Editing Greece (section)

== Culture ==
{{Main|Culture of Greece|Greeks|List of Greeks}}
[[File:Epidavros.JPG|thumb|The [[Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus]], [[Epidaurus Festival|annually used for theatrical plays]] since 1955]]

The culture of Greece has evolved, beginning in [[Mycenaean Greece]] and continuing into [[Classical Greece]], through the influence of the [[Roman Empire]] and its [[Greek East]]ern continuation, the [[Byzantine Empire]]. Other cultures and nations, such as the [[Frankokratia|Latin and Frankish states]], the [[Ottoman Empire]], the [[Venetian Republic]], the [[Genoese Republic]], and the [[British Empire]] have left their influence on modern Greek culture, though historians credit the [[Greek War of Independence]] with revitalising Greece and giving birth to a single, cohesive entity of its multifaceted culture.

In ancient times, Greece was the birthplace of [[Western culture]].<ref>Mazlish, Bruce. [https://books.google.com/books?id=AmacbFXUTEoC&pg=PA3 ''Civilization And Its Contents.''] Stanford University Press, 2004. p. 3. Web. 25 June 2012.</ref><ref name="Broad2007">{{cite book|author=William J. Broad|title=The Oracle: Ancient Delphi and the Science Behind Its Lost Secrets|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8Oi_sVWIXLAC&pg=PA120|year=2007|publisher=Penguin Publishing Group|isbn=978-0-14-303859-7|page=120|quote=In 1979, a friend of de Boer's invited him to join a team of scientists that was going to Greece to assess the suitability of the ... But the idea of learning more about Greece – the cradle of Western civilization, a fresh example of tectonic forces at ...}}</ref> Modern democracies owe a debt to Greek beliefs in government by the people, trial by jury, and equality under the law. The ancient Greeks pioneered in many fields that rely on systematic thought, including [[Logic#History|logic]], [[biology]], [[geometry]], government, [[geography]], medicine, history,<ref>Myres, John. ''Herodotus, Father of History''. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1953. Web. 25 June 2012.</ref> philosophy,<ref>[[Frederick Copleston|Copleston, Frederick]]. ''History of Philosophy, Volume 1''.</ref> [[physics]], and mathematics.<ref name="Heath1981">{{cite book|author=Thomas Heath|title=A History of Greek Mathematics|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=drnY3Vjix3kC&q=ancient%20Greek%20mathematicians|access-date=19 August 2013|year=1981|publisher=Courier Dover Publications|isbn=978-0-486-24073-2|page=1}}</ref> They introduced important literary forms as epic and lyrical poetry, history, tragedy, comedy and drama. In their pursuit of order and proportion, the Greeks created an ideal of beauty that strongly influenced [[Western art history|Western art]].<ref>{{ citation| mode=cs1| first=Peter |last=Krentz | entry=Greece, Ancient | title=World Book Advanced | publisher=World Book|date=2012<!-- no url: | access-date= 8 July 2012-->}}</ref>

=== Visual arts ===
{{See also|Greek art|Byzantine art|Modern Greek art}}
[[File:Detail of the Charioteer, Delphi (4691931414).jpg|thumb|Close-up of the ''Charioteer of [[Delphi]]'', a celebrated statue from the 5th century BC]]

Artistic production in Greece began in the prehistoric pre-Greek [[Cycladic civilization|Cycladic]] and the [[Minoan civilization|Minoan]] civilisations, both of which were influenced by local traditions and the [[art of ancient Egypt]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.digital.library.upenn.edu/women/edwards/pharaohs/pharaohs-5.html|title=Egypt the Birthplace of Greek Decorative Art|website=digital.library.upenn.edu|access-date=10 August 2017|archive-date=15 September 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180915055454/http://www.digital.library.upenn.edu/women/edwards/pharaohs/pharaohs-5.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

There were interconnected traditions of painting in ancient Greece. Due to technical differences, they underwent differentiated developments. Not all painting techniques are equally well represented in the [[Archaeology|archaeological]] record. The most respected form of art, according to [[Pliny the Elder|Pliny]] or [[Pausanias (geographer)|Pausanias]], were individual, mobile paintings on wooden boards, described as [[panel painting]]s. Wall painting in Greece goes back at least to the [[Minoan civilization|Minoan]] and [[Mycenaean Greece|Mycenaean]] civilisations, with the lavish fresco decoration of sites like [[Knossos]], [[Tiryns]], and [[Mycenae]].

[[Ancient Greek sculpture]] was composed almost entirely of workable and durable materials, [[marble]] or [[bronze]], bronze becoming the favoured medium for major works by the early 5th century, while [[chryselephantine]] sculptures, made largely of [[gold]] and [[ivory]] and used for temple [[cult image]]s and luxury works, were much rarer. It has been established that ancient Greek sculptures were painted<ref name=Gurewitsch>{{cite journal|last=Gurewitsch |first= Matthew |date=July 2008 |title= True Colors |journal= Smithsonian |pages= 66–71 |url=http://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/true-colors.html}}</ref> with a variety of colours, a feature known as [[polychromy]].<ref>{{cite AV media |last=Harris |first=Cyril M. |title=Illustrated Dictionary of Historic Architecture |publisher=[[Dover Publications]] |location=New York |year=1977 |edition=1983}}</ref>

Art production continued during the Byzantine era. The most salient feature of this new aesthetic was its "abstract", or anti-naturalistic character. Classical art was marked by attempts to create representations that mimicked reality, Byzantine art favoured a more symbolic approach. Byzantine painting concentrated mainly on [[icon]]s and [[hagiography|hagiographies]]. The [[Macedonian art (Byzantine)]] was the artistic expression of [[Macedonian Renaissance]], a label used to describe the Macedonian dynasty of the Byzantine Empire (867–1056), which scholars have seen as a time of increased interest in classical scholarship and the assimilation of classical motifs into [[Christian art]]work.

