User:Lady Kyashira/Shadows Documentation

Attika

While Athens did not have a bureaucracy in place to permanently run the city and the rest of its empire, it did elect more than 1,000 officials every year to manage its affairs. Most of these officials had very minor responsibilities, and therefore only worked part-time.

The vast majority of officiais were chosen by lot, but the most important ones were elected by popular vote in the Athenian assembly. In both cases, citizens who wished to hold one of the positions had to first nominate themselves.

Citizens had to be thirty years old to qualify for an official position, and even then, they could still be dismissed. Despite these limitations, however, up to 5% of all Athenian citizens were appointed or elected to official positions on a yearly basis, or became part of the Council of 500.

Depending on the year, up to 100 officials were elected. The most important of these were the ten generais, or strategoi. The generals were officially in charge of military matters, but over the course of the 5th century BCE, their influence expanded to political matters as well. For example, Perikles was elected general 15 times between 443 and 429 BCE, and used that time to cement his hold on Athenian politics.

The most important element of ancient Greek cults was the sacrifice to gods. Consequently, the most important structures were the altars where the sacrifices were slaughtered and burnt. Therefore, the Great Altar of Athena Polias, the patron deity of Athens, was the holiest and most significant monument on the Akropolis. The exact location of the altar is unknown, but it seems that it was erected to the east of the Erechtheion, in the northern, most sacred part of the Akropolis. While other buildings were frequently dismantled and erected anew, the altar's position did not change for hundreds of years. In Perikles's time, the altar built ca. 525 BCE by the sons of the great tyrant Peisistratos was probably remodeled as an impressive stepped structure, so that it could easily host sacrifices as large as the Panathenaia festival's hecatomb, which involved the slaughtering of 100 cattle, as implied by its name (hekaton = “one hundred”; bous = “ox").

An altar consecrated to Dionysos is believed to have stood in the center of the theater's orchestra. This central altar would have been the focal point of the choral dance. However, some archaeologists have suggested the altar was actually on the side of the orchestra, and there has also been debate about whether or not it was a permanent fixture in the theater. The altar was used in religious ceremonies before and after performances. Dionysos was worshipped with food offerings and the sacrificing of animals like cattle, sheep, pigs, and goats. He was also offered wine libations, befitting his title as the god of wine. In addition to its sacred uses, the altar could also function as a stage property in various plays, like Agamemnon's tomb in “Choephoroi”, and the omphalos of Delphi in “The Eumenides”.

This altar dedicated to the twelve gods seems to have served as both a place of refuge and a topographical point of reference. Herodotos used the altar to give sample distances, and it functioned as a milestone for all distances in Attika. The altar was dedicated by the archon Peisistratos in 522 BCE. The exact identity of the twelve gods is still debated, but itis commonly accepted that they were the same twelve Olympian gods that were represented on the east frieze of the Parthenon.

Apollo was a complex deity with several different attributions. He was the god of art, music and poetry, Light and knowledge, prophecies, and medical healing. He was the son of Zeus and Leto, and the brother of Artemis. Since Hera was very jealous of Zeus's extramarital lovers, Leto was forced to seek refuge in Delos to bear her child. Apolto was depicted as a young, beardless, and beautiful man. His main symbols were the lyre, the bow, the tripod, and the laurel branch. Apollo had several sanctuaries in Greece, but the most famous was the sanctuary in Delphi, where his Oracle resided.

The sanctuary of Artemis Brauronia, or the Brauroneion, was located near the Propylaia.

In a city dominated with dedications to Athena, the Brauroneion stood out for its focus on Artemis Brauronia, the goddess who presided over girls from puberty to childbirth.

It was likely installed by the ruler Peisistratos, a native of Brauron.

It's probably the sanctuary was built for a smaller branch of the main cult of Artemis Brauronia.

It consisted of a portico, and a wooden statue that was later replaced with a marble one carved by the famous sculptor Praxiteles.

In many ancient texts, the goddess Athena bears the attribute "Ergane", which refers to her patronage of craftsmen and artisans, and other crafts.

Athena Ergane was mainly associated with spinning and weaving. She protected women who produced textiles, and in return they offered her spindles, loom weights, raw wool, and textiles as dedications.

On ancient painted vases, Athena Ergane was often represented as either an artisan in a tool-filled workshop, or as an owl next to objects symbolizing certain crafts. For example, an owl next to a wool basket was sometimes stamped on loom weights used by weavers.

It is not clear if Athena Ergane had an actual cult, like Athena Polias, but it is evident that the goddess bearing this epithet received dedications and offerings from all sorts of artisans. Moreover, the sacred peplos given to the goddess during the Panathenaia was woven under the auspices of Athena Ergane.

The Athenian banner is inspired by the coinage of Athens in the 5th century BCE. These coins show the main goddess of the city, Athena, on one side, and an owl on the reverse. Athena had several known attributes, but was mainly associated with warfare, handicraft, and wisdom. She was the patron of Athens - to which she gave her name. The owl of Athena symbolized the goddess's wisdom and protection, and was often depicted beside her in iconography. These Athenian coins were so emblematic that they were called the glaukes (owls) in antiquity.

(Behind the scenes) Concept artwork on this spread by Gabriel 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 represented in blue so they are recognizable to the player.

(Behind the scenes) "Realizing an enormous battle on the scale of ancient Greek warfrare 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

Bills passed by the prytaneis had to be submitted to the citizen assembly, the ekklesia. The boule and the ekklesia worked together in coordinating and calling the assembly. When laws were voted on, they sent the relevant decrees to the city's magistrates and inhabitants. They were the link between decisions made in the assembly and their implementation. The boule also supervised other matters like city finances, magistrate coordination, sacred affairs, etc.

The Chalkotheke, meaning “bronze storehouse”, was built in the available space between the Parthenon, the temple of Artemis Brauronia, and the Akropolis's southern wall. The building was used as a storehouse for the bronze and iro items of Athens's treasury, either around 450 BCE, during the reform of the first Delian League, or in the 370s BCE, when Athenian imperial ambitions were once again on the rise after recovering from their defeat in the Peloponnesian War. Most information on the Chalkotheke was preserved on four 4th century BCE inscriptions, which were displayed nearby and contained detailed inventories of the building's items, including metal vases, statues, and above all, weapons and armor. The Chalkotheke therefore also functioned as a military arsenal, as further evidenced by the stockpile of artillery and naval equipment the Athenians stored in the building in 320 BCE.

Athenian coinage was the most abundant Greek coinage in the 5th century BCE. The coins came in many denominations, from tiny coins weighing approximately 0.15g to larger tetradrachms weighing 17.20g. At one point, Athens even struck an issue of dekadrachms weighing 43.209. These large coins dated back to the 460s BCE, and have been linked to either the Athenian victory over the Persians at the Eurymedon River - which resulted in an enormous amount of seized booty - or the capture of Thasos and its rich mines. Athens also occasionally struck gold coins, and from the end of the 5th century BCE, they minted bronze coinage as well.

