model of athletic fighting - a very popular event of the Olympics.

The area of Messara is the largest plain of the island of Krete. The symbol of the region is inspired by the coins of Knossos, which bear a labyrinth on the reverse, referencing the famous Kretan Minotaur myth. The minotaur was half-human, half-bull. King Minos of Krete made the mistake of sacrificing a bull, and thus angered Poseidon. The god then instilled “passion” for the bull into Minos' wife, who later gave birth to the minotaur. The minotaur was kept in the labyrinth built by Daidalos. On a regular basis, fourteen young men and women were given to the beast in tribute, until the hero Theseus killed him.

The seventh labor of Herakles was to kill a great bull that had destroyed crops and property in Krete. Herakles went to King Minos of Krete, who gave him permission to get rid of the bull. Herakles managed to capture the beast, suppressing it with his hands, but he ultimately didn't kill it. Instead, he shipped the bull to Eurystheas so he could confirm that the labor was successful, and then the animal was released.

Koulourai are large, stone-walled pits that can be found in a number of major sites in Krete, including Knossos, Malia, and Phaistos. All of them were constructed around 1850-1750 BCE. While the exact purpose of the koulourai is still debated, there are three prominent theories as to what they were used for. Arthur Evans believed they functioned as refuse or garbage pits. Conversely, Chapouthier and Pernier theorized that they were used as ancient cisterns. However, this theory is flawed since kouroulai did not have the same waterproofing as other Knossian structures of the time. The most widely accepted theory is that koulourai were used to store grain. This assumption gains even more ground when paired with the theory that Minoan palaces were not palaces at all, but massive agricultural redistribution centers.

In the "History of Animals” by Aristotle, he provides a guide to the species present in the Mediterranean: 105 fish, twenty- four shells, twenty-four marine or crustacean animals, and five cetaceans and amphibious animals. Philosophers and moralists had little regard for fishermen. Plato deemed the activity unworthy of a well-born man. But there was solidarity between sailors, and the specificity of the trade was important enough to even become a Literary theme; it's known that Aischylos had written a piece entitled “Diktyoulkoi” (Net-Haulers), and Menander wrote a piece called “The Fishermen”. These authors were much more interested in the psychology of the fisherman than the real sociology of the profession. A fisherman is often alone, practicing his profession all year long. He has to be intelligent and cunning, but he also must be lucky.

Navigation on the Mediterranean was difficult. Most sailing depended on the winds, and was done in the summer. The storm season started in late September or early October, and ended in late February or early March. During these months, navigation was highly dangerous. In addition, the nature of th currents made certain areas dangerous. The sea monsters Charybdis and Skylla in “The Odyssey” would be the pictorial representation of the strong current of the Strait of Messina that separates the western tip of the south of Magna Graecia with Sicily. There were several methods of fishing in ancient Greece. Plato and Oppian discussed fishing with nets, laces, baskets, hooks or tridents, and angling. t was also possible to fish for mollusks, shellfish, crustaceans, and fish thrown from the sea to the shores. In some cases, the fish was caught by hand, like in octopus fishing. Fishing could also be done with lanterns - as fish were attracted to the light source - or could simply be “picked" during sleep. There were also more unusual methods, such as the smell fishery where fish were attracted with foul food, excrement, or salted octopus. There was also the method of “poisoning fishing”, where plants like hellebore or conia were used to catch fish and octopus.

(Behind the scenes) The seventh biome of the game, the Hero explores the underwater world of the Aegen Sea looking for treasure and artifacts. The sea teems with all manner of life including dangerous sharks and beautiful corals. “By exploring the depths of the ocean the player can choose to take a dive amongst long forgotten ruins. Here they can take on fights with deadly sharks as they search for hidden treasures,” adds Benjamin Hall. Featuring shipwrecks, ruins and remnants of ancient civilizations as shown in these concept arts by Hugo Puzzuoli, this biome is just as diverse and intricate as the rest.

Kythera is the name of an island as well as a city. The strategic position of the island - just south of the Peloponnese - made it a target for the Athenians during the Peloponnesian War. Athens occupied it during most of the war and used it to support trade and to raid Lakonia. Kythera's banner was inspired by its coinage. Both featured the dove, which is sacred to Aphrodite, who had a sanctuary in Kythera. According to mythology, this island was the goddess's birthplace.

Different types of murex secrete different types of purple. The purple is influenced by the chemical composition of their sacs, but also their sex and size. Sunlight, temperature, humidity and salinity can also influence the color's brightness, tone, and intensity. Dyers could obtain a greater variety of color shades by mixing different types of shellfish, controlling the fermentation process, or adding other ingredients such as honey or flour.

Aphrodite, the goddess of love, was born from salty sea foam, and that is why she is sometimes called Haligeneous ("salt- born"). The myth tells us that this foam came from the genitals of Ouranos (the sky). They fell near the island of Kythera, and this is where and how Aphrodite was born. As you can see, salt and Aphrodite go together. Salt was associated with fertility and reproduction. For instance, Plutarch wrote in his Symposiakon that “salt encourages remarkably generation”, reshaping Aristotle's notes in the “History of Animals” that “if they merely lick salt, mice get pregnant”. Aphrodite is sometimes shown holding a small salt bag in her hand, and those who attended the Aphrodisia - the sacred festivals of Aphrodite - were required to bring and carry a salt bag to honor the salt-born goddess.

Salt harvesting was known to humankind at least from the Neolithic age, on account of the considerable quantities of fragmented ceramic molds accumulated around salt springs. There were two main ways of collecting salt. The first one was to simply harvest it where it was accessible - that is, near salt lakes, marshes, or near the sea. Pans were used to let collected water evaporate in the sun and then harvest the resulting salt. The other method was extracting it from the earth. This was - difficult in mainland Greece since the soil did not provide much yield in this fashion. Collecting salt from water was therefore the more utilized method. We know for sure that salt played a role in magic. For example, eating salty cakes on a special day was thought to allow young girls to dream of their future husbands. It was also used in some religious practices. Even in Homeric times, salt was offered to the gods and used when sacrificing animals and making libations. Furthermore, salt played an important part in some Greek festivals - such as the Eleusinian Mysteries, celebrated in the town of Eleusis in Attika to honor Demeter, the goddess of the crops, and her daughter, Persephone.

The banner of Lokris shows a griffin - a mythological creature with the body, legs, and tail of a lion, and the head and wings of an eagle. The griffin is inspired by the Lokris Opuntii coinage which depicted Ajax, the Lokrian hero of the Trojan War. His shield bore a griffin on the interior side. Griffins were known for guarding treasure - especially if it belonged to the gods - and were a symbol of strength and vigilance.

(Behind the scenes) Waging war in the ocean was a brutal affair in Ancient Greece, The ships, mostly triremes, were simply designed and unstable, especially in high seas and adverse weather. The development team looked at historical accounts of naval warfare from the period to recreate the drama and danger in game. Blue-clad Athenians have their ship cleaved in two in concept art by Hugo Puzzuoli.

Thucydides was an Athenian aristocrat, general, and historian who chronicled the history of the Peloponnesian War. While he does not mention his predecessor Herodotos directly, it is probable that Thucydides was influenced by the so-called “Father of History”. Thucydides's account of history, however, focused less on the mythic origins of the Greeks, and instead provided a perspective on how much the Greek world had evolved since its beginning - and how much it would continue to evolve into the future. His work also provided insight into the educational and cultural development of Athens. Thucydides was a skilled orator trained by some of the best speakers of his time. Because of this, many of the most important moments in his historical writings are presented as speeches.

Messenia's history was linked closely with Sparta's. The region was long-occupied by the Spartans - its population was enslaved as helots. Independent cities emerged only after the Theban invasion of the Peloponnese in the 4th century BCE. After the defeat of the Spartan army at the battle of Leuktra in 371 BCE, the helots of Messenia revolted against Sparta. Epaminondas, the Theban general, supported the building of the fortified city of Messene. The banner of Messenia is inspired by the coins of Messene, showing Zeus brandishing his thunderbolt. Zeus had an important sanctuary on Mount Ithome, which was included in the walls of Messene.

