The Ancient Greeks commonly built their houses with relatively inexpensive materials such as stone, wood, or clay bricks. They painted the outside of their houses white to deflect the heat of the sun. Despite the elite architectural standards demonstrated by the Greeks, the materials they used to build the houses left flaws in their design. The walls of houses built with sun-dried bricks had a tendency to wash away, little by little, in the rain which would eventually lead to the complete collapse of the house, burying everything within its walls. When this happened, the ground would be leveled off and another house would be built on top of the same lot. Over time, mounds would grow where several houses had been leveled. Due to this method of building, much of the information regarding the Ancient Greeks living conditions and living standards have been discovered by archaeologists. The rich lived in what we would describe as a large town house, consisting of a dozen or so rooms, and co

The sunny climate of Athens made the living conditions outdoors pleasant. For this reason Athenian men often saw a dwelling as a house, not a home, leaving early in the morning for work or relaxation. On an ordinary day, the average Athenian man rose early in the morning and dressed in the commonly worn knee length woollen garment called a chiton. After a small breakfast of coarse bread dipped in wine, the average citizen might go to the market of Agora, the central meeting place of the city, before the beginning of the work day. The market was a very busy area, separated into sections of different items. It was also the center of the city where much of the official business took place. For example, meetings of the council and worship of the gods. At midday a light lunch would be had at home and the afternoon was often spent at the gymnasium where men wrestled, boxed, ran, and found time for a serious discussion with other citizens.

At first, education in the schools in ancient Athens was limited to aristocratic boys. However, by the 4th century, all 18-year-old males spent two years in a gymnasium. A gymnasium was a state school devoted to the overall physical and intellectual development of a young man. More advanced education in philosophy, mathematics, logic, and rhetoric was available to the aristocracy in highly select gymnasia like the Academy of Plato and the Lyceum of Aristotle. Although girls in ancient Greece received no formal education in the literary arts, many of them were taught to read and write informally at home. (Nardo 59)

The abundance of slaves in Fifth Century Greece did much of the real work, leaving the Athenian citizens free. This gave Greeks the time to play games and sports, which were regarded as necessary for good health. Sports were also seen as a method of training for warfare as well as a means of honoring gods. An excellent example of this is the Olympic games. Many Greeks played board games which included chess, backgammon, and a game called snakes and ladders. Music and dance were popular with Greeks from all classes, not only as a past time but also a religious festival. Musicians often accompanied plays at the theater or performed with dancers at private banquets. Most Greek cities also had an amphitheater at their center where plays or enactments of stories of gods and legendary heroes were presented for entertainment. It was through such means as sports, music, and dance, that ancient Greek citizens found their entertainment. (Pearson 34)

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Approximate Word count = 1700
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)