The myth of Poseidon and Athena's competition for Athens's patronage was one of the most well-known in Periklean Athens, and was even depicted on the West Pediment of the Parthenon. It was recounted later by many Greek and Roman writers, and in many different forms. The basic version of the story states that the half-man half- serpent Kekrops, the first king of a newly founded city in Attika, needed the location to have a patron deity. Poseidon was the first to apply, and struck the rock of the Akropolis with his trident, turning it into a salty spring that he offered to Kekrops's subjects as a gift [in later versions, the spring is replaced by a horse, Poseidon's favorite creature). Athena struck the rock as well, and an olive tree sprouted from the ground. Depending on the version of the myth, either Kekrops or a divine jury ruled that Athena's gift was more precious, and so she became the patron goddess of the city that was thenceforth known as Athens. The salty spring and the olive tree, which were both visible on the Akropolis, were seen as symbols of seafaring and agriculture, respectively. The earliest versions of the myth, devised by landed elites, favored Athena and depicted Poseidon as a vengeful ruffian who flooded part of Attika after he had lost. However, after the naval battle of Salamis in 480 BCE and the creation of Athens's maritime empire, the sea- minded Athenian democracy elaborated a new version of the myth where the two gods are reconciled. Reconciliation was reflected in the building of the Erechtheion, which was dedicated both to Athena Polias [of the city) and to Poseidon (Erechtheos).

The geranos (cranel, or mechane [machine], was located on the right end of the stage, and could suspend and carry actors through the air. This was especially useful for portraying characters like gods or heroes. On top of the skene, there was also a roof called the theologeion ("where the gods speak”) that was reserved for the appearance of divine beings. Greek dramatists would often employ gods to resolve difficult and complicated conflicts. The god would first be lifted through the air by the geranos, then land on the theologeion before resolving the drama with a neat solution. This process inspired the expression “deus ex machina” - or “theos apo mechanes” in Greek. The expressing refers to the sudden resolution of a seemingly unresolvable situation.

The Monument of the Eponymous Heroes was built in honor of the heroes from whom the ten founding tribes of Athens took their names. The bronze statues were erected on a marble base that also served as an official notice board for the Athenian people. Athens was divided into ten tribes when Kleisthenes reorganized the political system in 508 BCE. The tribes' ten heroes were chosen from amongst the mythical figures of Athens by the Oracle at Delphi. The chosen figures were Erechtheus, Aigeus, Pandion, Leos, Akamas, Oeneus, Kekrops II, Hippothoon, Ajax, and Antiochos. Athens's tribal structure meant that citizens voted by tribes, and the council of the Boule featured a rotation of tribal delegations.

Religion was an important aspect of Greek private life. Though the walls of the house provided physical protection, the family needed divine protection as well, and for this they turned to Zeus. Every house had an altar dedicated to Zeus Herkeios [of the Fencel] that the family could worship at by offering sacrifices and libations in the god's honor. Sacrifices were also performed in the house on special occasions like weddings, births, or for the festival of Zeus Ktesios. The Greek dramatist Menander mentions that worshippers would circle the altar with sacrificial tools like a vessel of holy water. They sprinkled the water around the altar to purify it, then began the sacrifice proper. Household sacrifices could be animals, but also offerings of incense and vegetables. The ceremony of Amphidromia celebrated the presentation of a newborn, and might have taken place in the courtyard. The ceremony was held when the baby was five days old, and symbolized its acceptance into the family. Friends were invited to the occasion, and the house's exterior was decorated differently depending on the sex of the child: olive branches indicated a boy, while garlands of wool signaled a girl. The most central part of the Amphidromia was the circling the house's hearth with the newborn, followed by the presenting of the child to both the house's gods and the rest of the family. The newborn also received their name during the ceremony.

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.

Water was supplied to the agora through fountain houses. Aqueducts delivered the water to a reservoir, and the overflow was evacuated through a drain. Fountain houses are amongst the earliest public buildings in the agora.

Honoring the dead was a duty expected by the gods. Desecrating their bodies, allowing the bodies to be desecrated, or forgetting them in the open air was a heinous crime. It was expected to give the dead a proper funeral - especially for fallen soldiers. Bodies were commontly buried or consumed in the flames of a funeral pyre. The pyre was especially common for dead soldiers, as the heat and light of the fire were considered appropriate send-offs. Greek monuments were always painted, including the steles erected to commemorate the dead. Some extensive traces of red and black pigments can be seen even today. The steles usually showed the deceased person in different positions - one of the most common images being a hand- shake with a family member.

In the precinct of the Hephaisteion, excavators have discovered archaeological traces of the "Garden of Hephaistos”. According to their findings, trees and shrubs used to be planted in rows running parallel to the main structure.

The Greek household was protected by many gods. Zeus Herkeios - or “Zeus of the Fence” -- was worshipped at a courtyard altar, and supposedly protected the house from outside aggressors. Zeus Ktesios - "Zeus of the Property” - was linked to a house's family and their wealth. He was represented by a two- handled jar wrapped in a white woolen fillet and filled with various seeds, water, and olive oil. Other gods include Hestia, who was the eponymous goddess of the domestic hearth, as well as Hermes and Apollo, who are both mentioned as being guardians of the front door. Representations of Herakles were also known to stand near houses, possibly to protect them from crime and the forces of evil.

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

In Greece, hoplites were heavy inffantrymen. 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.

In the 5th century BCE, all citizens could theoretically attend the Athenian assembly, which governed not only civic affairs but also the affairs of an entire empire. Needless to say, managing the assembly was complex, and one of the main challenges was ensuring the meetings were conducted in a timely fashion. It was especially important that every citizen was given the same amount of time to speak. For this reason, a water clock known as a klepsydra was set up at the Pnyx to ensure every orator spoke for the same allotted time. A klepsydra was made up of two large vases, one above the other, and a small tube. The tube poured water into the bottom vase over the course of six minutes, then the vases were switched and the process repeated itself. In addition to keeping time at assembly meetings, klepsydrae were also important in courts of law, where they ensured both the prosecution and the defense had equal time to speak.

Kore Phrasikleia is one of the most important works of archaic scuplture. It depicts a young woman (kore), and was found in Attika during excavations next to a young male statue.

The statue is dated to 550-530 BCE and depicts a kore wearing sandals, a full length sleeved chiton, and a tall kalathos decorated with flowers. In her hand, she holds a lotus bud. She is also wearing earrings, a necklace, and two bracelets. The height of the statue is 1.79 metersm and the preservation of its polychromy is astonishing. Recent research confirms the use of eleven different colorants, as well as gold and lead foil.

We know the name of the deeased Phrasikleia bcause it is inscribed on the base of the statue. Her young age is also implied, as she is called the maiden in the inscription, meaning she died before she got married. On the left side of the base is the name of the sculptor, Aristion of Paros. The base was not buried with the kore, but was used as a building material in a nearby church, where it was recovered.

Aristion fabricated and signed other statues as well, which allow us to date the creation of the statue of Phrasikleia to between 550 and 530 BCE. It's not impossible hat the artist was associated with the sphere of power of the tyrants of Athens, and that the statue might have belonged to the Peisistratid family.

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.