Several Greek authors have left us works on siege tactics or on how to build war machines. However, artillery such as catapults were not yet invented at the time of the Peloponnesian War - it would take another century for them to appear. The main war machines used at this time, called mechanai, were mostly scaling-ladders, battering rams, and tortoises. There are two known instances of incendiary machines, but we don't know exactly how they worked. The Thebans used one against the Athenians at Delium in 424 BCE, and the Spartans at Torone in 423 BCE.

Charcoal is the solid residue that remains when wood - or other organic matter - is “carbonized” under controlled conditions in a closed space. Very Little air is allowed to come into contact with the fuel during the carbonization process. If this condition is not observed, the wood (or other raw material) is simply reduced to ash and its fuel value is lost. This means that transport costs are much lower for locally produced charcoal than for Locally gathered wood - an important consideration for a product whose production cost consists almost exclusively of the labor invested in it. It's also noteworthy that charcoal creates a much hotter, more even, and more easily controlled heat than wood, which means that itis much better suited for domestic cooking and grilling and a virtual “sine qua non” for blacksmithing and particularly ironworking.

Woodcutting and charcoal making typically took place in the forest. Charcoals were then bagged and transported to private homes or presumably nearby markets. In wood-rich areas, local production of wood for common use appears to have been either in the hands of individuais, or potentially middlemen who might collect wood from various sources, then reselLit at the local agora. The elite's access to such wood may have been outside the market if their landholdings provided suitable material), except for the purchase of exotic materials. The full range of woodworking tools and techniques employed by wood workers of the ancient Mediterranean and the practical knowledge concerning wood species and their most valuable applications attest to the importance of wood technologies for agriculture and hunting, domestic life, trade, warfare, and leisure activities. It is worth mentioning that the tools and the techniques employed by the end of the Classical and Roman period would show little change until the appearance of the Industrial Revolution fifteen centuries later.

In providing for their fleet and for the public building program, the main problem the Athenians faced was finding timber of first-class quality, and particularly timber of long lengths. From the late 5th century BCE at least, and throughout the 4th century BCE, there is ample evidence that Athens relied primarily on Makedonia for her ship-timber. As for the timber needed for housing, the rich, who were more concerned with quality, possibly preferred the greater variety and finer quality materials available from Makedonia, Italy, or Ásia Minor. In addition, what Attika was unable to supply could probably have been bought in Euboea.

The eighth labor of Herakles was to bring back the mares of Diomedes. Diomedes, the king of Thrace and son of Ares and Cyrene, fed his horses human flesh. This drove the horses mad, making them wild. Herakles captured the beasts with the help of his young companion Abderos, and left the horses with him while he chased down Diomedes. In Herakles's absence, the crazed horses ate the young boy. Seeking revenge, Herakles then fed Diomedes to the horses, and founded the city of Abdera nearby in his friend's honor. When Eurystheas received the horses, he dedicated them to Hera.

In the Classical era, metal armor coexisted alongside lighter cuirasses (corselets) called “linothoraxes”. This was because procuring an actual set of bronze armor was beyond the means of many citizens - especially in poorer cities. Linothoraxes were also sometimes preferred in situations where hoplites had to be Lighter and more mobile. The linothorax consisted of a linen breastplate that could be strengthened with shoulder pieces, bronze scales, or bronze- sheeted mantling. To protect the Lower abdomen and the groin, two layers of pteruges - “wings” in ancient Greek — were attached to the bottom edge of the armor. Linen armor was one of the oldest types of armor in Greece. It even appears in “The Iliad" - a story that is believed to have taken place long before the Classical period.

If a hoplite's spear broke or if he had to fight hand to hand - as was the case for the 300 Spartans in the final stages of the battle of Thermopylai - he could always fall back on his sword. In the 4th century BCE, the most common sword had a thick cruciform hilt with a blade that swelled near the tip. Hoplites carried their sword in a sheath under their Left arm, enabling them to quickly seize their weapon with their right hand. Ancient Greeks had specific names to refer to different types of swords, but it's difficult for modern historians to match these names with their corresponding weapon. While “xiphos” was the standard name for swords in ancient Greek, words like “machaira” and “kopis" were also used. It is believed that the previous two words may have referred to recurved swords, while xiphos described straight-bladed weapons.

A hoplite's equipment consisted of a bronze cuirass (or lighter armor], bronze greaves, a spear, and a sword. Although the comic playwright Aristophanes was probably exaggerating when he wrote that crafted armor cost 1,000 drachmae - about ten times the monthly wages of a skilled craftsman - the bronze-muscle cuirass was one of the costliest pieces of a hoplite's equipment. As such, only the wealthiest individuals could afford it. A soldier's body armor could be completed by a pair of greaves to protect their shins. The greaves were made of hammered bronze, and had to be well-adjusted to the hoplite's legs. They also had to be made thin so as not to weigh the soldier down. Since shin greaves were also expensive, many lower-class citizens opted not to buy them, instead purchasing armor that covered more vital parts of their body. Altogether, an entire set of armor was known as a “panoply”.

Hoplites were heavily armored infantrymen. Their most important piece of equipment was arguably the “aspis”, a round shield large enough to protect both its wearer and the man to the left of him. The aspis was light and could effectively parry spear and sword thrusts. However, according to its depiction on ancient vases, it was ineffective against javelins and arrows. Hoplite helmets were similarly designed to be light, but they could endure direct blows and offered a reasonable amount of protection. There were many varieties of helmet, but the most widespread seems to have been the Korinthian helmet. Made of a single sheet of bronze that covered much of the head and neck, the Korinthian helmet offered only a small, t- shaped opening at the front to allow soldiers to see and breathe. Because the helmet was closed in on itself, it most likely impaired the sight and hearing of the soldiers who wore it. Helmets could also be adorned with crests of dyed horsehair to make the hoplites wearing them look more imposing.

Hoplites mainly fought using spears. Called “dory” in ancient Greek, the spear was a wooden shaft with a Length of up to three meters. It was probably made from the wood of ash trees, since the trees provided strong material that was also light enough to be handled with ease. The spear-head and butt were manufactured in metal workshops. The spear-head was usually made of iron - but could also be made of bronze - and was fixed to the slender end of the wooden shaft with pitch or nails. The spear-butt allowed the weapon to be planted in the ground when not being used. It's possible that the spear-butt could also have served as a spare head, but there's little evidence to support this theory. The spear also had a hand grip which may have been made of leather.

According to the myth told by Ovid, when Aphrodite met the infant Adonis, she was immediately smitten with him. She decided to take care of him by hiding him in a chest, and asked Persephone, the queen of the underworld, to educate him. However, Persephone also fell in Love with Adonis. On the day Aphrodite descended into the underworld to retrieve the young Adonis, Persephone refused to return the boy, who had become her lover. The two women turned to Zeus to judge who should have Adonis, and Zeus asked the muse Kalliope to make the decision. In the end, it was decided that Adonis would spend fourth months with Aphrodite, four with Persephone, and four alone to rest. However, Adonis decided - either on his own or through Aphrodite's magical influence - to spend his four months of “rest” with Aphrodite. Aphrodite and Adonis continued their passionate relationship until one day, Adonis was mortally wounded while hunting a boar. Aphrodite heard her lover's moans of pain from her flying chariot, but by the time she arrived by his side, it was too late to save him. The goddess cried tears of blood that fell onto the ground, and from them sprouted either the purple anemone flower or the rose, depending on the version of the story.