Post Byzantine art schools include the [[Cretan School]] and [[Heptanese School (painting)|Heptanese School]]. The first artistic movement in the [[Greek Kingdom]] can be considered the [[Greek academic art of the 19th century]] (''Munich School''). Modern Greek painters include [[Nikolaos Gyzis]], [[Georgios Jakobides]], [[Theodoros Vryzakis]], [[Nikiforos Lytras]], [[Konstantinos Volanakis]], [[Nikos Engonopoulos]] and [[Yannis Tsarouchis]], while notable sculptors are [[Pavlos Prosalentis]], [[Ioannis Kossos]], [[Leonidas Drosis]], [[Georgios Bonanos]], and [[Yannoulis Chalepas]].

=== Architecture ===
{{See also|Ancient Greek architecture|Byzantine architecture|Modern Greek architecture}}
[[File:Syros Ano Syros u Ermoupolis140707.jpg|thumb|Harbour of [[Ermoupolis]], on the island [[Syros]], first capital of independent Greece.]]
The architecture of ancient Greece was produced by the ancient Greeks (''Hellenes''), whose [[Ancient Greece|culture]] flourished on the Greek mainland, the [[Aegean Islands]] and their [[Colonies in antiquity|colonies]], from about 900 BC until the 1st century AD, with the earliest remaining architectural works dating from around 600 BC. The formal vocabulary of ancient Greek architecture, in particular the division of architectural style into three defined orders: the [[Doric Order]], the [[Ionic Order]], and the [[Corinthian Order]], was to have profound effect on [[History of architecture|Western architecture]].

Byzantine architecture was dominant in the Greek speaking world and significantly influenced [[Medieval architecture]] throughout Europe and the Near East, becoming the primary progenitor of the [[Renaissance architecture|Renaissance]] and [[Ottoman architecture|Ottoman architectural]] traditions that followed the Byzantine Empire's collapse.

After Greek Independence, modern Greek architects combined traditional Greek and Byzantine elements and motives with the western European movements and styles. [[Patras]] was the first city of the modern Greek state to develop a city plan applying the orthogonal rule by [[Stamatis Voulgaris]], a Greek engineer of the French army, in 1829.<ref>Παύλος Κυριαζής, «Σταμάτης Βούλγαρης. Ο αγωνιστής, ο πολεοδόμος, ο άνθρωπος», στο: Συλλογικό, Πρώτοι Έλληνες τεχνικοί επιστήμονες περιόδου απελευθέρωσης, εκδ. Τεχνικό Επιμελητήριο Ελλάδος, Αθήνα, 1976, σελ.158</ref>

Two special genres can be considered the Cycladic architecture, featuring white-coloured houses, in the [[Cyclades]] and the Epirotic architecture in the region of [[Epirus]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://travelaway.me/cycladic-architecture/|title=23 Best Examples of Cycladic Architecture|date=23 April 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.greeka.com/epirus/architecture/|title=Architecture of Epirus, Greece - Greeka.com|website=Greekacom}}</ref> Important is also the influence of the [[Venetian Gothic architecture|Venetian style]] in the [[Ionian islands]] and the "Mediterranean style" of [[Florestano Di Fausto]] (during the fascist regime) in the [[Dodecanese|Dodecanese islands]].<ref>{{cite journal|last=Anderson|first=Sean|date=2010|title=The Light and the Line: Florestano Di Fausto and the Politics of 'Mediterraneità'|journal=California Italian Studies|doi=10.5070/C311008864|url=https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9hm1p6m5#page-1|doi-access=free}}</ref>

After the establishment of the [[Greek Kingdom]], the architecture of Athens and other cities was mostly influenced by the [[Neoclassical architecture]]. For Athens, the first [[King of Greece]], [[Otto of Greece]], commissioned the architects [[Stamatios Kleanthis]] and [[Eduard Schaubert]] to design a modern city plan fit for a capital. After the [[Great Thessaloniki Fire of 1917]], the government ordered for a new city plan under the supervision of [[Ernest Hébrard]]. Other modern Greek architects include [[Anastasios Metaxas]], [[Lysandros Kaftanzoglou]], [[Panagis Kalkos]], [[Ernst Ziller]], [[Xenophon Paionidis]], [[Dimitris Pikionis]], and [[Georges Candilis]].

There is an emerging need to secure the long-term preservation of the archaeological sites and monuments against the growing threats of climate change.<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Kountouri| first1 = E. | last2 = Benissi |  first2 = C. | last3 = Spyropoulou | first3 = S. | year = 2022 | title = Integrating Climate Change into Protection Policies in Greece | journal = Internet Archaeology | issue = 60 | doi = 10.11141/ia.60.8| doi-access = free }}</ref>

=== Theatre ===
{{See also|Theatre of ancient Greece|Modern Greek theatre}}
[[File:Corfu Town Hall R01.jpg|thumb|[[Nobile Teatro di San Giacomo di Corfù]], the first theatre and opera house of modern Greece]]

Theatre in its western form was born in Greece.<ref>Brockett, Oscar G. (1991) ''History of the Theatre'' (sixth edition). Boston; London: [[Allyn & Bacon]].</ref> [[Greek tragedy|Tragedy]] (late 6th century BC), [[Ancient Greek comedy|comedy]] (486 BC), and the [[satyr play]] were the three dramatic genres that emerged in the [[Polis|city-state]] of [[Classical Athens]] and were institutionalised as part of a festival called the [[Dionysia]], which honoured the god [[Dionysus]]. Of the hundreds of [[tragedies]] written and performed during the classical age, only a limited number of plays by three authors have survived: [[Aeschylus]], [[Sophocles]], and [[Euripides]]. The surviving plays by [[Aristophanes]] are a treasure trove of comic presentation.