Bedrooms in antiquity were generally small and sparsely furnished. Greek bedrooms usually contained a Kline (couch), tables, klismoi (chairs), stools, incense burners, and chests to store clothes and other objects. In general, the amount of furniture corresponded to the wealth of the family, with richer people able to afford more furniture. According to ancient architects, the ideal place for bedrooms was on the western side of the courtyard to catch the morning sun. This explains why most bedroom windows had shutters to keep the light out.

Maritime trade was essential for Greek cities, and certain products could only be acquired from overseas. Large-scale trade occurred in the emporion. Greeks conducted business amongst themselves, but also with other places like Egypt. Traded goods included grapes, olives, wine amphoras, grain, wood, metal ore, textiles, and slaves.

Whether it was monsters battling gods, famous (or infamous) lovers, or heartbreaking tragedies, artists used their clay as a canvas to depict whatever they desired. Vases made in the Kerameikos told many stories, ranging from scenes from everyday life, such as two young Athenians flirting with each other, to phenomenal cosmic battles, like Perseus slaying Medusa. By the 5th century BCE, painters and potters drew on a wide variety of inspirations for their work.

(Behind the scenes) “Music was everywhere in Ancient Greece and we wanted to reflect this in the game. Musicians played in the sanctuaries, the Olympics, the villages and the cities. Music had many uses, including singing and playing during ceremonies, creating rhythm during combat training and for entertainment. Working closely with our musicians in the UK, Canada and Greece, we created original songs that reflected important moments in the story, instrumental music to provide entertainment throughout the world, and ancient Greek sailors songs for the boat” - Lydia Andrew

Eleusis is a city in West Attika, at the northern end of the Saronic Gulf and at a distance of 20 kilometers from the center of Athens.

The city of Eleusis was practically unknown until the 1930's, when excavations determined the shape of the Classical city. High on the summit, the akropolis of Eleusis was fortified since the Mycenaean period, and the Sanctuary of Demeter was situated lower down the hill and outside the fortification. According to the Homeric Hymn to Demeter, Demeter herself introduced the mysteries at Eleusis during the quest for her daughter, Persephone. At some point, Demeter stopped at the palace of King Keleos, and as a gift for his hospitality, she taught Triptolemos the art of agriculture. From him, the rest of Greece was educated in agriculture, anditis inin Demeter's honor that the people of Eleusis built a sanctuary. Demeter also taught the people the rites to the "Mysteries”, a secret cult restricted to initiates.

The hymn to Demeter provides the association between myth and ritual, and builds the necessary connection for the establishment of the Eleusis cult.

Demeter and Persephone were worshiped together at Eleusis and were referred to as “goddesses”. They were distinguished from each other as “the older” (Demeter) or “the younger” (Persephone).

Today, an olive tree grows on the western side of the Erechtheion. Although it was planted in 1952 by members of the American School of Archaeology, it is conveniently believed to be descended from a sacred olive tree planted during the foundation of Athens. Myth says that when Athena and Poseidon competed to become the patron deity of the new city, they were required to bring gifts to its citizens. Athena struck the Akropolis with her spear, and the sacred olive tree sprouted from the ground. For these reasons, ancient Greeks thought that Athenian olive trees were the holiest in all of Hellas. Herodotos and Pausanias both report that the Persians burned the tree in 480 BCE, only for it to grow again from its ashes on the very same day. This miraculous revival is the archetype for all the other subsequent resurrections of the tree.

One of the Athenian democracy's unique features was the practice of ostracism. Originally implemented to prevent the rise of another tyrant, ostracism involved the temporary exiling of an Athenian by his fellow citizens. Every year, citizens would vote in the assembly over whether or not an ostracism would take place. If they voted yes, another vote would later be held in the agora to determine which citizen would be ostracized. Each citizen wrote the name of a potential candidate on a fragment of pottery called an ostraka. If more than 6,000 votes were cast, the person who was named most frequently had 10 days to leave the city, after which he would remain in exile for 10 years. From 487 BCE to 415 BCE, a number of prominent Athenians were ostracized for a variety of reasons. Relatives of Hippias, the last tyrant of Athens, were exiled after they were suspected of wanting to overthrow the city's democracy. The general Kimon, meanwhile, was ostracized for pursuing an unsuccessful policy of friendship with Sparta. But perhaps the most famous ostracism was that of Themistokles, a general renowned for his exemplary service in the Greco-Persian Wars.

Copper and tin were very important to the ancient Greeks, as they were used to make the bronze from which objects like statues, tripods, and weapons were formed. Lead was an important mineral as well, and was used in the construction of water pipes and other features of architecture, such as tenons and column drums. It was also used as a stain in ornamental painting. Iron, meanwhile, was the most widely available metal in ancient Greece, and served to make arms and tools. Mercury - or liquid silver - was used as an ointment ingredient, as well as a pigment of the color red.

Even in their earliest days, Greeks used perfume in funeral rites, as seen in Achilles's anointing of Hector's body in “The Iliad”. Perfume helped prepare and preserve the body for its “journey to the beyond”. Flasks of perfume also accompanied the deceased to their grave as a mark of social status and a balm for “the eternal banquets”. If the deceased was too poor to afford these bottles, they were painted on their coffins as a sort of empty consolation. Even when a body was burned on a pyre, mourners threw incense in the fire, and afterwards mixed the ashes and bones with precious ointments before enclosing them in funeral urns.

Perikles was one of the most influential men in Athenian politics during the second half of the 5th century BCE. Historians even refer to the period he was in power as “The Age of Perikles”. Athens flourished under Perikles's leadership. With his guiding hand, the Delian League transformed into the Athenian empire, and all the League's members were made to regularly pay tribute to the city. Because of this new income, Athens was able to erect extravagant monuments on the Akropolis, such as the famous Parthenon. During the Peloponnesian War, Perikles's strategy was to conduct a naval war, preferring to keep himself within the walls of Athens. However, as a consequence of the city's overpopulation, a plague spread through the population and killed many people, including Perikles himself.

During the Peloponnesian War, Perikles's strategy was to avoid land combat with the Spartans in favor of taking advantage of Athens's naval supremacy. He also recommended that the population of Attika leave their houses and take refuge within Athens's walls. The latter action ended up vastly increasing the city's population. Many of the refugees ended up camping in Piraeus, which became crowded as a result. Within the same year, a plague began spreading through Piraeus. Due to the dense population, the epidemic quickly spread to Athens, killing approximately twenty-five percent of the population - including Perikles himself.

Philippides was a "hemerodrome", a professional runner who served Athens as a herald.

According to Herotodotus, Athens sent Philippides 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.

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.

There was no professional qualification needed to become a priest or a priestess. A wealthy family, luck, and, less often, the will of the Public Assembly were the only criteria that mattered. Many priesthoods stayed within the same families or clans for generations, as the appointment of priests outside the members of the clan was strictly prohibited. For example, in Athens, both the priestess of Athena Polias and Poseidon- Erechtheus had to come from the Eteoboutadai. Priests and priestesses were in charge of the sacrifices to the gods, and of any other cultic duties preserved by tradition. They also assisted political leaders and other citizens who wished to correctly perform public and private religious activities. Lastly, they presided over the affairs and resources of their assigned sanctuary. They were held in high esteem by their fellow citizens, and their political opinions carried a lot of weight in public debates. In certain cities, the annual priesthood of the main cult was even used as a way of measuring time. Priests and priestesses also received significant shares of the sacrifices they performed. Although priests generally enjoyed the same freedoms and rights as citizens - like that of living at their own homes - they also had to follow restrictive rules. Besides more general requirements such as fasting and undergoing a period of chastity before certain rituals, there were also strange restrictions. For example, in Attika, the priestess of Athena Polias was not allowed to eat cheese.