In mythology, Aphrodite was the wife of Hephaistos, the god of metallurgy. However, she also had an affair with Ares, the god of war. One night, after spending too long together, Ares and Aphrodite were caught by Helios, who informed Hephaistos of his wife's infidelity. In a fit of rage, Hephaistos captured Ares and Aphrodite in an unbreakable net, then summoned the rest of the gods to bear witness to his dishonor. Afterwards, Aphrodite went to Paphos to renew her virginity in the sea. This virginity did not last, however, as she later had a relationship with Hermes which resulted in the birth of Hermaphroditos, a being of two sexes.

Eurystheas asked Herakles to bring him the belt of Hippolyta for the ninth labor; it would be offered to his daughter Admete. The belt was a gift from the god Ares to his daughter Hippolyta, the queen of Amazons - a tribe of women-warriors. With a group of companions, Herakles reached Themiskyra, the city in the Black Sea were Hippolyta lived, and convinced the Amazon to give him the belt. However, Hera had spread rumors amongst the Amazons, so they attacked him. Herakles had no choice but to kill Hippolyta. He then brought the belt back to Eurystheas.

The banner of Korinthia was inspired by the coinage of Korinth, which depicts Pegasos. Pegasos, the mythical winged horse, was captured in Korinth by Bellerophon near the Peirene fountain. The hero then rode him to defeat the monstrous creature Chimera. When Bellerophon fell from Pegasos while trying to reach Mount Olympos, Zeus gave Pegasos the task of carrying thunderbolts. The god later granted Pegasos the honor of becoming a constellation.

(Under the scenes) "To produce our Merchant Boar, we were really pleased to be able to use as reference the remains of the very well preserved “Kyrenia Ship” found in 1965. Having this boat replicated with the highest historic fidelity helped us to give life to our beautiful world and to show that there was not only war ships sailing in the great ancient Greek Sea." - David Therrien

(Under the scene) The player will encounter seven distinct biomes - six on land, one underwater - as they journey through Ancient Greece. Each features its own flora, fauna, weather systems, and unique topography. The challenge for the art team was to make sure the biomes each had their own individual atmosphere, vegetation, color palette, even down to the type of rocks in each location. “AU biomes are a joint effort of several artists, technical artists, and technical directors who work together to create those landscapes that are driven by procedural rules. In order to create believable procedural biomes, the biome team had to fully understand interaction between elements that drive nature and apply it in the game,” explains Vincent Lamontagne, assistant art director and lead biome artist. From left; cross-sections of the six land-based biomes - Spring, Summer, Arid, Paradise Islands, Volcanic, and Deciduous Forest - gave a broad spectrum of the landscape the Hero will have to navigate to survive. Artist Hugo Puzzuoli adds, “Our team had fun translating the diverse nuances of azure blue from the Mediterranean Sea. From the paradisiac white sand beaches to the arid orange volcanic coast.”

The tenth labor of Herakles required travelling to the end of the world to Erytheia to retrieve the cows of the Giant Geryon. Son of Chrysaor - who came out of Medusa's body - and Callirrhoe - daughter of two Titans = Geryon had one body, but three heads and three sets of legs. When Heraktes arrived to Erytheia, he first killed Orthos, the two-headed dog, and then killed Eurytion, the herdsman. He finally put down Geryon by throwing one poisonous arrow directly into the middle of the Giant's head. Herakles brought the cattle to Eurystheas, who then sacrificed them to Hera.

Greek myth is full of stories of impressive animals that are separate from the god-like creatures of Medusa and the Minotaur, such as the Nemean Lion, the Golden Hind of Artemis, and the Stymphalian Birds. No foray into classical Greece would be complete without these Legendary creatures. These are strong, powerful animals chosen for their interesting fighting style and appearance. The Odyssey team adapted the real-world versions, embellishing them with different markings and natural weapons. They are dangerous, scarred from many previous encounters, and have an almost diseased, unnatural air to them as shown in the concept artwork by Gabriel Blain. They are not to be attacked lightty. “The 12 labors of Herakles were depicted many times in the game in various forms. For instance the hunt of mythical animals is inspired by many of those myths, as well as some of the stone work and paintings that can be found across the game."

The sixth labor of Herakles was to kill the birds that lived in lake Stymphalia in Arkadia. These birds were sacred to the god of war, Ares. They were carnivorous with toxic dung, and were made of bronze. The lake where they made their dwelling was swampy, so it was difficult for Herakies to approach them. To help, Athena gave him a rattle made by Hephaistos, the god of metalworking, which scared the birds off. Herakles managed to shoot some of the birds with his poison arrows, but several flew away.

Arkadia is a mountainous region of the central Peloponnese. It has plains in the valley of the Alpheios and Ladon rivers, and around the cities of Tegea and Megalopolis. Its banner depicts a head of Demeter, the goddess of agriculture, from the coinage of the city of Pheneos. This earthy goddess is frequently depicted on the coinage of cities. The greatest gift Demeter gave to humankind was agriculture, and this relation was always shown by the grain wreath that she wore.

Ancient Greece had an agrarian economy, meaning that wealth came from farming the land. The polis, or city-state, was made up of the astu (city) and the chora (countryside]. Citizens conducted business and politics in the city, but many made their living on farms in the country, growing olives for oil, wine for grapes, and grains. Due to Greece's mountainous topography and variable rainfall, it is estimated that only one-fifth of the land was arable, so control of the plains was frequently contested. For example, the Spartans conquered the neighboring Messenians and reduced them to slaves with the goal of controlling Messenia's rich and fertile plains. Even a city as powerful as Athens did not produce enough grain to feed its population, and had to rely on grain imports.

Pan was the national god of Arkadia. His name and hybrid appearance as a half-man, half-goat refer to his special role as the “guardian of the flocks”. Shepherds sacrificed goats to Pan in exchange for protection for the rest of their herd. Pan was believed to enjoy roaming the mountains while playing music on his pipes. The Greeks worshipped Pan - as well as Hermes and the nymphs - in sacred caves. However, in Arkadia, there was an entire sanctuary with a temple dedicated to Pan. The origins of the Athenian cult of Pan have been related by Herodotos. According to the ancient historian, the famous runner Philippides met Pan while journeying to Lakonia to ask the Spartans for aid against the Persians. Pan promised to help the Athenians, and made good on that promise at the Battle of Marathon in 490 BCE when he sowed panic in the ranks of the Persian army.

To extract oil, olives were soaked and fermented in baskets or vats for ten days. This softened their skin and made their oil more fluid, but also more bitter, An alternative was to wash the olives in boiling water before crushing them. The olives were then squashed and ground. Small amounts could be ground in a stone mortar, but larger quantities had to be trod on in vats by men wearing wooden clogs, or in a rotary mill - a stone bowl in which one or two rotating millstones were activated by human or animal power. The usual press featured a heavy wooden beam anchored at one end, and stone weights attached at the other end. The beam acted as a lever to increase the pressure exerted on the fruits. The crushed olives were placed in fiber or cloth containers, which were stacked on top of each other on the press bed. After a first pressing, boiling water was poured to ease the flow of oil, and the olives were pressed again. This process was repeated for a third pressing. The resulting product was a mixture of water, olive juice, and oil collected at the press bed. After it had settled in a container, the oil floated on the surface and was separated from the water. This had to be done swiftly to prevent dregs from fermenting and altering the taste of the oil.

Four methods were used to harvest olives. Picking the fallen fruits on the ground was the easiest, and could be sufficient to meet the needs of a small household. Another method was to have men shake the branches, while others collected the olives in wide baskets. Handpicking was preferable for preserves since it does not damage the fruits, but it was a long process. A less labor-intensive method was to beat the branches with long sticks to make the olives fall on the ground or onto pieces of cloth. However, this method damaged the branches and a rough beating could hinder the following year's production. Olives were a widespread and traditional food staple, often consumed with bread and onions. They could be bought in almost every city from street peddlers.