During the Byzantine period, theatrical art declined, the only form that survived was folk theatre (''Mimos'' and ''Pantomimos''), despite the hostility of the state.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.24grammata.com/?p=32749 |title=Culture e-Magazine&nbsp;– Free eBooks&nbsp;– WebTV " Το Θέατρο στο Βυζάντιο και την Οθωμανική περίοδο |publisher=24grammata.com |date=18 March 2012 |access-date=23 April 2014}}</ref> During the Ottoman period, the main theatrical folk art was the ''[[Karagiozis]]''. The renaissance which led to the modern Greek theatre, took place in the [[Venetian Crete]]. Significal dramatists of the era include [[Vitsentzos Kornaros]] and [[Georgios Chortatzis]].

Modern Greek theatre was born after independence, in the early 19th century, and initially was influenced by Heptanesean theatre and melodrama, such as the Italian opera. The [[Nobile Teatro di San Giacomo di Corfù]] was the first theatre and opera house of modern Greece and the place where the first Greek opera, [[Spyridon Xyndas]]' ''The Parliamentary Candidate'' was performed. During the late 19th and early 20th century, the Athenian theatre scene was dominated by [[revues]], [[Musical theatre|musical comedies]], [[operettas]] and [[nocturnes]] and notable playwrights included [[Spyridon Samaras]], [[Dionysios Lavrangas]], [[Theophrastos Sakellaridis]].

The [[National Theatre of Greece]] was opened in 1900 as ''Royal Theatre''.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.n-t.gr/el/knowus|title=ΓΝΩΡΙΣΤΕ ΜΑΣ – Εθνικό Θέατρο|website=n-t.gr}}</ref> Notable playwrights of the modern Greek theatre include [[Gregorios Xenopoulos]], [[Nikos Kazantzakis]], [[Pantelis Horn]], [[Alekos Sakellarios]], and [[Iakovos Kambanellis]], while notable actors include [[Cybele Andrianou]], [[Marika Kotopouli]], [[Aimilios Veakis]], [[Orestis Makris]], [[Katina Paxinou]], [[Manos Katrakis]], and [[Dimitris Horn]]. Significant directors include [[Dimitris Rontiris]], [[Alexis Minotis]], and [[Karolos Koun]].

=== Literature ===
{{Main|Greek literature|Byzantine literature|Modern Greek literature}}
Greek literature can be divided into three main categories: Ancient, Byzantine and modern Greek.<ref name="britannica">Encyclopædia Britannica – "Greek literature: Byzantine literature"</ref> Athens is considered the birthplace of Western literature.<ref name="Strickland2007">{{cite book|author=Carol Strickland|title=The Illustrated Timeline of Western Literature: A Crash Course in Words & Pictures|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Qw_7eINO_NcC&pg=PA2|year=2007|publisher=Sterling Publishing Company, Inc.|isbn=978-1-4027-4860-8|page=2|quote=Although the first writing originates in the cradle of civilization along Middle Eastern rivers – the Tigris, Euphrates, and Nile – the true cradle of Western literature is Athens. As the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley says, "We are all Greeks."}}</ref> At the beginning of Greek literature stand the monumental works of [[Homer]]: the ''[[Iliad]]'' and the ''[[Odyssey]]'', composed around 800&nbsp;BC or after. In the classical period many of the genres of western literature became more prominent. [[Lyrical poetry]], [[ode]]s, [[pastorals]], [[elegy|elegies]], [[epigrams]]; dramatic presentations of comedy and [[tragedy]]; [[historiography]], [[rhetorical]] treatises, philosophical dialectics, and philosophical treatises all arose in this period. The two major lyrical poets were [[Sappho]] and [[Pindar]]. [[Herodotus]] and [[Thucydides]] are two of the most influential historians in this period.

[[Byzantine literature]] written in [[Attic Greek|Attic]], [[Medieval]] and early [[Modern Greek]], is the expression of the intellectual life of the [[Byzantine Greeks]] during the Christian [[Middle Ages]]. Although ''popular'' Byzantine literature and early [[Modern Greek literature]] both began in the 11th century, the two are indistinguishable.<ref>"The Modern Greek language in its relation to Ancient Greek", [[E. M. Geldart]]</ref>

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| footer            = [[Constantine P. Cavafy]]'s work was inspired mainly by the [[Hellenistic period|Hellenistic past]], while [[Odysseas Elytis]] (''centre'') and [[Giorgos Seferis]] (''right'') were representatives of the Generation of the '30s and [[Nobel Prize in Literature|Nobel laureates in Literature]]
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[[Modern Greek literature]] refers to literature written in common Modern Greek, emerging from late Byzantine times in the 11th century. The Cretan Renaissance poem ''[[Erotokritos]]'' is considered the masterpiece of this period. It is a verse [[Romance (heroic literature)|romance]] written around 1600 by [[Vitsentzos Kornaros]] (1553–1613). Later, during the period of Greek enlightenment ([[Diafotismos]]), writers such as [[Adamantios Korais]] and [[Rigas Feraios]] prepared with their works the Greek Revolution.