In ancient Greece, priests and priestesses were either designated or elected from among citizens and clerical families. They performed sacred rituals on special occasions like festivals, or when otherwise required. Priest houses are often linked with the priesthood, but priests did not actually live in them, preferring to stay at their own homes in the city's residential quarter. Instead, the main purpose of priest houses was to provide priests with a space to carry out their rituals during specific days on the religious calendar. Priest houses were considered too sacred for the mundane activities of daily life, and priests had to perform purification rituals - such as a period of chastity - before they were allowed to enter.

Although some Athenian vases are lauded today as masterpieces, their exact value in ancient Greece is often a matter of debate. Workers in the Kerameikos were craftsmen, and operated largely outside the elite social spheres they often depicted on their pottery. This fact, combined with surprisingly low price indications on even the largest and most elaborate Athenian vases, suggest that vases were not exorbitantly expensive. However, certain dedications made by craftsmen like Euphronios hint that some workshops were very successful.

The Propylaia was the monumental gateway on the western side of the Akropolis. It was built between 437 and 432 BCE, under the supervision of either Phidias or Mnesikles, and was part of Perikles' plan to adorn the Akropolis with magnificent monuments. Although it was not seen as a military structure, the Propylaia was also used to restrict access to Athens' holiest area. It was conceived as a spectacular construction of Pentelic white marble and Elusinian grey marble, and its design was meant to stylistically mirror the Parthenon. The Propylaia's construction was suspended in 431 BCE due to the start of the Peloponnesian War, and was never resumed. This means that out of a very ambitious project, only the main building was finished. Nevertheless, with its five gates a ceiling painted with golden stars, it remained impressive. The gateway was also unique in that it mixed both Doric and Ionic columns, in addition to be reinforced with iron. The northern wing of the western façade housed a 10.75m x 9 m ritual dining room known as the Pinakotheke. According to Pausanias, the Pinakotheke was famous in antiquity for its paintings of Greek battles.

The easternmost building on the Akropolis was the open-air walled sanctuary of Pandion, built ca. 450 BCE. Pandion was a mythical Athenian hero invented in order to explain the beginnings of old rituals dedicated to certain gods - in this case, Zeus. He was probably credited with being the first to perform the rites of Pandia, a festival believed to have been dedicated to Zeus. The sanctuary housed his statue and served as a heroon, or a hero's shrine. Modern scholars believe this sanctuary's Pandion to be one of the two Legendary Athenian kings: either Pandion |, son of Erichthonius, or Pandion Il, father of Aigeus. When Kleisthenes established Athens's democracy in 507 BCE and divided the population in 10 newly created tribes, Pandion was selected to give his name to the Pandionis tribe, thus becoming one of the eponymous protectors of the Athenian population. Another statue of him was raised in the Agora - Athens's marketplace and public square - as part of the sculptural ensemble of the 10 eponymous heroes.

Besides Athena Polias and Poseidon-Erechtheus, Athenians believed their city was also protected by Zeus Polieos (of the city). This was based on Zeus being the judge of Athena and Poseidon's mythical competition to become Athen's chief deity.

Consequently, a small walled open-air sanctuary was erected to Zeus Polieos ca. 500 BCE. There are no traces left of it, other than cuttings in the bedrock interpreted by archaelogists to be either remnants of a barn for sacrificial animals, or chutes designed to lead the animals to slaughter.

The main ritual dedicated to Zeus Polieos was the Bouphonia (“the ox murder”), which took place each summer during the greater festival of Dipolieia. Two working oxen, whose sacrifice was normally prohibited, were led to the sanctuary altar, where grain was spread. The first ox to eat the grain was considered to consent to being sacrificed, and was slain by a member of the Thaulonidai family, who subsequently had to throw aside his axe and flee the Akropolis. That man and his companions were later tried for “murder”, but always acquitted. In the end the sacrificial axe (or knife) was found auiltv and thrown into the sea.

The ritual, believed to be very archaic, was based on the myth of a priest who accidentally killed a ploughing ox and had to expliate the sin through annual sacrifices to Zeus. It reminded the ancient Athenians that laboring beasts should not be sacrificed, and that they should respect the sacred laws of raising special sacrificial animals. Modern scholars also think the ritual was a means to explain how humanity passed from grain and honey offerings to animal sacrifices.

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.

Persian siege tactics were a bit more advanced than those of the Greeks, for they knew how to build ramps to get their troops past the city walls, and they also knew how to undermine them - this explains their successes in taking the lonian cities in Asia Minor that revolted before the outbreak of the Greco-Persian Wars. It would take another 200 years for the Greeks to Learn how to properly build siege machines that were capable of breaching walls. Usual siege tactics involved two main approaches. The first was starving a city into submission, but that was time consuming and exposed the besieging army to the same hardship as the besieged, and it was almost impossible if the city in question was supplied by sea - this being the case of Athens during these times. The second method involved having spies or collaborators within the city walls that would open the gates for the besiegers. Therefore, the most common option for the attacker was to devastate the fields of the defender to provoke the latter to accept an open battle. This explains, in a way, the development of the hoplite phalanx rather than hit and run tactics using skirmishers. The phalanx was formed of a line consisting of the very same citizens that were interested in defending their belongings and their crops, while hit and run tactics risked the destruction of those same crops.

The skene was a backstage area where costumes and accessories were stored. It was also where actors went for costume and mask changes. The word “skene” means “tent” or “hut”, suggesting that older versions of the structure were made of perishable material and were only meant to be temporary. Over time, however, the skene underwent many changes. The first permanent stage-house was built in Athens in 330 BCE. It had projecting structures called paraskenia at each end, and a forestage called a proskenion was added sometime later. Together with the proskenion came elevated Logeion, and an upper façade known as the episkenion which had large openings called thyromata. Together, all these structures provided actors with several different ways of entering and exiting the stage.

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 power god of the ocean.

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.

The South Stoa was, unsurprisingly, Located on the south side of the agora. Built during the first decade of the Peloponnesian War, the building was about 80 meters long, and large enough to contain sixteen rooms. Based on evidence of dining couches lining the walls, itis thought that some of these rooms were dining halls where magistrates were fed at public expense. The purpose of another room was inferred by the discovery of an inscription that suggested it was used by the metronomoi, the magistrates in charge of weights and measures. It's possible the other rooms had similar commercial functions, as excavations in the building have turned up numerous coins.

The Stoa of Zeus Eleutherios stood out because of its architecture. It followed the form of most civic buildings, but with the addition of two projecting wings on either side. On top of each of these wings were akroterion of Nike, the goddess of victory.

The cult of Zeus Eleutherios, the "Zeus of Freedom”, was established after the Battle of Plataia in 479 BCE - the Greek : victory that ended the second Persian invasion. The Stoa was built in the latter half of the 5th century BCE.