Olive production was an important feature of the ancient Greek agrarian economy. Both olives and olive oil were used on many significant occasions. Olive trees generally only produce a crop every other year, and production is very variable from harvest to harvest. This unpredictability was a reason against farmers becoming exclusive olive producers, so mixed farming remained the norm. Planting olive trees was one of the most important means of increasing the productivity of land and its long-term value. It allowed landowners to create usable farmland from slopes and other marginal land that would otherwise have been left for grazing. While an olive tree might produce a small return after eight to ten years, it may take twenty or thirty years to come into full production. But, olive trees live for a very long time. If a landowner planted olives on his land, it was his children and grandchildren that would harvest the fruit.

In the Phokis region was Delphi, the site of the Panhellenic oracle of Apollo. A prophecy would be given by the Pythia who sat on the Delphic tripod, a three-legged piece of furniture. This tripod, one attribute of Apollo, is depicted on the banner with two dolphins on either side. Dolphins were also dedicated to Apollo, and their name in Greek (delphis) recalled the name of Delphi. Tripods and dolphins appeared on some of the coins of Delphi, but this composition derived from the coinage of Megaris.

(Under the scenes) “What would be Greece without the typical olive groves? Early on, some key nature elements were chosen in order to feel the Greek landscape.” - Vincent Lamontagne.

Greece is known for its monuments, temples, and statues, some of which still exist today. But even in 431 BCE, Greece had ruins of even older civilizations. In Phokis, thought of as the Land of the Gods and center of the world, stands the Sanctuary of Delphi, sitting on the slopes of Mount Parnassos, along with other temples and structures from the pre- classical Greek age. While drawing on real-life examples, historical research, plus popular culture in the form of movies and comics, the art team also had to construct some monuments from nothing but myth, and to give life to these magnificent structures.

Greek Mythology is a fascinating and enduring collection of fantastical stories, ones that the art team had great fun recreating for Assassin's Creed Odyssey. Drawing on the myths, Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, and representations in classic artwork and popular culture, the mythological world becomes real for the Hero. The myths are instantly recognizable in the artwork on these pages. The Titan Tityos, who attempted to violate Leto, the daughter of Titan Coeus and Phoebe, was punished for his transgression by being tied to a rock in Tartarus. His liver was eaten each day by two vultures, only to regrow overnight to begin the torment again.

The theater of Delphi was situated above the Temple of Apollo. It offered an expansive view of sanctuary and the valley below, and could accommodate around 5000 spectators in its seats. The theater hosted different artistic contests, especially during competitions like the Pythian Games. These contests included plays, poetry readings, and musical performances, and were held not only for the audience, but also for Apollo, the god of arts - among other things.

Built by the Knidians between 475-450 BCE, the Lesche was a clubhouse renowned for displaying two paintings by Polygnotos of Thasos, one of ancient Greece's most famous artists. According to Pausanias, the paintings depicted the Capture of Troy and a Nekyia [necromantic ritual), respectively. The Lesche was most likely constructed after the battle of Eurymedon in 467 BCE, which resulted in Knidos's liberation from the Persians.

Tripods were pieces of furniture used during offerings and rituals. They were most associated with the god Apollo, and the Pythia sat on a sacred Delphic Tripod when delivering her prophecies The golden Tripod of Plataia was dedicated after a victory over the Persians at Plataia in 479 BCE. The tripod rested atop a twisted 8-meter tall bronze column that ended in snake heads. The column stood in Delphi until 324 CE, when the Roman Emperor Constantine relocated it to what is now known as Istanbul. Next to the tripod was the bronze Palm Tree of Eurymedon, which was dedicated by Athenians after Kimon's defeat of the Persians at the Eurymedon river.

The Apollo of Salamis stood in front of the Temple of Apollo, and was dedicated to Delphi after Themistokles's famous naval victory at Salamis in 480 BCE. The bronze statue was 6 meters tall, and held an aphlaston (a ship's stern ornament) in its hand as a symbol of the battle.

Oedipus was son of Laius and lokasta of Thebes. His father was terrified of a prophecy from Delphi predicting that Oedipus would end up killing him and marrying his wife, so he banished his newborn to the mountains to die. The baby was saved by a shepherd, who gave him to King Polybos and Queen Merope of Korinth to raise him as their own. As he grew, Oedipus heard of the Delphic prophecy, and, believing that it was related to Polybos and Merope, fled Korinth and directed himself to Thebes. Laius had died by then - killed by Oedipus, who did not yet know the king was his father - and the city was at the mercy of a monster, the Sphinx, with a human head and a body of a lion. She consumed those who couldn't solve her riddle: “Which creature has one voice and yet becomes four-footed and two-footed and three-footed?” It was Oedipus who replied that the creature was man: they crawl on all fours as a baby, walk with two feet as they age, and use a cane for support when they grow old. Oedipus solved the riddle, and the defeated Sphinx either fell from a high rock or ate herself and perished, depending on the legend. Oedipus became king of Thebes and married none other than lokasta, his mother. He unknowingly fulfilled the prophecy and became one of the most tragic figures in Greek mythology.

A sybil was a prophetess. Legends say there were ten sibyls in the ancient world, with each one located at different sacred sites. One sybil even called Delphi her home long before the appearance of the Pythia, and allegedly delivered her prophecies from atop a stone.

Built between 600-550 BCE, the Bouleuterion of Delphi is one of the oldest monuments in the sanctuary. The building was the seat of the boule, a council that handled judicial and financial matters. The council was composed of randomly appointed citizens, all of whom usually served a one-year term. In Delphi, a total of thirty bouleutes were appointed during a year, with fifteen chosen every six months. Today, the building is in poor condition, but has been identified based on texts and inscriptions discovered in its proximity, including two accounts from the council itself.

The Athenians dedicated this treasury to Apollo between 490- 485 BCE, following their victory over the Persians at Marathon. Built with marble from Paros, the treasury was ornamented with thirty metopes depicting the exploits of Herakles and Theseus. Today it is the best-preserved monument in Delphi, thanks to restoration efforts by French archaeologists between the years 1903 and 1906.

Ancient Greek treasuries were small temple-like buildings that housed offerings to the gods. They resembled a vestibule with two columns in front. The Sikyonian Treasury dates back to the end of the óth century BCE. It was constructed upon the remains of an older structure, and incorporated pieces from buildings erected during the reign of the tyrant Kleisthenes. The Sikyonians dismantled said buildings after Kleisthenes's death, and reused their pieces in the treasury to mark the beginning of a new era in Sikyonian politics.

The city of Argos dedicated several monuments to Delphi, including the Monument of Epigones. The statues depicted the leaders of the mythological expedition against Thebes. This expedition, further explored in one of Aiskhylos's tragedies, revolved around the sons of Oedipus: Eteokles and Polynices. Originally, the two had agreed to rule Thebes on alternating years, but conflict arose when Eteokles refused to give up power to his brother. With the help of Adrastos, the king of Argos, Polynices put together a group of seven attackers to reclaim the city. The Monument of Epigones served as a tribute to Greek soldiers willing to fight and die for what was theirs.

(Behind the scenes) Storyboards are crucial to mapping out a sequence of events. These storyboards by Miguel Bouchard show the Hero's family sharing some dramatic moments at the top of the treacherous Mount Taygetos. This storyboard demonstrates the terrible decision made by Nikolaos.

(Behind the scenes) The Spartan army encampment in Megaris sprawls across the landscape. Tents house weary soldiers, shields and spears neatly arranged, to be quickly grabbed if the Athenians should attack. These camps are a maze of tents and low buildings, temples and houses overtaken by war and generals, and are always well guarded. “The layout of the locations needs to feel credible as though it could be lived in and at the same time needs to fit within the game metrics of fight and stealth,” explains world director, Benjamin Hall. “Anywhere in the world where the player finds themselves against enemies are designed to be a homogeneous blend between art and design.”