Leading figures of modern Greek literature include [[Dionysios Solomos]], [[Andreas Kalvos]], [[Angelos Sikelianos]], [[Emmanuel Rhoides]], [[Demetrius Vikelas]], [[Kostis Palamas]], [[Penelope Delta]], [[Yannis Ritsos]], [[Alexandros Papadiamantis]], [[Nikos Kazantzakis]], [[Andreas Embirikos]], [[Kostas Karyotakis]], [[Gregorios Xenopoulos]], [[Constantine P. Cavafy|Constantine Cavafy]], [[Nikos Kavvadias]], [[Kostas Varnalis]], and [[Kiki Dimoula]]. Two Greek authors have been awarded the [[Nobel Prize in Literature]]: [[George Seferis]] in 1963, and [[Odysseas Elytis]] in 1979.

=== Philosophy ===
{{Main|Ancient Greek philosophy|Modern Greek Enlightenment}}
[[File:Academy of Athens by ArmAg (2).jpg|thumb|right|Statues of [[Plato]] (left) and [[Socrates]] (right) in front of the [[Academy of Athens (modern)|Academy of Athens]], Greece's [[national academy]] and highest research establishment.]]

[[Ancient Greek philosophy]] involved a disposition to value [[reasoning]] and [[critical thinking|thinking critical]] of traditional culture, thus inaugurating the [[Western culture|Western intellectual tradition]]. While [[Presocratics|thinkers before him]] provided proto-scientific explanations of the natural world, [[Socrates]] in 5th-century Athens systematically enquired [[ethics]]; the next century, his disciple, [[Plato]], wrote presently still pertinent dialogues about [[ethics]], [[Political philosophy|politics]], [[metaphysics]], and [[epistemology]]. There were also topics of treatises composed by Plato's prolific student, [[Aristotle]], whose thought, especially in [[Aristotelian physics|physics]], [[Aristotelianism|infused]] the [[Western world|West]] for centuries. Other philosophical schools emerged during the Hellenistic period, [[Cynicism (philosophy)|Cynicism]], [[Stoicism]], [[Epicureanism]] and [[Skepticism]], while [[Neoplatonism]] dominated subsequent thought.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.iep.utm.edu/greekphi/|title=Ancient Greek Philosophy |publisher= Internet encyclopedia of philosophy|access-date= 23 March 2016}}</ref>

[[Byzantine philosophy]] was characterised by a Christian world-view, but one which could draw ideas directly from the Greek texts of Plato, Aristotle, and the [[Neoplatonists]]. On the eve of the [[Fall of Constantinople]], [[Gemistus Pletho]] tried to restore the use of the term "Hellene" and advocated the return to the [[Olympian Gods]] of the ancient world.{{citation needed|date=May 2024}} Byzantine Greek scholars, who were largely responsible for preserving [[Classical Greece|Classical Greek]] knowledge, fled to the West after the [[fall of Constantinople|fall of Byzantium]], taking with them literature and significantly [[Greek scholars in the Renaissance|contributing to the Renaissance]].<ref name= JJN>{{cite book |title= A Short History of Byzantium |last= Norwich |first= John Julius|year=1997 |publisher= Vintage Books |isbn=978-0-679-77269-9 |page = xxi}}</ref>

In the modern period, [[Modern Greek Enlightenment|Diafotismos]] (Greek: Διαφωτισμός, "enlightenment", "illumination")<ref>Patiniotis M. (2015) "Neo-Hellenic Enlightenment: In Search of a European Identity," in Arabatzis T., Renn J., Simões A. (eds), ''Relocating the History of Science. Boston Studies in the Philosophy and History of Science'', vol 312. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-14553-2_9</ref> was the Greek expression of the [[Age of Enlightenment]] and its philosophical and political ideas. Notable representatives were [[Adamantios Korais]], [[Rigas Feraios]] and [[Theophilos Kairis]]. Other modern era Greek philosophers or political scientists include [[Elli Lambridi|Helle Lambridis]], [[Cornelius Castoriadis]], [[Nicos Poulantzas]] and [[Christos Yannaras]].

=== Music and dances ===
{{Main|Music of Greece}}
{{more citations needed section|date=October 2017}}
[[File:Sfakia-dance.jpg|thumb|[[Cretan]] dancers of [[Greek folk music|traditional folk music]]]]
[[File:Rembetes Karaiskaki 1933.jpg|thumb|right|[[Rebetiko|Rebetes]] in Karaiskaki, [[Piraeus]] (1933). Left [[Markos Vamvakaris]] with [[bouzouki]].]]

Greek vocal music extends back into ancient times where mixed-gender choruses performed for entertainment, celebration and spiritual reasons. Instruments included the double-reed [[aulos]] and the plucked string instrument, the [[lyre]], especially the special kind called a [[kithara]]. Music played an important role in education. Boys were taught music from the age of six. Later influences from the Roman Empire, Middle East, and the [[Byzantine Empire]] affected Greek music.

While the new technique of polyphony was developing in the West, the [[Eastern Orthodox Church]] resisted change. Therefore, [[Byzantine music]] remained monophonic and without any form of instrumental accompaniment. As a result, and despite certain attempts by certain Greek chanters, Byzantine music was deprived of elements which, in the West, encouraged an unimpeded development of art. Byzantium presented the monophonic [[Byzantine chant]], a melodic music, with rhythmical variety and expressive power.<ref>{{Cite web |title=UNESCO - Byzantine chant |url=https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/byzantine-chant-01508 |access-date=2024-11-05 |website=ich.unesco.org |language=en}}</ref>

Along with Byzantine chant and music, the Greeks cultivated the [[Greek folk music|Greek folk song]] (''Demotiko'') which is divided into two cycles, the [[Acritic songs|akritic]] and [[klephtic song|klephtic]]. The akritic was created between the 9th and 10th centuries and expressed the life and struggles of the [[akrites]] (frontier guards) of the Byzantine empire, the most well known associated with [[Digenes Akritas]]. The klephtic cycle came into being between the late Byzantine period and start of the Greek War of Independence. The klephtic cycle, together with historical songs, ''paraloghes'' (narrative song or ballad), love songs, [[mantinada|mantinades]], wedding songs, songs of exile and dirges express the life of the Greeks.