According to Pausanias, the shields of those who died fighting for the liberty of Athens were prominently displayed on the monument.

Despite the luxuriousness of public buildings, the streets of Athens were, for the most part, narrow and tortuous. Nevertheless, efforts were made to improve urban planning, such as in the 5th century BCE, when architect Hippodamos of Miletos created a grid plan of the city with parallel streets and rectangular intersections. Greek cities in the 5th century BCE also became more sanitary thanks to innovations like clean running water and sewers for waste removal. In Athens, streets and public places were placed in the care of special magistrates known as astynomoi, or “police officers”. The principal duty of these officials was to keep streets and sanctuaries clean, and to organize the efficient disposal of garbage outside the city walls.

Much of the silver mined in Laurion was later transformed into coins for Athens. Coin production was a two-step process. The first step was producing small disks of metal called "flans”, and the second was striking the flans into coins. Every coin produced had a specific weight that corresponded to its value. To achieve this precision, ancient Greeks used small pellets of silver to calculate the exact weight, then put the pellets into a mold. While smelting, the pellets melded together to form flans of a specific weight. The striking process involved hammering images onto the flans to turn them into coins. It is estimated that up to a few thousand coins could be produced in a single day.

During the Classical period, Dionysos was the most important Athenian deity after Athena herself. He was worshipped both inside and outside the city, and the festival dedicated to him - the Great Dionysia - integrated not only citizens, but also metics and foreigners from the colonies. Dionysos was portrayed as a double-faced god: both human and animal, male and effeminate, young and old. He dealt with murders, madness, and violence, but was also the nicest of the gods when it came to mortals. “The Bacchae”, a tragedy by Euripides, emphasizes Dionysos's duality. In the play, the god's worshippers are sweet and joyful, but a king named Pentheos is also murdered in his name.

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The Battle of Salamis, oil painting by Wilhelm von Kaulbach (1805-1874)

The Battle of Salamis took place in 480 BCE, and ended in a stunning victory for the Greeks. The battle marked the end of the second Persian invasion of Greece.

After the Greek loss at the Battle of Thermopylai, cntral Greece was open to invasion by King Xerxes and his Persian forces. Xerxes was closer than ever to the vengeance he sought for the humilations his father Darius suffered during the first Persian invasion of Greece.

However, the city of Athens was much stronger than it had been during Darius' time. Rich with resources from the Laurion silver mines, the city used its considerate funds to finance its military effort, with the general Themistokles ordering the construction of 200 triremes.

The Athenians' strength was bolstered by their cooperation with other Greek cities. At Salamis, the Greeks faced their enemy together.

The battle itself occured as sea, in a small closed bay west of Athens. it was hard-fought on both sides, but in the end, the Persians suffered far more casualities than the Greeks.

The last step in the funeral process was placing the deceased into their tomb - an act known as “the deposition”. Although this was a holy ceremony, the presence of a priest was not required. Women handled almost all preparations. Small offerings were made to the dead - like when Achilles offered his hair to his dead friend Patroklos. A banquet called a perideipnon was held for mourners, and was typically prepared by the grieving women. This is why women were almost always the first to leave the funeral proceedings while others lingered.

A karyatid is an ancient architectural pillar or column in the shape of a young maiden.

Many ancient buildings had karyatids, but the most famous of them is the Erechtheion. Its south porch was embellished with six karyatids, which were known in ancient Athens as korai, or “young maidens”.

According to the Roman architect Vitruvius, the maiden- shaped columns were inspired by the women of the Lakonian town of Karyze, near Sparta. Karya's inhabitants betrayed the Greeks by plotting with the Persians, and as a consequence for this crime, the male population of the city was slaughtered, while the women were enslaved; hence their depiction as burden-baring piltars. Other, more positive myths suggest that the karyatids were inspired by the tall and beautiful maidens of Karyze, who would dance for the goddess Artemis.

The karyatids' usage in the Erechtheion, where they stand above Kekrops's tomb, might be related to the king's funerary cult, as they originally held phialai - vessels for pouring libations to the dead.

The Panathenaia was the most important religious festival in ancient Athens. It was held each year at the end of July and beginning of August. Every four years, the festival was celebrated on an even greater scale - this was known as the Great Panathenaia. According to some scholars, the Great Panathenaia was expanded from the Lesser Panathenaia by the tyrant Peisistratos in 566 BCE, to serve as Athens's own version of the Olympic Games. The celebrations included a day procession of Athenian citizens and resident aliens, athletic games, music and rhapsodic contests, a night procession with a torch relay race, great sacrifices, and communal feasting. The festival was so important to ancient Athenians that many iconographic, sculptural, and written testimonies of the celebrations were preserved. Furthermore, numerous Panathenaic amphoras (containers) were discovered all over the Greek world. They were great vessels filled with the most expensive Athenian olive oil, and were awarded to the winners of the Panathenaic games. The amphoras were decorated with specific scenes - such as young men running or Athena Promachos wearing military equipment - and they could be sold by the champions for significant amounts of money.

In the aftermath of the Battle of Thermopylai, the Athenian authorities announced it was up to the city's own population to protect their families from the oncoming Persian threat. Athens's people scattered to Salamis, Aegina, and Argolis, and it's said that even the sacred snakes that protected the Akropolis fled the city. By the time the Persian army arrived in Athens, the only people left on the Akropolis were the sacred treasurers and the people who had stayed behind to barricade the citadel. The Persians killed the remaining Greeks and set fire to all of the Akropolis, including the Olive Tree of Athena. Allegedly, the sacred tree miraculousty grew back the following day - a hopeful image that ties in nicely with the Greeks' victory at the Battle of Salamis in 480 BCE.

The Themistoklean Walls were built out of slabs of stone connected by iron bolts and fixed with molded lead. Thucydides noted that it was easy to see that they were built in a hurry in the face of Spartan opposition. The Long Walls were meant to protect Athens in a different manner than a regular wall of the time. Since they connected the city with its two main harbors, they isolated Athens from the mainland and, as long as she had a navy - the most powerful one in the entire Greek world - it was technically impossible to starve Athens into submission. The very existence of these walls made possible the whole strategy of Perikles during the Peloponnesian War, which was to endure the Spartan invasions in the territory and to launch counter-attacks by landing troops wherever Sparta and her allies were vulnerable, gradually weakening them. The walls were about six kilometers long, and they were enforced with towers and ditches.

The remnants of the Laurion mines remain impressive today. Around 2,000 shafts and 140km of galleries have been discovered, and some ancient cisterns and washeries are still visible.

Sometime at the end of the óth century BCE, the Kerameikos hosted a group of artists now known as the Pioneers. The Pioneers were colleagues who worked in the at-the-time new red-figure style, exploring its artistic potential in revolutionary ways. Artists like Euthymides, Euphronios, Phintias, and Smikros - identified by signatures on their work almost 2500 years later - brought new innovations to portrayals of everything from aristocratic parties to mythological duels. The members of the Pioneers even playfully painted each other into different scenes. Among the Pioneers, Euphronios is one of the most famous. He is recognized for his skillful rendering of the human body, as well as the experimental perspectives he employed to bring scenes to life.

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.