Artemis was the daughter of Zeus and Leto, and Apollo's twin sister. A virgin and a huntress, she was one of the most important Olympian deities, and presided over crucial aspects of life: girls' transition to womanhood, childbirth, the rearing of children, but also Spartan boys” rites of transition to manhood, and certain aspects of war. She was most commonly depicted with a bow and arrow, and associated with deer. Artemis had several cults in Sparta, and the most important of them was Artemis Orthia. This cult was closely associated to the Spartan education system, the agoge. Many dedications to Eileithyia - the goddess associated with good deliveries - were found in the sanctuary, showing the two deities' roles were closely related.

(Behind the scenes) “A dedicated river tool has been developed in order to render believable river layouts in a Greek mountainous landscape. Here is an in-game image of a spring river.” - Vincent Lamontagne, assistant art director and lead biome artist.

Compared to Athens, Sparta has been subjected to far less archaeological work, and its akropolis and agora have not yet been excavated. As a result, it's difficult to put together a complete picture of ancient Sparta. The Athenian general and historian Thucydides gives the earliest description of Sparta, but it is Pausanias's visit to the city in the 2nd century CE that provides most of the knowledge we have today. The original layout of Sparta is difficult to map because in Thucydides's time, the city did not have any defensive walls. This is partially because Spartans viewed fortifications as frivolous, expensive, and unnecessary - they felt their men could do a better job defending the city than any walls could.

The mothakes are one of the less well-known classes of Ancient Spartan society. Most of what is known of them is the stuff of hypotheses and theories: they were either illegitimate children of Spartan fathers and helot or períoikoi mothers, orphans whose training was sponsored by guardians, or poor people whose training was paid for by wealthier Spartan families. Mothakes accompanied Spartan boys in the agoge as their companions, or syntrophoi. Though they did not share the same rights as citizens, they could eventually join the Spartan elite if they completed their training, or if their patron bought them a unit of land known as a kleros. Fulfilling these conditions granted them citizenship, and allowed them to join the Spartan military. Written sources attest that some mothakes, such as Gylippos, became accomplished military leaders during the Peloponnesian War. In fact, it's been suggested that Lysander, the famous Spartan admiral instrumental in winning the aforementioned war, was a mothax as well.

According to Pausanias, the Dromos was used as a place for footraces, and contained gymnasia as well. It was open to Sparta's citizens, who could also offer sacrifices on the nearby statue of Herakles.

When Pausanias visited Sparta's agora, he described the imposing Persian Stoa, a structure built to commemorate the Greeks' decisive victory over the Persians in the Greco- Persian Wars: “The most prominent building in the market place is the Persian Stoa, so called because it was built from the spoils of the Medes. In time they embellished it to the size and ornamentation which It now has. The columns are Persians of white stone, Mardonios son of Gobryas and others.”

In one of the Athenian general Thucydides's historical writings, he described a debate between the Spartan king Archidamos and one of Sparta's ephors over whether or not the city should engage Athens and the Delian League in what would later become the Peloponnesian War. Surprisingly, Archidamos argued for a more cautious approach, stating that their enemies were numerous, well- funded, and more skilled when it came to naval engagements. He believed that Sparta should not be so hasty in picking a fight until it was more prepared. The ephor, meanwhile, appealed to the city's honor, and said that the only response worthy of strong Spartans was to vote for war. Despite being the king, Archidamos's efforts to postpone the war were eventually overruled.

Four Spartan kings played important roles in the Peloponnesian War: Archidamos II, his elder son Agis II, Pleistoanax, and his son Pausanias. In 464 BCE, Archidamos Il managed to quell a helot revolt following an earthquake that shook the city to its core. A few years later in 445 BCE, his double in kingship, Pleistoanax, was exiled for presumably taking a bribe from the Athenian statesman Perikles - someone Archidamos had previously been on friendly terms with. During the first part of the Peloponnesian War, which was named the Archidamian War after Archidamos, the king marched against Attika in 431 BCE, 430 BCE, and 428 BCE. He was succeeded by his son Agis Ilin 427/6 BCE, who was appointed a guardian because of his young of age. Agis did not manage to invade Attika, but together with Pleistoanax, who had returned from exile, they signed a treaty with the Athenians in 421 BCE known as the Peace of Nikias. During the third part of the war, it was Agis's decision to occupy Dekeleia and control Athens's countryside, as well as access to the Laurion mines. This move was crucial, because Athens lost the possibility to mint coins with Laurion silver, restricting the city's ability to finance the war and pay for mercenaries and contributing to Athens's eventual surrender in 404 BCE. Pausanias, meanwhile, was the king of Sparta who laid siege to Athens in collaboration with the admiral Lysander, which culminated in Sparta's decisive victory in Aigos Potamoi in 405 BCE.

The períoikoi were indigenous non-Spartan freemen who lived in the periphery of Sparta, but did not have political rights. They formed autonomous communities and developed local economies because, unlike the Spartans, they engaged in commerce and manufacturing. In other words, while Spartans concentrated on war, the períoikoi focused on everything else. They could be carpenters, merchants, farmers, and fishermen, among many other professions. Their dependency on Sparta did now allow them to develop a proper economy, but at the same time they aided the Spartans by allowing them to concentrate on military matters. !t is also believed that the períoikoi procured of the metals and crafted the arms the Spartans used in battle.

(Behind the scenes) Fearsome and formidable, these warriors are unmatched throughout Greece and the known world. These character studies by artist Fred Rambaud show the different types of warriors the Hero will encounter in Sparta, from the heavily armored brute, to the more nimble, spear-wielding fighter, and the brawler, replete in gold armor and a heavy ram's- head hammer.

Dionysos was the Greek god associated with wine, ritual madness, and theater. This temple was set on a hill opposite the Spartan Akropolis. The site was called Kotona [“the hill”), which gave the god his epithet Kolonatas. The temple seems to have been a place of worship for women. When approaching adulthood, girls may have been initiated into the mysteries of Dionysos linked to this temple. During the god's annual feast, Pausanias tells of a footrace involving eleven girls, the “Dionysiades”; this custom would have come from Delphi.

According to many ancient authors, Spartan women were an exception among other Greek women; authors from Athens were both fascinated and afraid of these figures, and presented them as both powerful and licentious. In the warfare state of Sparta, girls were educated with a eugenic perspective to become the future wives and mothers of warriors. According to Queen Gorgo, they were the only Greek women who gave birth to real men, and were the only ones who “commanded to men”. This famous sentence showed the authority of Spartan women in their city. In addition to the desire for strength, gymnastics and sports were also emphasized in education to make the young women attractive enough to marry. This included being well-versed in music, dancing, singing, and poetry. Spartan women dedicated themselves to intensive physical exercise and led very different lives from their Athenian counterparts. They were more autonomous, and more free than many Greek women of ancient times. They also may have trained themselves to wrestle. One purpose of this training could've been for the defense of the city and of their children in the event of an attack on Spartan territory.

The Akropolis of Sparta consisted of several buildings that date from different chronological periods - from the Archaic to the Byzantine era. At the top of the Akropolis was the sanctuary of Athena Chalkioikos, dated to the óth century BCE. It was originally a sanctuary of Pitane, as confirmed by archaeological discoveries dating as early as the Mycenaean period. Near the sanctuary of Athena was the ancient theater of Sparta. The theater seen in-game is based on a structure dated to the Roman period. The theater probably had a wooden stage; a fact supported by several inscriptions from the 2nd century CE. Excavations next to the theater also revealed connected shops. The Akropolis of Sparta also held visible traces of the Skias, the semi-circular building of the archaic-classical periods - but with visible repairs from the Roman period.

The Spartan banner bears the letter “lambda”, standing for Lakedaimon, the other name of Sparta. On their coins, the initials were lambda and alpha: “LA”. This emblem is inspired by Spartan shields bearing the lambda. While there's no archaeological evidence of these shields' decoration, they're known from textual evidence. A fragment of a comedy by Eupolis tells that the sight alone of the lambdas on Spartans' shields was enough to frighten Kleon. On other occasions, shields were decorated by varied iconographies, as shown on numerous vases depicting warriors.