[[File:Mikis2004.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Mikis Theodorakis]] was one of the most popular and significant Greek composers.]]

The [[Heptanese]]an [[Greek folk music#Ionian Islands|kantádhes]] (καντάδες '[[serenade]]s'; sing.: καντάδα) became the forerunners of the Greek modern urban popular song, influencing its development. For the first part of the next century, Greek composers continued to borrow elements from the Heptanesean style. The most successful songs during 1870–1930 were the so-called Athenian serenades, and the songs performed on stage ('theatrical revue songs') in [[revue]]s, [[operetta]]s and [[nocturne]]s that dominated Athens' theater scene.<ref name=":9">{{Cite web |title=FolkWorld #44: Music of Greece |url=http://www.folkworld.de/44/e/greece.html |access-date=2024-11-05 |website=www.folkworld.de}}</ref>

[[Rebetiko]], initially a music associated with the lower classes, later reached greater acceptance as the rough edges of its overt subcultural character were softened and, sometimes to the point of unrecognisability.{{citation needed|date=May 2024}} It was the base of the later [[laïkó]] (song of the people). The leading performers of the genre include [[Vassilis Tsitsanis]], [[Grigoris Bithikotsis]], [[Stelios Kazantzidis]], [[George Dalaras]], [[Haris Alexiou]] and [[Glykeria]].

It was through the [[Ionian islands]] (which were under western rule) that major advances of the western European classical music were introduced to mainland Greeks. The region is notable for the birth of the first school of modern Greek classical music ([[Ionian School (music)|Heptanesean or Ionian School]]), established in 1815. Prominent representatives of this genre include [[Nikolaos Mantzaros]], [[Spyridon Xyndas]], [[Spyridon Samaras]] and [[Pavlos Carrer]]. [[Manolis Kalomiris]] is considered the founder of the Greek National School of Music.<ref name=":9" />

In the 20th century, Greek composers had significant impact on the development of [[avant garde]] and modern classical music, with figures such as [[Iannis Xenakis]], [[Nikos Skalkottas]], and [[Dimitri Mitropoulos]] achieving international prominence. Composers and musicians such as [[Mikis Theodorakis]], [[Manos Hatzidakis]], [[Eleni Karaindrou]], [[Vangelis]] and [[Demis Roussos]] garnered an international following, which include famous [[film score]]s such as [[Zorba the Greek]], [[Serpico]], [[Never on Sunday]], [[America America]], [[Eternity and a Day]], [[Chariots of Fire]], and [[Blade Runner (soundtrack)|Blade Runner]]. [[Greek American]] composers known for their film scores include [[Yanni]] and [[Basil Poledouris]]. Greek opera singers and classical musicians of the 20th and 21st century include [[Maria Callas]], [[Nana Mouskouri]], [[Mario Frangoulis]], [[Leonidas Kavakos]], and [[Dimitris Sgouros]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Trikoupis |first=Athanasios |title=Greek composers in the 20th century. European influences in their work |url=https://www.academia.edu/36757754 |journal=Academia}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Mark Morris's Guide to Twentieth Century Composers GREECE - MusicWeb-International |url=https://www.musicweb-international.com/mark_morris/Greece.htm |access-date=2024-11-05 |website=www.musicweb-international.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Trikoupis |first=Athanasios |title=Nationalism and Modernism as parallel and interactive mainstream in the works of Greek composers of the 20th century |url=https://www.academia.edu/36786451 |journal=Academia}}</ref>

During the [[Greek junta]] of 1967–74, the music of Mikis Theodorakis was banned, the composer jailed, internally exiled, and put in a [[concentration camp]],<ref name="Hischak2015">{{cite book|author=Thomas S. Hischak|title=The Encyclopedia of Film Composers|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Xz99CAAAQBAJ&pg=PA664|date=16 April 2015|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield Publishers|isbn=978-1-4422-4550-1|page=664}}</ref> before finally being allowed to leave Greece due to international reaction. Released during the junta years, ''Make Love, Stop the Gunfire'', by pop group [[Poll (band)|Poll]] is considered the first anti-war protest song in [[Greek rock]].<ref name=europopmusic.eu>{{cite web|title=Kostas Tournas|url=http://www.europopmusic.eu/Greece_pages/Kostas_Tournas.html#about|publisher=europopmusic.eu|access-date=10 March 2013|archive-date=11 March 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130311170321/http://www.europopmusic.eu/Greece_pages/Kostas_Tournas.html#about|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Greece participated in the [[Eurovision Song Contest]] 35 times after its debut at the [[Eurovision Song Contest 1974|1974 Contest]]. In [[Eurovision Song Contest 2005|2005]], Greece won with "[[My Number One]]", performed by Greek-Swedish singer [[Elena Paparizou]], which became a smash hit in different countries and especially in Greece, and the [[Eurovision Song Contest 2006|51st Eurovision Song Contest]] of 2006 was held in Athens.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Greece |url=https://eurovision.tv/country/greece}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2024 |title=Greece in Eurovision: Voting & Points |url=https://eurovisionworld.com/eurovision/greece}}</ref>