Theseus is a hero linked with the mythological origins of Athens. He was responsible for the political unification of Attika, and as such, was considered a symbol of Athenian democracy. The myth of Theseus goes back to the 7th century BCE, but it wasn't until the 5th century BCE that he started to be incorporated into Athens' civic ideology as the founder of the city. Theseus was the son of Aegeus, king of Athens, and Athira, daughter of Pittheus. Athira was also possessed by Poseidon, which means Theseus had a divine father in addition to a mortal one. Athira gave birth to Theseus on the island of Sphairos. After growing up, Theseus travelled from Sphairos to Athens, accomplishing several labors along the way. These labors include killing the bandits Periphetes, Kerkyon, and Prokruste and kill the Krommyonian Sow, a wild pig that was ravaging the region of Krommyon. However, Theseus is best known for his capture of the bull of Marathon, and his killing of the ferocious Minotaur.

Miners used a variety of tools in their work. To cut galleries, they mostly used an iron chisel with a hammer, along with levels and wedges. Ore and sterile rocks were later removed from these galleries with either leather sacks or baskets of woven grass. Oil lamps and torches, meanwhile, provided lighting for the miners. The lights were designed to last for an entire work shift. Finally, mine maps were drawn on plates and stones to depict topography.

Trials were presided over by official magistrates, and the jury was composed of citizens, or heliasts. Any citizen could make an accusation, and if the defendant was convicted, the accuser received a portion of the sentenced fine. This practice led to the eventual appearance of professional accusers known as Sycophants. The accuser and defendant were given equal time to speak, and their allotted time was measured by a water clock called a “klepsydra”. Their speeches were often prepared by professionals known as logographs. After the speeches, jurors secretly cast their votes by putting a token in one of two urns. Interestingly, if the accusation was unfounded, the accuser could be convicted instead.

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.

Ancient Greek pottery came in all shapes, sizes, and colors, and served a multitude of different purposes. Unfortunately, there are few clues as to what different kinds of vases were called. However, modern scholars have assigned certain Greek words to different vases based on their size and possible function. Pottery vessels were ubiquitous in the ancient world, and were used for everyday activities Like eating and drinking. They were also used in religious functions and athletic competitions, and some even served as baby rattles. The types of vases associated with symposia - the all-male drinking parties of the Athenian elite - are some of the most well-known examples of Athenian pottery. For example, amphoras held wine, while mixing bowls called kraters were used to dilute the wine with water. Meanwhile, oinochoe functioned as pitchers, and kylixes were used as shallow wine cups.

Most vases made in Athens ended up far away from the Kerameikos, traveiling as far France, the Near East, and Egypt. Boatloads of Athenian pottery were also shipped across the Mediterranean Sea to be sold in Italy, where they made their way into homes, religious sanctuaries, and graves. One of the richest export markets for pottery was Etruria in central Italy. As a result, Etruria is the source of some of the best-preserved Athenian vases. Some of these vases have even been marked with Etruscan graffiti that allows archaeologists to learn more about their functions.

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.

(Behind the scenes) Greece is known for blistering hot sun, crystal clear seas, and sandy beaches, but there is much more to the weather in Odyssey than that. The weather system is huge and systemic, the density of the clouds change to allow for storms and rain to rollin off the sea. As art director Thierry Dansereau jokes, “Since Syndicate, the team knows a lot about the rain!" The weather also changes between biomes, complementing the different topographies and creating a dynamic, unpredictable environment. In these images, adverse weather highlights very different atmospheres for the player to navigate, giving the game a more immersive and realistic feel. “To Enter the city of Athens, you had to walk through a cemetery and pass near numerous corpses of criminals sentenced to death...Nothing there to make you smile. Imagine when it was raining...” - Caroline Soucy.

While Greek houses had windows, they usually looked out onto the central courtyard, as opposed to the outside streets. They were placed either on the first floor, or on a high wall so passers-by couldn't peek inside. The windows were small and without glass. They were often made of wood, but could also be simple holes in the wall. Some windows also had massive stone lintels and embrasures. The windows were probably closed by means of wooden shutters, large grilles of wood or metal, or stone slabs.

In the 5th century BCE, the great statesman Perikles invited Kephalos of Syracuse - father of the orator Lysias - to Athens, where he wished him to open a weapons workshop. Kephalos accepted, and settled in the Piraeus, the city's harbor. His workshop revolved around the production of shields, and was particularly extensive; it's is said that as many as 120 slaves “worked” there. In comparison, the father of Demosthenes, another Athenian orator, owned a sword-making workshop that employed thirty or so slaves, but brought in 3,000 drachmae a year - with the wages of a skilled worker being one drachma a day. Yet another illustrious Athenian, Sophokles, was born to a wealthy manufacturer of armor. Unfortunately, we have little information on these large or small workshops, which where probably numerous in ancient Greece.

Elis

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

(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."

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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 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 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.

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.

Boeotia

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.

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.

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.

(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

(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 Persians' crusshing defeat at the Battle of the Salamis in 480 BCE greatly discouraged King Xerxes from continuing his invasion. However, one of Xerxes' military commanders, Mardonios, convinced the king that their campaign could continue. Mardonios' 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.

Hephaistos Islands

(Behind the Scenes)

Created by Nika Rukavishnikova for each of the twenty-seven regions in Assassin's Creed Odyssey, the flags represent the color and iconography of their region. For example, Athens is easily identifiable as the blue banner with the owl symbol. Krete shows the bull head, and Sparta the rich red with a gold lambda. The flags also denote the export or main industry of that region. A lot of historical research was referenced for these designs, particularly from coins of the period and region.

The banner of Thasos depicts the head of Herakles, inspired by the area's coinage. Herakles had an important sanctuary the city and was the hero-protector of Thasos. He is shown wearing a lion-skin headdress - the scalp of the Nemean lion he killed with his bare hands. The iconography of the coin itself is a precise copy of a relief of the gate of Herakles, one of the entrances to the city. All gates were decorated by reliefs - there was also a gate of Hermes, a gate of Zeus, and a gate of the Silenos, amongst others. The gate of Herakles led to the Herakleion, the sanctuary dedicated to him.

Euripides's “Bacchae” features the tale of how the god Dionysos introduced wine to Attika. The story goes that Dionysos found hospitality in the home of lkarios and his daughter Erigone. During his stay, Dionysos showed his mortal host how to cultivate vine plants and turn their fruit into wine. Later, Ikarios gave his wine to some shepherds. Not used to the feeling of drunkenness, the shepherds thought that lkarios had poisoned them, and killed him in response. Stricken with grief for the death of her father, Erigone hung herself from the branches of the tree that stood where her father was buried.

Thasian wine was very popular in the Greek world, and it was in such high-demand that adulteration and imitation wines became major issues. To combat these issues, a law was established by the citizens and landowners of Thasos that forbid any foreign wine from entering Thasian territory. They also prohibited the selling of wine in jugs or cups, to ensure that wine could only be sold in properly labelled amphoras or pithoi marked with a stamp of authenticity. Below is text from a stele outlining the details of the law: “No Thasian ship shall import foreign wine within Athos and Pacheia; if it does, the owner shall be Liable to the same penalties as for adulterating the wine with water, and the helmsman shall be liable to the same penalty ... Nor shall anyone sell wine by the kotyle either from amphoras or from a cask or from a false [unlabeled] pithos; and whoever sells it, the lawsuits and the deposits and the penalties shall be the same as for adulterating it with water.”