According to Pausanias, the two most important Spartan temples were the temple of Artemis Orthia, and the temple of Athena Chalkioikos. Pausanias describes the building of the sanctuary of Athena Chalkioikos in great detail. It was Located on the Akropolis of Sparta, west of the agora. Its construction was started by the mythical king of Sparta, Tyndareos, but was completed by the Spartan sculptor Gitiadas in the 6th century BCE. The epithet Chalkioikos [house from bronze] was attached to this temple due to the bronze and copper decorations on its walls. These embossed sheets depicted mythological scenes like Herakles's labors, achievements of the sons of Tyndareos, the Legend of Perseus and Medusa, and the birth of Athena. The bronze decorations and the bronze statue of Athena were the works of Gitiadas, who also composed a hymn to the goddess.

Kastor and Pollux, the Dioskouroi, were divine twins, sons of Zeus and Leda, and brothers of Helen and Klytemnestra. One of them human and the other divine, they were linked to Sparta, as myth stated they were born on Mount Taygetos. The Dioskouroi were the protectors of the Spartan kings, and took turns in their royal duty. They helped the Spartans in battle, and they were associated with horsemanship as well as with athletic contests. In art, they were often represented with their sister Helen. An important number of marble reliefs of the Dioskouroi have been found in excavations of the Spartan area, and are now kept in the Sparta Museum.

The Lakedaimonian army was not exclusively made up of official Spartan citizens. The army was composed of all male Lakedaimonians aged twenty to sixty [and occasionally even older], regardless of social class. Because of this, Helots and Perioikoi often fought alongside Spartan homoioi (citizens).

The twelfth and final labor of Herakles was the capture of Cerberos, the three-headed hound protecting the entrance to the underworld. Herakles first visited Eleusis and participated in the Eleusinian Mysteries to prepare himself for the descent. The entrance was believed to be in Cape Tenaron, at the far end of Lakonia. Hades agreed to give Cerberos to Herakles, but only if he managed to subdue the hound without any weapons. Herakles was successful in his task. When Herakles brought Cerberos to Eurystheas, Eurystheas begged him to return the beast to the underworld, then released Herakles from any future labors.

Giving a proper funeral to the dead was considered one of the most important gestures in a person's life. It was believed that the soul left the body upon death, and if not properly buried, the soul wouldn't find peace in the underworld. Burial therefore had a spiritual purpose, but also a practical one in minimizing the festering of decaying bodies. This pollution of decay and the impiety of leaving the bodies without burial was a key explanation for the widespread practice of allowing defeated enemies to collect their dead after battle.

The fifth labor of Herakles consisted of cleaning the stables of Augeas, king of Elis. This was a rather humiliating task, since the cattle that lived in the stables were immortal. Not only that, but they were more than one thousand in number, and produced an enormous amount of dung. The stables had been filthy for thirty years, which made the task nearly impossible. In this case, Herakles used his brain instead of this brawn. He redirected the rivers Alpheus in the Peloponnese and Pineios in Thessaly to the site. The water went through the stables and thoroughly cleaned them. Untike the other labors, it appears that Herakles was paid for the task. He asked for one tenth of the cattle if he managed to clean the stables in one day. However, he killed Augeas when the king didn't honor the deal, and gave the kingdom to Phyleas, Augeas's son.

The fourth labor of Herakles was considered very dangerous. Eurystheas asked Herakles to bring to him the boar that lived on the mountain Eurymantos. Centaurs, half horses and half- men renowned for being wise, lived on the same mountain. It was the famous centaur Chiron - who later became the tutor of Achilles - who advised Herakles on how to catch the boar. Herakles drove the boar into the snow, captured it, and carried it back to Eurystheas, who was so afraid of the animal that he hid himself inside a pithos [container].

The site of Olympia is dominated on the northern side by the Hill of Kronos. This Titan, who was the father of Zeus and the Olympians, was worshipped on the top of the hill. Prophecy told that Kronos would be dethroned by one of his children. Because of this, he devoured the children he had with Rhea as soon as they were born. But when Zeus was born, Rhea fooled Kronos by hiding Zeus in Krete and replacing him with a stone wrapped in clothes. Once he had grown up, Zeus managed to free his brothers and sisters and make them his allies. The following war between Olympians and Titans for the supremacy of the universe is called the Titanomachy. Zeus also freed the Cyclopes who created the thunderbolt for him. Zeus and his allies won the war and imprisoned the Titans in Tartaros. The Titan Atlas received another punishment as he was ordered to hold up the sky. Zeus became king of the gods, and thus began the age of the Olympians.

(Behind the scenes) Hilltop forts formed the main line of defense against the invading armies. They are built of stone packed around wooden frames as demonstrated in the fort at the bottom of the page, created by Michael Guimont. It's up to the Hero to infiltrate these to bring them down from the inside, allowing the army to advance, as shown in concept art by Caroline Soucy (far right). But these are not simple structures, as Benjamin Hall explains, “Forts are some of the most complex challenges design wise. These locations need to offer something different for the player from both a visual and gameplay point of view."

The Bouleuterion of Olympia was one of the first buildings constructed in the site. The council of Olympia met in the Bouleuterion to discuss matters regarding the sanctuary. They appointed priests, arbitrated conflicts between athletes and hellanodikai (judges), and decided which victors to erect statues for, as well as where to put them. The Bouleuterion also housed archives of records from previous Olympiads, in addition to the statue of Zeus Horkios, in front of which athletes and trainers swore their Olympic oath.

The sanctuary is very ancient. Its use goes back to the third millennium BCE. At first, it was only a sacred forest. From about 1000 BCE onward, a cult of Zeus developed on the site of Olympia. The traditional date of the first Olympic festival is 776 BCE, which is also the date of the first recorded winner of the Games: Koroibos of Elis, who won the stadion race. The Olympic Games have their origins in ritual funeral games. Funeral games were held to honor the deceased, and might have celebrated civic heroes or private individuals. In “The Iliad”, Homer related that Achilles held games for his friend Patroklos who died in the Trojan War. It is the most ancient mention of this ritual, but they are attested to well into the Hellenistic period. Brasidas, the Spartan general, died in the battle of Amphipolis during the Peloponnesian War. He was honored as the new founder of the city, and funeral games were organized and became an annual event.

The modern Olympics were inspired by the ancient Games of Olympia. A French nobleman, Baron Pierre de Coubertin, was convinced of the parallel importance of the development of mind and body, and he saw this ideal in ancient Greek culture. He had the idea to revive the Games, and started to promote this notion. At this time, excavations had begun at the original site of Olympia. The ancient site was rediscovered in 1766 by Richard Chandler, an English antiquarian, but the first excavation was carried out in 1829. The excavation reports inspired de Coubertin, who became obsessed with the athletic ideal of Olympia, which he thought would inspire competitiveness and team spirit amongst nations. The first modern games were held in 1896 in Athens.

Athletes were primarily from the upper class. They had to be rich to afford the expenses of training and their participation in the Games. Alkibiades, an aristocrat from an eminent family, was one of these very wealthy athletes. His preference was for horse races - these events were reserved for the wealthiest participants. A good illustration of his financial power was during the Olympic Games of 416 BCE. He participated with a whopping seven chariots in the quadriga race, and won first, second, and fourth place. He was the first to ever enroll this many chariots in one race, and in the context of the Peloponnesian War, this was a demonstration that Athens was still powerful. Alkibiades increased that impression with a magnificent feast, and even used official Athenian gold and silver plates for the occasion.