=== Cuisine ===
{{Main|Greek cuisine|Greek wine}}
[[File:Greek Salad from Thessaloniki.jpg|alt=|thumb|A [[Greek salad]], with [[feta]] and [[olive]]s]]
[[Greek cuisine]] is characteristic of the [[Mediterranean diet]], which is epitomised by dishes of [[Cretan diet|Crete]].<ref>{{cite book |first=Sari |last=Edelstein |title=Food, Cuisine, and Cultural Competency for Culinary, Hospitality, and Nutrition Professionals |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=lj0CeaIIETkC&pg=PA147 |access-date=27 December 2011 |date=22 October 2010 |publisher=Jones & Bartlett |isbn= 978-0-7637-5965-0 |pages=147–49}}</ref> Greek cuisine incorporates fresh ingredients into local dishes such as [[moussaka]], [[pastitsio]], classic [[Greek salad]], [[fasolada]], [[spanakopita]] and [[souvlaki]]. Some dishes can be traced back to ancient Greece like [[skordalia]] (a thick purée of walnuts, almonds, crushed garlic and olive oil), [[lentil]] [[soup]], [[retsina]] (white or rosé wine sealed with pine resin) and [[Sesame seed candy|pasteli]] (candy bar with sesame seeds baked with honey). People often enjoy eating from small dishes such as [[meze]] with dips such as [[tzatziki]], grilled octopus and small fish, [[feta cheese]], [[dolmades]] (rice, currants and pine kernels wrapped in vine leaves), various [[Legume|pulses]], [[olive]]s and cheese. [[Olive oil]] is a widespread addition.<ref name=":4">{{Cite book |url=https://textbooks.restaurant.org/Textbooks/media/fmrca/FRMCA_GlobalCuisine2_1.pdf |title=Global Cuisine 2: Europe, the Mediterranean, the Middle East, and Asia |publisher=National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation |year=2017 |publication-date=2017 |pages=19 |language=en}}</ref>

Sweet desserts include [[melomakarona]], [[diples]] and [[galaktoboureko]], and drinks such as [[ouzo]], [[metaxa]] and wines including retsina. Greek cuisine differs from different parts of the mainland and island to island. It uses some flavorings more often than other Mediterranean cuisines: [[oregano]], [[Mentha|mint]], garlic, onion, [[dill]] and [[bay laurel]] leaves. Other common herbs and spices include [[basil]], [[thyme]] and [[fennel]] seed. Many recipes, especially in the northern parts of the country, use "sweet" spices in combination with meat, for example [[cinnamon]] and [[clove]]s in stews.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Greek Food Ingredients |url=https://angelfoods.gr/greek-food/greek-food-ingredients/ |access-date=4 January 2024 |website=Angelfoods |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":4" /> [[Koutoukia]] are an underground restaurant common in Greece.<ref name=":02">{{Cite book |last=Wolfert|first=Paula|title=Mediterranean clay pot cooking : traditional and modern recipes to savor and share|publisher=John Wiley & Sons|year=2009|isbn=978-0-7645-7633-1|location=Hoboken, NJ |pages=235|oclc=298538015|author-link=Paula Wolfert}}</ref>

=== Cinema ===
{{Main|Cinema of Greece}}
[[File:Theodoros Angelopoulos Athens 26-4-2009-2.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Theodoros Angelopoulos]], winner of the {{Lang|fr|[[Palme d'Or]]|italic=no}} in [[1998 Cannes Film Festival|1998]], notable director in the history of the [[European cinema]]]]

Cinema first appeared in Greece in 1896, but the first cine-theatre was opened in 1907 in Athens. In 1914, the ''Asty Films Company'' was founded and the production of long films began. ''Golfo'', a well known traditional love story, is considered the first Greek feature film, although there were minor productions such as newscasts before. In 1931, [[Orestis Laskos]] directed ''[[Daphnis and Chloe (film)|Daphnis and Chloe]]'', containing one of the first nude scene in European cinema;<ref>{{cite journal |title=Οι Ιταλοί θαυμάζουν το ''Δάφνις και Χλόη'' |journal=Ελευθεροτυπία |date=3 July 2009 |url=http://www.enet.gr/?i=news.el.article&id=60015 |accessdate=13 May 2022 |language=el}}</ref> it was the first Greek movie played abroad.<ref>{{cite journal |title=''Δάφνις και Χλόη'' στην Μπολόνια |journal=Το Βήμα |date=4 July 2009 |url=http://www.tovima.gr/culture/article/?aid=276816 |accessdate=13 May 2022}}</ref> In 1944, [[Katina Paxinou]] was honoured with the [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress|Best Supporting Actress Academy Award]] for ''[[For Whom the Bell Tolls (film)|For Whom the Bell Tolls]]''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1944 |title=The 16th Academy Awards (1943) Nominees and Winners |access-date=13 May 2022 |work=[[Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences]]|date=5 October 2014 }}</ref>

The 1950s and early 1960s are considered to be a "golden age" of Greek cinema.<ref>{{cite book |last=Ephraim |first=Katz |section=Greece |title=The Film Encyclopedia |location=New York |publisher=HarperResource |year=2001 |pages=554–555}}</ref> Directors and actors of this era were recognised as important figures in Greece and some gained international acclaim: [[George Tzavellas]], [[Irene Papas]], [[Melina Mercouri]], [[Michael Cacoyannis]], [[Alekos Sakellarios]], [[Nikos Tsiforos]], [[Iakovos Kambanelis]], [[Katina Paxinou]], [[Nikos Koundouros]], [[Ellie Lambeti]] and others. More than sixty films per year were made, with most having film noir elements. Notable films include ''[[The Drunkard (1950 film)|The Drunkard]]'' (1950, directed by [[George Tzavellas]]), ''[[The Counterfeit Coin]]'' (1955, by [[Giorgos Tzavellas]]), ''Πικρό Ψωμί'' (1951, by [[Grigoris Grigoriou]]), ''[[O Drakos]]'' (1956, by [[Nikos Koundouros]]), ''[[Stella (1955 film)|Stella]]'' (1955, directed by Cacoyannis and written by Kampanellis), ''[[Woe to the Young]]'' (1961, by [[Alekos Sakellarios]]), ''[[Glory Sky]]'' (1962, by [[Takis Kanellopoulos]]) and ''[[The Red Lanterns]]'' (1963, by [[Vasilis Georgiadis]])