Kephallonia

(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.

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 Bellerophon 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.

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.

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.

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.

(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.

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".

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.

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.

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.

Korinthia

Terracotta doll (child's toy)

After a baby was born, it was presented to the father, who would then decide its fate. If the child was a girl or showed signs of a disability, they were occasionally abandoned and left to die.

Wealthier families could hire caretakers or employ their slaves as nurses to look after their children. This was a necessary precaution, as children were very susceptible to diseases and illnesses.

Education in Greece was reserved for boys and young men. Rich families could hire tutors to teach their daughters skills like reading, but this was not the norm, and girls were mainly taught how to run the household.

Jason was the legendary Greek hero who led the Argonauts, a group of adventurers named after their ship, the Argo. Together, they set out to steal the magical Golden Fleece, and eventually succeeded with the help of a sorceress named Medea.

Jason married Medea, and the couple eventually settled in the city of Korinth. But the couple's happy ending was short-lived; when Jason met the king of Korinth's daughter, Glauke, he abandoned Medea to seek the princess' hand in marriage.

Enraged, Medea gifted Glauke a dress that was secretly poisoned. Upon wearing the dress, Glauke was burned alive.

The ending of the story varies. Either Medea's children were stoned to death as punishment for her murder of Glauke, or Medea herself killed her children as a way of getting revenge on Jason.

The legend of Medea was later told in a tragedy by the famous playwright Euripides.

Kythera

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.

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.

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.

Lakonia

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

(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.”

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.

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 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.

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 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. It is also believed that the períoikoi procured of the metals and crafted the arms the Spartans used in battle.

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.”

(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.

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.

(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.

(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.

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.

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.

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.

Lokris

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.

Makedonia

Makedonia's banner features the head of a horse. In northern Greece—especially in Thessaly and Makedonia—horse breeding was an important activity and a major source of wealth.

When Makedonia increased its power under King Phillip II—the father of Alexander the Great—horses played a crucial role in the army. Companion cavalry, the elite cavalry of the Makedonians, has been regarded as the best of the ancient world.

The inspiration of the banner came from a coin from Pharsalos in Thessaly depicting an artistic-rendering of a horse's head. Horses are very common in iconography, especially in coinage.

The Peloponnesian War began over two main stories. One is the Athenians having entered into conflict with an ally of Sparta, the great city of Korinth, which had tried to take over one of Athens' allies, the city of Potidaia. The other is the so-called "Megarian decree" which was passed by Athens in order to forbid all trade between Megaris and the Athenian empire. As a result, the Spartans called for a great congress in Sparta where they conferred with their allies. The Megarians were pushing towards war, since they were greatly affected by the decree, and so were the Korinthians. The king of Sparta, Archidamos II, advised for a more cautious policy, trying to prevent the outbreak of the war, or at least to make sure that Sparta was better prepared to face the Athenians who ruled the seas in an open confrontation. The war that would ensue pit two essentially different powers and styles of warfare against each other. Sparta and their allies were based mainly in the Peloponnese, and their force consisted especially of land armies of hoplites—the only maritime power of this League was Korinth. The Athenians, on the other hand, had become a maritime power during the struggle against Persia, and remained so in the aftermath.

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 unabl

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.

Malis

Upon the arrival of the Persians, the terrified Delphians consulted the Oracle of Apollo. They were told to address their prayers to the winds, as they would be Greece's most powerful ally in the coming conflict; Xerxes campaign did indeed rely heavily on coordination between land and sea forces advancing in unison. During the Battle of Thermopylai, a storm cost the Persian sea armada many of its ships—over four hundred vessels were destroyed. In calm weather, these ships would likely have forced the Greeks to fight in a tactical retreat, letting Xerxes land troops south of Leonidas' position and bypass Thermopylai entirely. The cooperation of the winds led the Athenians to later construct a temple in honor of Boreas, the wind god.

The Greeks had always distinguished Europe—where they had settled—from Asia. They reckoned it began with the far side of the Aegean Sea and extended well beyond to Persia and India. But, beyond pure geography, the Persian invasion gave a political significance to the distinction between Asia and Europe. Herodotos writes of two worlds: Asia, dominated by the Persian Empire, and Europe, by which he actually means the Greek world. This is particularly notable at the time of the passage of the Dardanelles by the Persian army. While Greece is still a few hundreds of kilometers away, Herodotos quotes Xerxes as saying: "Let us enter into Europe after having prayed to the gods who reign over the land of the Persians". He passes radically from one world to another, from one civilization to the other. Texts describe Asia as a "barbarous country", but we must be careful that the word does not have the meaning of today; it simply means that the spoken language is incomprehensible to the Greeks, without implying a judgement of value.

In "The Iliad", Homer describes the struggles that broke out between friends and foes over who would lay claim to the remains of a fallen warrior. The death of Leonidas at Thermopylai prompted such a fight. Herodotos, who knew "The Iliad" well, was no doubt aware that he was repeating a well-known trope. He says that two sons of Darius fell in fighting over Leonidas' corpse, and that a melee ensued between the Spartans and Persians. Leonidas' conduct at Thermopylai is comparable to the Homeric heroes of legend, as it's often suggested that this conflict is as important as the Trojan War itself.

The Greco-Persian Wars incited the Greek Herotodos from Asia Minor to write the first works of a new literary genre: history. At the beginning of his book, Herodotos writes, "Herodotos exposes here his research, so that what men have accomplished does not fade from memory, those great and wonderful exploits accomplished by both Barbarians and Greeks". The word "research" was previously used only in medicine to describe the search for the causes of a disease. It then came to designate a new intellectual construction, history, in the current sense of the word, highlighting the need for rigor and objectivity. Since the 5th century BCE, it's thanks to the Histories of Herodotos that we're able to understand the deeds of Sparta at Thermopylai.

Xerxes went to spectacular lengths to ensure the passage of his army from Asia Minor into Greece. For example, he made a bridge of boats to cross the straits of Dardanelles, twelve kilometers long. This bridge was barely finished when a storm destroyed it. Furious, Xerxes ordered that the sea be punished with three hundred lashes, and the chains be thrown to the bottom of the ocean to better restrain it. Xerxes also dug a canal at the entrance of the eastern peninsula of Athos, which has a height of more than 2,000 meters, can prove extremely dangerous in the event of a storm, as shown by the catastrophe that struck a Persian fleet in 492 BCE. Xerxes had a channel of some two kilometers long constructed, using "detachments of all the peoples of the army, and by the inhabitants of the region, who dug under the threat of the whip". Herodotos saw it as a manifestation of pride more than a work of public utility. It would've sufficed, he says, to build a kind of wooden rail on which the vessels would have been drawn, as was done for the Isthmus of Korinth.

Megaris

This banner is inspired by the coins from Halikarnassos. Bandits and pirates have been associated with a ketos—a sea monster associated with Poseidon—which is often depicted on their coins from 500-495 BCE.