Though not part of the official competition, the first day ofthe Olympic festival featured recitals and teachings from poets and philosophers. Because Olympia was a public space, it provided these orators an excellent opportunity to earn the ear of wealthy aristocrats with the goal of turning them into future patrons. Oral tradition was so important in ancient Greece that some Panhellenic festivals - like the Pythian Games in Delphi - included orating contests as part of the official program.

Elis is most famous for its sanctuary of Olympia where the Olympics were held. The main divinity of the sanctuary was Zeus; its main temple was dedicated to him, and housed the famous gold and ivory statue of Zeus made by Phidias. Zeus was known as the king of gods and god of thunder. One of his attributes was the thunderbolt, which was given to him by the Cyclopes. The coinage of Elis is associated with Olympia, and Zeus is often depicted on the coins. They sometimes feature a head of Zeus, but he's also commonly represented by his thunderbolt - which served as the model for the region's banner - or his signifying animal, the eagle.

Until up to 584 - 580 BCE, the Olympic Games were organized by the Oxylides, an aristocratic family from the city of Elis. Over time, however, the family seemingly died out, and the responsibility of organizing the Games passed on to other members of the Elaian aristocracy who were chosen randomtly by lot. The first organizers of the games were originally called agonothetai - literally “those who held the games” - but their name was eventually changed to hellanodikai.

Ancient Greek heroes were viewed as intermediates between gods and men. Consequently, hero-cults were a distinctive feature of Greek religion. Most heroes originated from heroic epics, such as Pelops in Olympia, but this quality was not always necessary. For example, Erechtheus of Athens had a local hero-cult without ties to an epic. On some occasions, extraordinary humans - such as the founders of cities - could also become the objects of a cult, like Brasidas in Amphipolis. Hero-shrines, or heroons, were often constructed around the hero's real for suspected) tombs. One exception amongst hero-cults was the cult of Herakles. Herakles was considered as much as god as hero, and his cult was widespread. There were many large sanctuaries dedicated to the demigod, such as the Herakleion in Thasos, where he was viewed as one of the city's protectors.

Some athtetes achieved a level of fame that bordered on mythical. The wrestler Milon of Kroton was one of them. In the éth century BCE, he won events in every Panhellenic Game, granting him the rare privilege of the title of periodonikes. He won six victories in Olympia, in addition to several other titles in the Panhellenic Games of Delphi, Nemea, and Isthmos. He was appointed general by his city, and led an army during the war between Kroton and Sybaris. In the battle that Led to the destruction of Sybaris, Milon dressed like Herakles, wearing a lion-skin and carrying a club. Milon's strength was Legendary. He is reported to have carried his own bronze statue to its place in Olympia. However, he was not invincible. When he participated in his seventh Otympiad, he competed against a fellow from Kroton in the final. Before combat started, the opponent bowed as a sign of respect, then managed to defeat Milon. Even so, it is Milon's name that history remembers.

Although women were not allowed to compete in the Olympic Games, it was still possible for them to win the equestrian events. This is because horse and chariot races awarded not the jockeys or chariot drivers, but the owner of the horses. The first woman to participate in (and win) one of these races was the Spartan princess Kyniska. She won events both in 396 BCE, and in the following Olympiad, and her victories made her world-famous. She even erected a statue of herself and her horses in Olympia. After her death, she was made a hero in Sparta, and a shrine was builtin her honor. Following Kyniska, other women like Euryleonis of Sparta, Berenike, queen of Egypt, Belistiche of Makedonia, and Timareta of Elis also went on to win equestrian events.

The modern concept of lighting of the Olympic Flame - a practice started during the 1936 Games in Berlin - has its roots in antiquity. The carrying of the torch was at least partially inspired by the lampadedromia, a relay-race that required runners to reach the finish line while holding a still-burning torch. However, although the lLampadedromia was held at many religious festivals and sporting events, it was not an event in the ancient Olympic Games. Instead, the most important flame in Olympia was the sacred Fire of Hestia, which was used to light the sanctuary's altars during the festival.

The Kladeos river borders the western side of Olympia. lts name comes from the river-god Kladeos, who according to Pausanias shared an altar with Demeter behind the sanctuary's temple of Hera. Originally, Olympia's gymnasion and baths were erected along the river's banks, but part of the gymnasion was destroyed when the river changed course in the 4th century CE. The river's new trajectory - along with flooding from the Alpheios river in the Middle Ages - buried Olympia in approximately four meters of silt, and the site was only rediscovered in the 19th century.

The cult personnel of Olympia was made up of priests who fulfilled different sacred purposes. Theêkoloi were responsible for the general organization of the cult, and performed sacrifices every month. They burned incense mixed with grain kneaded in honey on the site's different altars, and poured libations of wine. Two soothsayers fulfilled the divining role previously hetd by Olympia's Oracle of Zeus, and four spondophoroi worked as libation bearers. Meanwhile, exegetes were in charge of explaining Olympia's rituals to foreigners who came to the sanctuary to sacrifice. There was also a mageiros, who was something of a butcher and cook. The mageiros killed the animal being sacrificed, cut it, and cooked it so it could be served at a later banquet. The very first Olympic winner, Koroibos of Elis, was a mageiros.

The main buildings where athletes trained were the gymnasion and the palaistra. In the gymnasion, athletes trained for races and pentathlon events. In the palaistra, they trained for wrestling and boxing. Wrestlers and boxers could train in the Korykeion room, where a suspended leather bag full of sand [korykos] served as a sort of punching bag. All athletes competed and trained nude. The reason for the introduction of athletic nudity is not immediately clear. The etymology of gymnasion pointed to nudity, as the Greek word gymnos means “nude”. According to Thucydides, this innovation came from Sparta. He says that Lakedaimonians were the first to practice sports naked. Tradition says that Acanthos of Sparta, who won the diaulos and the dolichos races in the Olympic Games of 720 BCE, would have been the first to do this. But Pausanias had another version of the story. He tells that the first to run naked in Olympia was Orhippos of Megaris in 720 BCE. He supposedly did this believing that nudity would help him run faster.

Sounion held a festival every four years. While not much is known about the specifics of the festival, it probably occurred during the 5th century BCE, and was important enough for officials to commandeer a ship specifically to travel to Sounion for the occasion. Sounion hosted sacrifices as well, as evidenced by a ramp leading through the central door meant to Lead animals to the sanctuary. Fragments of Kouroi statues have also been found, suggesting dedications were occasionally offered to the sanctuary. However, when the first version of the temple was destroyed by Persians, these dedications were probably wrecked or stolen. Fortunately, one large Kouros statue, probably from the 7th century BCE, has remained mostly intact. It's possible the statue - which depicts a naked young man with long hair - survived the destruction of the temple by being hidden from the Persians during their invasion.

Poseidon was the god of horses, earthquakes, and most famously, the sea. Not to be confused with Pontos, the ancient Greek personification of the sea, Poseidon's name means “Lord of the earth” or “husband of the earth”. Poseidon's family tree includes his father Kronos, his mother Rhea, and his brothers, Zeus and Hades. Together, Poseidon and his brothers deposed Kronos, after which Poseidon was granted the kingdom of the sea. His weapon and symbol was the trident. According to Hesiod, much like Zeus's thunderbolts, Poseidon's trident was made for him by three Cyclopes.

Sounion is located approximately 70 kilometers south of Athens, at the southern tip of the Attika region. Prehistoric tombs in the area suggest that Sounion was first inhabited around 3000 BCE. The sanctuary of Poseidon stood at Sounion's highest point. It was an imposing structure that overlooked the sea from steep cliffs - Appropriate, for a place dedicated to the powerful god of the ocean.

(Behind the scenes) Concept artwork on this spread by Gabrield Blain and Fred Rambaud showcases the variety of opponents to be found in Athens, Attika, and all over Greece. The Athenian army is similar to the Spartans', but does have key differences. The Athenian breastplates are smooth, favoring motifs and symbols over representation of muscles. And there is of course the color: Athenians are always represented in blue so they are recognizable to the player.