Cacoyannis directed ''[[Zorba the Greek (film)|Zorba the Greek]]'' with Anthony Quinn which received Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Film nominations.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/56204/Zorba-the-Greek/awards |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090928030245/http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/56204/Zorba-the-Greek/awards |url-status=dead |archive-date=28 September 2009 |department=Movies & TV Dept. |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=2009 |title=NY Times: Zorba the Greek |access-date=13 May 2022}}</ref> [[Finos Film]] contributed in this period with movies such as ''Λατέρνα, Φτώχεια και Φιλότιμο'', ''[[Madalena (1960 film)|Madalena]]'', ''[[I theia ap' to Chicago]]'', ''Το ξύλο βγήκε από τον Παράδεισο'' and many more.

During the 1970s and 1980s, [[Theo Angelopoulos]] directed notable movies. His film ''[[Eternity and a Day]]'' won the {{Lang|fr|[[Palme d'Or]]|italic=no}} and the [[Prize of the Ecumenical Jury]] at the [[1998 Cannes Film Festival]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cinema-francais.fr/cannes/cannes_1998.htm |title=51ème Festival International du Film – Cannes |website=Cinema-francais.fr |language=fr |access-date=13 May 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cannes-fest.com/1998/index.html |title=1998 – 51e édition (50th edition) |website=Cannes-fest.com |language=fr |access-date=13 May 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.urbancinefile.com.au/home/view.asp?a=1148&s=Features |title=Cannes 1998: News (2) |website=Urbancinefile.com |access-date=13 May 2022 |archive-date=7 September 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130907173822/http://urbancinefile.com.au/home/view.asp?a=1148&s=Features |url-status=dead }}</ref>

There are internationally renowned filmmakers in the Greek diaspora, such as the Greek-French [[Costa-Gavras]] and the Greek-Americans [[Elia Kazan]], [[John Cassavetes]] and [[Alexander Payne]]. [[Yorgos Lanthimos]] has received four [[Academy Awards|Academy Award]] nominations for his work, including [[Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film|Best Foreign Language Film]] for ''[[Dogtooth (film)|Dogtooth]]'' (2009), [[Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay|Best Original Screenplay]] for ''[[The Lobster]]'' (2015), and [[Academy Award for Best Picture|Best Picture]] and [[Academy Award for Best Director|Best Director]] for ''[[The Favourite]]'' (2018).<ref>{{cite web |url=https://variety.com/2019/film/news/2019-oscars-winners-list-academy-awards-1203145638/|title=Oscar Winners 2019: The Complete List|work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date=24 February 2019|access-date=13 May 2022|archive-date=15 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210115164501/https://variety.com/2019/film/news/2019-oscars-winners-list-academy-awards-1203145638/|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Sports ===
[[File:Louis entering Kallimarmaron at the 1896 Athens Olympics.jpg|thumb|[[Spyridon Louis]] entering the [[Panathenaic Stadium]] at the end of the marathon; [[1896 Summer Olympics]]]]
[[File:Charisteas' Siegtreffer im Finale der Euro 2004.jpg|thumb|[[Angelos Charisteas]] scoring Greece's winning goal in the [[UEFA Euro 2004 Final]]]]
{{Main|Sports in Greece}}

Greece is the birthplace of the [[ancient Olympic Games]], first recorded in 776 BC in [[Olympia, Greece|Olympia]], and hosted the modern [[Olympic Games]] twice, the inaugural [[1896 Summer Olympics]] and the [[2004 Summer Olympics]]. During the parade of nations, Greece is always called first, as the founding nation of the ancient precursor of modern Olympics. The nation has competed at every [[Summer Olympic Games]], one of only four countries to have done so. Having won a total of 121 medals (35 gold, 45 silver and 41 bronze), Greece is ranked 33rd by gold medals in the [[All-time Olympic Games medal table|all-time Summer Olympic medal count]]. Their best ever performance was in the 1896 Summer Olympics, when Greece finished second in the [[1896 Summer Olympics medal table|medal table]] with 10 gold medals.

The [[Greece national football team]], ranked 39th in the [[FIFA World Rankings|world]] as of 2024 (and having reached a high of 8th in 2008 and 2011),<ref>{{cite web|url= https://inside.fifa.com/fifa-world-ranking/men|title=Men's Rankings |publisher=[[FIFA]] |access-date=1 August 2024|date=July 2024}}</ref> were crowned [[UEFA European Championship#Teams reaching the final|European Champions]] in [[UEFA Euro 2004|Euro 2004]] in one of the biggest upsets in the history of the sport.<ref name="Euro2004">{{cite news |last= McNulty |first= Phil |title= Greece Win Euro 2004 | url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/euro_2004/3860105.stm |publisher= BBC | work = News |access-date=7 May 2007 |date= 4 July 2004}}</ref> The [[Superleague Greece|Greek Super League]] is the highest professional football league, comprising fourteen teams. The most successful are [[Olympiacos F.C.|Olympiacos]], [[Panathinaikos F.C.|Panathinaikos]], and [[AEK Athens F.C.|AEK Athens]].