Bandits and piracy were a harsh realities (sic) in antiquity—so much so, that it wasn't unheard of to be killed or enslaved by them.

A ketos looks like a serpent fish with a dragon head. When he needed to send punishment, Poseidon would unleash a ketos. He sent one to Troy to punish King Laomedon, and sent another attack Ethiopia to punish King Cepheus and Queen Cassiopeia. However, the latter ketos was killed by Perseus when he rescued Andromeda.

The region of Megaris is the link between central Greece and the Peloponnese, located on the Isthmus of Korinth. The area was well-suited for agriculture and animal husbandry. The name of the city derived from "megarizein", the appellation of a ritual in honor of Demeter and Kore where piglets and other offerings were thrown into ground cavities (megara). Pigs and boars were often depicted on coins, and one coin of Lyttos in Krete was chosen as the model for the banner. Pigs served as both food and sacrifices, but on some occasions they were used in war. When Megara was besieged by the Makedonian King Antigonos Gonatas, the Megarians sent burning pigs to defeat his elephants.

Messara

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 the 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.

Messenia

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.

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.

(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.

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.

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.

Naxos

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.

Obsidian Islands

The banner of Melos is derived from a coin of the city, depicting the symbol of the triskeles; the name of this symbol literally means "three legs". It was sometimes used on coins, but more often on shields.

The larger meaning of this symbol is not clear, but an ancient epigram speaks of a triskeles on a shield that is supposed to frighten opponents—the bearer of this shield supposedly ran very fast.

This symbol is still in use today on the Sicilian flag, and that of the Isle of Man.

The eleventh and twelfth labors of Herakles were tacked on at the end, since Eurystheas didn't recognize Herakles killing the Hydra as a labor because Iolaos helped him. Cleaning the stables was also ignored because Herakles was paid, and it was the rivers that did the actual cleaning work. The eleventh labor required Herakles to steal apples from the garden of the Hesperides, the three nymphs of the evening. The garden was situated in the west of the world, in Northern Africa, and produced golden apples. There, Herakles tricked Atlas into retrieving the apples for him. Although he proposed to hold up the heavens for a while in Atlas' stead, Herakles tricked the Titan and walked away with the fruit himself.

Pephka

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.

Petrified Islands

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 it as 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.

Phokis

File:ACOD Battle of Salamis Painting - Wilhelm von Kaulbach.png

The Battle of Salamis, oil painting by Wilhelm von Kaulbach (1805-1874)

The Apollo of Salamis stood in front of the Temple of Apollo, and was dedicated to Delphi after Themistokles' 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.

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.

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.

To extract oil, olives were soaked and formented 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 grounded 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 usualy 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 seperated from the water. This had to be done swiftly to prevent dregs from fermenting and altering the taste of the oil.

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 Eyrymedon in 467 BCE, which resulted in Knidos' liberation from the Persians.

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' 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) "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.

In the Phokis region was Delphi, the site of the Panhellenic oracle of Appolo. 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 dolpins on either side. Dolphins were also dedicated to Apollo, and their name in Greek (delphins) recalled the name of Delphi. Tripods and dolpins appeared on some of the coinage of Delphi, but this composition derived from coinage of Megaris.

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.

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 theater of Delphi was sotiated above the Temple of Apollo. It offered an expansive view of sanctuary and the valley below, and could accomodate 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.

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 clumn 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 defat of the Persians at the Eurymedon river.

Silver Islands

The banner of Delos is inspired by the coins of the island. According to mythology, Delos was the birthplace of Apollo, and along with Delphi, it was a major center of his cult. Apollo is a multi-faceted god; he is the god of music, poetry, arts, oracles, light, knowledge, and more.

He's often represented on coins with musical instruments, such as the kithara on this bronze coin from Delos.

The Pythian Games of Delphi also included musical events in honor of Apollo.

Farms aimed to be self-sufficient - a goal that was not always easy. Crop management required various strategies to alleviate the risk of crop failure and ensure the long-term productivity of arable land. Wheat crops failed due to insufficient rainfall every one in four years, while barley crops failed every one in ten. To mitigate crop failure, farmers planted small plots to exploit climate variations. In addition to cereals, they also cultivated vines for wine and olives for oil, and planted fruit trees and vegetables. Herms (rectangular pillar with head) were commonty placed as protectors of sanctuaries, crossroads, and public areas

Southern Sporades

<tabber> |-|Hippokrates=

File:Bust of Hippokrates - Engraving by Peter Paul Rubens.png

Hippokrates is the most famous physician of antiquity, and is often called the father of medicine. He was born in the island of Kos in 460 BCE, and was a member of the Asklepiads, an aristocratic family that passed their medical techniques from generation to generation. He had two sons named Thessalos and Drakon.

Hippokrates left Kos early in his career to become a traveling physician. According to his biographers, he once went to the city of Abdere to cure the philosopher Demokritos of madness. Another anecdote says he was asked by the Persian king Artaxerxes to cure a plague decimating his army. Unfortunately for the king, Hippokrates refused to help an enemy of Greece, no matter how much gold he was offered.

Hippokrates died in Thessaly at around the age of 85. He enjoyed a great reputation among his contemporaries, and Plato even credit him with inventing the scientific method.

|-|Medical and Body Care= The Greeks created a bodily hygiene and beauty culture in which the use of fragrances was very important.

Both men and women used perfumes in their bathing rituals, and good hosts always made sure they treated their guests to a bath and perfume session. Men also anointed their bodies after exercising, and it was unheard of for a man to go to the gymnasium without bringing his flasks of perfume.

The art of making perfume was part of the field of medicine in Antiquity. Certain resins and odorous substances were believed to have therapeutic effects, and the same ointments used in body care could also be used for healing purposes. In the 1st century CE, the famous pharmacologist Dioskourides even began his treatise De materia medica with a list of aromatic plants, perfumed oils, and unguents.

|-|The Scents of Worship= Perfume was often considered to be manifestations of the gods' divine presence, and using or offering incense and perfume was believed to be a way of communicating with the Gods.

The Athenian Assembly burned aromatics at the start of each session to invoke deities, in the hopes they would inspire citizens to speak. Perfumes was also burned on the altars that populated various sanctuaries, and statues of the Gods were anointed with perfumed oils.

But perfume wasn't the only scented substance with sacred uses. Gardens, as well as crowns of flowers and garlands, ensured that temples always smelled exceptional. Gods were also associated with specific flowers and plants. For example, Apollo was honored with olive branches, and Aphrodite was linked with Palm Tree of Eurymedon

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Contents

Attika

Elis

Boeotia

Hephaistos Islands

Kephallonia

Korinthia

Kythera

Lakonia

Lokris

Makedonia

Malis

Megaris

Messara

Messenia

Naxos

Obsidian Islands

Pephka

Petrified Islands

Phokis

Silver Islands

Southern Sporades

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User:Lady Kyashira/Shadows Documentation

Attika

Elis

Boeotia

Hephaistos Islands

Kephallonia

Korinthia

Kythera

Lakonia

Lokris

Makedonia

Malis

Megaris

Messara

Messenia

Naxos

Obsidian Islands

Pephka

Petrified Islands

Phokis

Silver Islands

Southern Sporades

Navigation menu

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