Philipiddes was a “hemerodrome”, a professional runner who served Athens as a herald. According to Herodotos, Athens sent Philipiddes to ask Sparta for aid at Marathon. During his journey, he encountered the god Pan in the mountains. Pan - who was half-man, half-goat = complained that the Athenians did not honor him as much as they should have - especially since he could render helpful services like sowing panic and terror in the ranks of their enemies. Following the Battle of Marathon, the Athenians corrected their neglectful attitude towards Pan, and thanked him for his help in their victory.

A tumulus was a special tomb in which the ashes of cremated bodies were collected in purple cloth - purple being the mark of royalty. The ashy remains were then placed in a bronze urn. There is a large tumulus in the Kerameikos that was used from the 560's BCE to the end of the 5th century BCE.

In Greece, hoplites were heavy infantrymen. They carried round shields large enough to protect both themselves and anyone to their left, and wore helmets, cuirasses, and leggings. Hoplites normally advanced in a phalanx formation of five to seven lines deep. The phalanx allowed them to attack with spears, and simultaneously defend themselves from any cavalry and archers attacking from the front.

(Behind the scenes) “Realizing an enormous battle on the scale of ancient Greek warfare was quite a technical and design challenge. We wanted to remain as true as possible to the tactics and warfare of the time, but plenty of compromises were made for gameplay, excitement, and technical constraints.” - Scott Phillips “Even making the Discovery Tour was a challenge as we needed to show battlefields without explicitly showing a battlefield. We opted for flags instead of violence to communicate the events.” - Paul Green, Assistant Level Design Director on Discovery Tour: Ancient Greece

Hippias was the son of Peisistratos, the tyrant of Athens. He succeeded his father in 528 BCE, ruled with absolute power, and brutally disposed of his enemies. In spite of this, Athens was surprisingly peaceful and prosperous under Hippias's rule. His reign ended in 510 BCE, when a Spartan invasion of Attika led to his downfall. Hippias fled to Asia Minor, where he came in contact with the Persian king Darius. The disgraced tyrant would eventually convince the Persians to land their forces at Marathon.

The Telesterion was the most important building of the sanctuary at the far end of the Sacred Way. This was the temple that was dedicated to Demeter, and the place where the cults and mysteries took place. It was here that the climax of the Eleusinian ceremonies happened, and it was in the Telesterion that the priestesses revealed their visions, and the initiates were prohibited from discussing the events that took place. The Telesterion was a square or rectangular building of approximately fifty meters across with two entrances on each side, with an exception on the western side that was built on the rock. Inside there were eight rows of seats, and forty columns supported the roof. In the center of the roof there was a hole from where the light would enter the temple. In the center of the Telesterion was a rectangular room called the anaktoron, where all the sacred objects of the cult were kept, and where only the Hierophant could enter. Today the architectural remains visible on the site are those of the Classical building.

Following the Greco-Persian Wars, Themistokles recommended that Athens fortify both the city and the port of Piraeus. The fortifications started under Themistokles and were further strengthened by Perikles and Kimon. Their efforts contributed to the creation of the so-called "Long Walls” that ensured Athens always had access to its port, even in times of war.

Shipsheds were used to store ancient vessels called triremes. The sheds were essential, as triremes required methodical overhauling during the winter months when there was little to no naval navigation. The earliest shipsheds were built in the time of Themistokles, and Perikles later built more sheds for the sum of 1000 talents. The sheds were originally made of wood before transitioning to stone in the 4th century BCE.

In addition to being a trading center, Piraeus also functioned as an industrial center that contained several factories - many of which manufactured weapons during the Peloponnesian War. The former slave Pasion owned a shield factory, as did the brothers Lysias and Polemarchos. The orator Demosthenes, meanwhile, owned a factory that produced swords. These factories all employed a large number of slaves, and were extremely lucrative for their owners.

Maritime trade was a risky business, and not every ship reached its destination. For example, a merchant ship was wrecked near Kyrenia in the 4th century BCE, and underwater excavations of its remains have revealed much information about ancient Greek shipbuilding. The wreck's wooden hull was made of pine, and suggests the ship was made using the “shell-first” technique, wherein the shell of the boat was constructed before the rest of its parts. The ship's cargo included jars filled with almonds, and over 400 wine amphoras. It also carried 29 milltstones that were used as ballast to stabilize the vessel, and 300 lead net weights that were likely used for fishing.

Originally, ports used fire to help guide ship navigators to land. The innovation of placing fire on top of a platform led to the development of the Lighthouse. Ancient lighthouses started appearing in the archaic period, around the 6th-5th centuries BCE. The island of Thasos had three marble lighthouses that took the shape of small circular towers placed on promontories. One of the most famous lighthouses was the Pharos of Alexandria, which stood at a height of over 100 meters.

Preparation

Category Pages

Page 1	Page 2	Under
Category:New Orleans	Category:Louisiana	Category:Louisiana
Category: Historical documents	Category:Document collections	Category:Documents
Category: Boston	Category: Massachusetts	Category: Massachusetts

Location Pages

Page 1	Page 2	Under
Syria	Levant	Levant
Sanctuary of Kosmos	Cave of Gaia	Sanctuary of Kosmos

People Pages

Page 1	Page 2	Under
Grand Master of the Templar Order	Templar leader	Grand Master
Mentor	Assassin leader	Mentor
Pirate hunter	Bounty hunter	Bounty hunters
Pirate hunter	Privateer	Privateers
Tainted One	Hybrid	Hybrid

Timeline Pages

Page 1	Page 2	Under
French and Indian War	Seven Years' War	Seven Years' War
Granada War	Reconquista	Granada War

Weapon Pages

Page 1	Page 2	Page 3	Under
Altaïr's Sword	Sword of Altaïr		Sword of Altaïr
Altaïr's Swords	Sword of Altaïr		Altaïr's Swords
Queen Anne's Pistol	Queen Anne's Pistols		Queen Anne's Pistol
Pirate Scimitar	Pirate Scimitars	Pirate Scimitar (Rogue)	Pirate Scimitar
Assassin Gauntlet	Hidden Blade		Hidden Blade
French Cuttoe	Cuttoe Sword	Cuttoe Sword (Liberation)	French Cuttoe

Other Pages

Page 1	Page 2	Under
Games and media	Assassin's Creed (series)	Assassin's Creed (series)
Guild challenges (Revelations)	Guild challenges (Brotherhood)	Guild challenges
Memory extraction	Genetic memory	Genetic memory
Riverboats	Boat	Boat
Shay Cormac's fleet	The Naval Campaign	The Naval Campaign
Twelve Gods	Greek mythology	Greek mythology

Syndicate Memories

Bounty Hunts

Homer DaltonHarrison HarleyWade Lynton

Era|Memories|ACS

Homer Dalton was a virtual representation of one of Jacob Frye and Evie Frye's genetic memories, relived by a Helix initiate through the Helix Navigator.

Description

Jacob or Evie Frye were tasked with bringing in the criminal Homer Dalton.

Dialogue

Outcome

Dalton was delivered to the authorities.

References

• Assassin's Creed: Syndicate

ACSMemories

Era|Memories|ACS

Harrison Harley was a virtual representation of one of Jacob Frye and Evie Frye's genetic memories, relived by a Helix initiate through the Helix Navigator.

Description

Jacob or Evie Frye were tasked with bringing in the criminal Harrison Harley.

Dialogue

Outcome

Harley was delivered to the authorities.

References

• Assassin's Creed: Syndicate

ACSMemories

Era|Memories|ACS

Wade Lynton was a virtual representation of one of Jacob Frye and Evie Frye's genetic memories, relived by a Helix initiate through the Helix Navigator.

Description

Jacob or Evie Frye were tasked with bringing in the criminal Wade Lynton.

Dialogue

Outcome

Lynton was delivered to the authorities.

References

• Assassin's Creed: Syndicate

ACSMemories