The [[Greece national basketball team|Greek national basketball team]] has a decades-long tradition of excellence, being considered among the world's top basketball powers. {{As of|2012}}, it ranked 4th in the [[FIBA World Rankings|world]] and 2nd in [[FIBA Europe|Europe]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fc/even/rank/rankMen.asp |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070607092902/http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fc/even/rank/rankMen.asp |url-status=dead |archive-date=7 June 2007 | title = Ranking Men after Olympic Games: Tournament Men (2008) |date=August 2008 |access-date=24 August 2008 | publisher= [[International Basketball Federation]]}}</ref> They have won the [[EuroBasket|European Championship]] twice in [[EuroBasket 1987|1987]] and [[EuroBasket 2005|2005]],<ref>{{cite news |last=Wilkinson |first=Simon |url=https://www.espn.com/nba/news/story?id=2172612 |title=Greece Tops Germany for Euro Title |access-date=7 May 2007 |date=26 September 2005 |publisher=[[ESPN]]}}</ref> and have reached the final four in two of the last four [[FIBA World Championship]]s, taking the second place in the world in [[2006 FIBA World Championship]]. The domestic top basketball league, [[A1 Ethniki]], is composed of fourteen teams. The most successful Greek teams are [[Panathinaikos BC|Panathinaikos]], [[Olympiacos B.C.|Olympiacos]], [[Aris B.C.|Aris Thessaloniki]], [[AEK Athens B.C.|AEK Athens]] and [[P.A.O.K. B.C.|P.A.O.K]]. Greek basketball teams are the [[Euroleague#Finals|most successful]] in [[Euroleague#Titles|European basketball the last 25 years]]. After the [[FIBA EuroBasket 2005|2005 European Championship]] triumph of the Greek national basketball team, Greece became the reigning European Champion in both football and basketball.

The [[Greece women's national water polo team]] have emerged as one of the leading powers in the world, becoming [[Water polo at the World Aquatics Championships#Women's tournament|World Champions]] in [[Water polo at the 2011 World Aquatics Championships&nbsp;– Women's tournament|2011]]. They won gold at the [[2005 FINA Women's Water Polo World League|2005 World League]] and silver at the [[2010 Women's European Water Polo Championship|2010]] and [[2012 Women's European Water Polo Championship|2012 European Championships]]. The [[Greece men's national water polo team]] became the third best water polo team in the world in [[2005 World Aquatics Championships|2005]]. The domestic top water polo leagues, [[A1 Ethniki Water Polo|Greek Men's Water Polo League]] and [[A1 Ethniki Women's Water Polo|Greek Women's Water Polo League]] are considered amongst the top national leagues in European water polo, as its clubs have made significant success in European competitions.

The [[Greece men's national volleyball team|Greek men's national volleyball team]] has won two bronze medals, one in the [[Men's European Volleyball Championship|European Volleyball Championship]] and another one in the [[Men's European Volleyball League]] and a 5th place in the [[Volleyball at the Summer Olympics|Olympic Games]]. The Greek league, the [[A1 Ethniki Volleyball|A1 Ethniki]], is considered one of the top volleyball leagues in Europe and Greek clubs have had significant success in European competitions. [[Olympiacos S.C.|Olympiacos]] is the most successful volleyball club in the country. In handball, [[AC Diomidis Argous]] is the only Greek club to have won a [[EHF Challenge Cup|European Cup]].

=== Public holidays and festivals ===
{{Main|Public holidays in Greece}}
[[File:Virgin Mary procession, Chora of Naxos, 118916.jpg|thumb|upright=0.8|Procession in honour of the Assumption of [[Mary, mother of Jesus|Virgin Mary]] (15 August), a major holiday]]

According to Greek law, every Sunday of the year is a public holiday. Since the late '70s, Saturday also is a non-school and not working day. In addition, there are four mandatory official public holidays: 25 March (''[[Greek Independence Day]]''), [[Easter Monday]], 15 August (''[[Dormition of the Mother of God|Assumption or Dormition of the Holy Virgin]]''), and 25 December (''Christmas''). 1 May (''Labour Day'') and 28 October (''[[Ohi Day]]'') are regulated by law as being optional but it is customary for employees to be given the day off. There are, however, more public holidays celebrated in Greece than announced by the Ministry of Labour each year as either obligatory or optional. The list of these non-fixed national holidays rarely changes and has not changed in recent decades, giving a total of eleven national holidays each year. In addition to the national holidays, there are public holidays that are not celebrated nationwide, but only by a specific professional group or a local community. For example, many municipalities have a "Patron Saint" parallel to "[[Name days in Greece|Name Days]]", or a "Liberation Day".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.eortologio.gr/index_uk.php |title=Greek Name Days for the Year 2018 |access-date=20 May 2021}}</ref> On such days it is customary for schools to take the day off.

Notable festivals, beyond the religious fests, include [[Patras Carnival]], [[Athens Festival]] and local wine festivals. The city of [[Thessaloniki]] is also home of a number of festivals and events. The [[International Thessaloniki Film Festival|Thessaloniki International Film Festival]] is one of the most important film festivals in Southern Europe.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.filmfestival.gr/default.aspx?lang=el-GR&loc=1&page=586|script-title=el:Διεθνές Φεστιβάλ Κινηματογράφου Θεσσαλονίκης – Προφίλ|trans-title=Thessaloniki International Film Festival – Profile|language=el|access-date=3 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150905090357/http://www.filmfestival.gr/default.aspx?lang=el-GR&loc=1&page=586|archive-date=5 September 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref>