Historian Answers Google’s Most Popular Questions About Life In Ancient Greece

Did the Ancient Greeks really invent the Olympics? What did they wear? How did they party? What did Ancient Greek music sound like?
In the first episode of a new series, host of 'The Ancients' podcast, Tristan Hughes answers the most searched Google questions about Ancient Greece.
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#historyhit #expertanswers #ancientgreece
00:00 Introduction
00:44 Was Ancient Greece before the Romans?
02:21 Was Ancient Greece a country?
03:21 Was Ancient Greece polytheistic?
04:18 Was Ancient Greece really hot?
04:50 What did Ancient Greeks eat?
07:16 What did Ancient Greeks conquer?
08:44 What did Ancient Greeks discover?
11:17 What did Ancient Greeks wear?
12:37 What did Ancient Greeks look like?
13:32 Did Ancient Greeks invent the Olympics?
14:45 Did Ancient Greeks party?
16:29 Did Ancient Greeks have orgies?
18:11 Did Socrates, Plato and Aristotle really exist?
19:16 How did Ancient Greek democracy work?
22:39 How did Ancient Greeks go to the toilet?
23:59 How do Ancient Greek texts survive?
25:21 How did Ancient Greeks worship?
25:46 How did Ancient Greek athletes train?
27:27 Who did Ancient Greeks fight with?
29:05 How did Ancient Greek music sound?
31:49 How often do you think about the Greek Empire?

[@HistoryHit]

We hope you have enjoyed the first episode of our "Historian Answers Google Questions' series! Let us know which over time period or topics you'd like us to cover in the comments below 👇

[@Spielkalb-von-Sparta]

I enjoyed this new format a lot. Well, for next instalment - about the Romans, I suppose - here's the most viral question: Did the Romans invent noodles or have we thank Marco Polo for them?

[@briangordon1526]

See

[@Mr.Glidehook]

If you've ever gamed, and you mentioned "Civilizations," you should try Assassin's Creed Odyssey, and though it's fantasy, I'd like your take on how well the developers did. The architecture, name pronunciations, the topography of the different regions, the plants, wildlife, etc.

[@tiaraayim4239]

​@@Mr.Glidehook I second that! Spent half of the game just walking around. It's beautiful. Also the TOUR session was amazing, with current photos of the ruins.

[@snuffcarl]

Vikings!!!!!! So many myths!!?

[@Benmurphy263]

Great to see Phil Collins is keeping busy

[@kristinerobb5109]

Well that's just funny

[@ingloriousbetch4302]

😂 stop it

[@nathanrice6589]

Pfffftttt.. hahaha!!!

[@mavi88100]

I absolutely loved this format! I feel like youtube is flooded with videos that are just repeating history over and over in that monotone sort of voice that makes you space out... great job!

[@murrayscott9546]

That format, admit it, is a cure for insomnia !

[@HistoryHit]

Appreciate the support!

[@alwilliams5177]

​@@murrayscott9546darn it, but you won. The endless monotone is just perfect for people with ADHD trying to sleep. This, however, is too interesting to sleep to.

[@agent_albert]

There are many videos in this format and it's good but could be a little bit better. Those experts should have more time to go into details about those questions.

[@Harib_Al-Saq]

Maybe you should stick with something more your speed.

[@wardafournello]

Of course, there was a central sewage system in Athens, and it came to our knowledge in 2003, when the Athens subway was being built.

[@sarahmusk7793]

I really enjoyed this. The format is so engaging and Tristan is a delightful, knowledgeable presenter. Lots more like this please.

[@HistoryHit]

More to come!

[@benkane813]

He's good, isn't he?! Really nice chap too.

[@h0ph1p13]

But where is Iseult?

[@jgenard]

This guy is phenomenally knowledgeable. So, so well done.

[@cleverusername9369]

Can't recommend the Ancients podcast enough. Indeed, all of History Hit's podcasts are bangers, I particularly recommend Dan Snow's History Hit, American History Hit, The Ancients, After Dark: Myths, Misdeeds, and the Paranormal, and Gone Medieval. Dr Eleanor Janega is a frequent co-host or guest, if you know who she is you know how unbelievably engaging and fun to listen to she is. Treat yourself!

[@elizamccroskey1708]

Thank you, and all the others for recommending these wonderful podcasts! I love history YT, but I’m more productive when I’m listening to podcasts 😂

[@davisoaresalves5179]

Greek ancient civilization has something so special about it.

[@yeyeman6569]

Very majestic

[@elizamccroskey1708]

Misogyny and slavery, those were the days!

[@HateMoonCookie]

@@elizamccroskey1708🤓

[@MrYoko101]

@@elizamccroskey1708trigger me timbers!

[@lilibug.]

For the question on how ancient Greek music sounded there is some amusing reading to be had on that subject by Plato.

[@kariannecrysler640]

Very fun! I love getting little tidbits of genuine history in the middle of my day! 🤭

[@kmoody55]

You talk like I do when I talk about things I'm passionate about, small tangents, the details, small storytelling etc. It made it extremely easy to follow and understand!

[@Izzy_Gyrl]

First off it's was so funny for the first thirty seconds of this video because I listen to Tristan's podcast "The Ancients" (I'M OBSESSED WITH IT) and I never realized until now I had never SEEN what Tristian looked like so when I saw him in this video I was only able to recognize that it was Tristian when he started SPEAKING LMAO. LOVED THIS VIDEO! Thanks History Hit & Tristan!

[@GreeklishOutdoors]

This was excellent. Very educational and made me want to read more about the ancient Greeks 😊👍🏼 Many thanks 🇬🇷

[@nataliasepulveda2703]

Facinating! More content like this please!! 👏

[@HistoryHit]

You got it!

[@luannnelson547]

6th grade, unit on Ancient Greece: my sweet old lady teacher was telling us all about “Perkules.” I’m looking at the word “Pericles” in the textbook and puzzling over this pronunciation. Eventually it hit me: She was assuming that “Herakles” was pronounced “Hercules,” and therefore “Pericles” had to rhyme with it. Bless her heart.

[@KasumiRINA]

Perkules sounds like a cough syrup.

[@Xalerdane]

“You’re wrong, but it’s understandable why you’re wrong.”

[@Firegen1]

I'm starting to listen to The Ancients because I enjoyed Tristan's cameo on Betwixt the Sheets. It's really fascinating

[@jaysmith8199]

Fascinating - thank you. Would love to hear more on greek 8nventions.

[@saltzkruber732]

Dan Snow should do the same on Napoleonic era warfare

[@HistoryHit]

👀

[@oonaghmarguerite6752]

Excellent mix of sociological answers for a very broad period of time. Looking forward to more like this, soon.

[@GROK99]

Great presentation. You make the information very accessible.🎯

[@nickcm97]

I’ve finally found an entertaining video about ancient greece. Really loved this format! Keep up the good work guys!!

[@HistoryHit]

Thank you! Will do!

[@the_petty_crocker]

I listen to The Ancients obsessively just to hear his voice. Delicious.

[@54mgtf22]

Hey Tristan. Great job 👏

[@nicolassilva1729]

Terrific video. I'll definitely check out his podcast.

[@anthonystevens8683]

Well done Tristan, some great answers to some interesting questions that debunk a few assumptions. What I found of interest was that the Greeks were not from a unified Greece and that they would fight anyone including each other. Other interesting points about the sanitation that was often something that credited to the Romans, well in the film 'The Life of Brian' anyway. Many thanks for sharing.

[@mohammedsaysrashid3587]

It was an informative , unique, and wonderful introduction about Ancient Greek and a great Hellenic civilization ... thank you 🙏 ( history Hit) channel for sharing

[@HistoryHit]

So glad you enjoyed it!

[@DemetriosKongas]

I am quite impressed with your knowledge!

[@Tj-ho2fs]

Ok THIS is a great format for history. I’d watch this regularly.

[@larazolko7230]

What an amazing video! I’m totally hooked! More please!!!! Hahahaha

[@HistoryHit]

Working on it!

[@geomarmonti]

Yes! I dont think we talk about Greece enough, romans get all the hype

[@thebloodgod5885]

Amen to that. A lot of that though is probably because of how directly the Romans influenced various countries histories you know?

[@Spielkalb-von-Sparta]

@@thebloodgod5885 Probably because the Romans built a massive centralised empire with infrastructure and a codified law opposed to the conglomeration of city states the Greeks hat.

[@Banquet42]

What have the Greeks ever done for us?

[@PhyrexJ]

@@Banquet42are you serious? If so, you’re really, really dense and ignorant

[@KasumiRINA]

​@@thebloodgod5885In Ukraine Greeks influenced us much more. Roman ruins are few and far between.

[@itachisdisciple]

Well after watching a couple of vids on this channel i like i subscribed,keep up the good work

[@sidp5381]

Well done to the legendary Tristan, Hughes, big fan of his work, the Diadochi wars that he has worked on in the history channel the Kings and Generals is a gem

[@helencahn7293]

I understand symposia to be a sort of challenge to use logic and philosophy to debate while drinking. It was a way to establish status and recognition. Less a party than a sort of competition to show that you had the character and gravitas it took to remain rational while drinking.

[@austin8775]

I don’t “smash the like button” on many videos. But I do when History Hit has Tristan Hughes on. Hoping one day we can get The Ancients on KZbin. Also gonna need Mathew Lewis on to some extent🙏

[@justinator1010]

In regards to garum I really enjoyed (tasting history with max Miller) he made his own garum last summer and talks about it's history

[@conm87]

Awesome video!!

[@gjh997]

Excellent. Thanks

[@anthonyhargis6855]

Very enlightening and educational. Love the video.

[@HistoryHit]

Much appreciated!

[@jonathanbeatrice8317]

I admire the patience and politeness of this man as he answers the question about whether or not Aristotle existed. jc

[@thepeacefulprof]

This is a fun format. I’ve always enjoyed Wired’s version. But the sound effects and music were really distracting, especially when it was louder than the speaker.

[@ricardobardales8137]

I would love you to talk about the traditions and religions of the most well-known cultures, such as Greek, Roman, Egyptian, Persian, Viking, Inca, so on and so forth

[@JennyTolios]

This was brilliant! Ευχαριστω για το σεβασμο που διχνεις στην πατριδα μου. 🙂

[@kw3593]

Love this

[@BabyBat14]

I'd love to see a Google's Most Popular Questions video on contemporary history!

[@imperator9343]

Regarding whether "ancient Greece was before the Romans", there's an additional complication besides the obvious overlap of Classical Rome and Greece. The "Byzantine Empire" is both a legitimate political continuation of the Roman Empire, but by the Medieval Era of Europe it was essentially a Greek state. For example, during the Crusades a common historical distinction is between the "Latins" (e.g. Franks, Germans, English) i.e. the Catholic Crusaders and the Greek Christians already in the Near East, generally affiliated with the Byzantine (aka Roman) Empire, which was still very much alive at the time. At least until the 4th Crusade lol. Anyway, in a sense, the "Greek Empire" both preceded and outlasted the Roman (Latin) Empire.

[@arokh72]

Sylphium may not be extinct, and a professor in Turkey appears to have rediscovered a "botanical survivor". A lot of modern fish sauces are said to be derivatives of garum, and Max Miller from Tasting History recently made some using traditional methods.

[@The_Daily_Tomato]

I knew there was a special reason I loved the Greek music in Civ6 😄

[@joshuaburke9516]

Tristian did a talk for the AIA, and the rest is History Hit for me. :)

[@AnnaAnna-uc2ff]

Thanks.

[@arissarkides1380]

If anyone's particularly into Hellenic warfare I strongly recommend Schwerpunkt's videos series

[@trk-ck2ow]

Make an episode about Thracian and Dacian please, the most advanced culture at time according to Herodotus

[@johnshistory6522]

Great content. The phone vibration noise every 5 seconds is pretty annoying though. Especially if you are just a listener

[@AmyHoldaway27]

Loved it!

[@bigmofarah9084]

You simply have to do more videos like this.

[@wetteefun]

Interesting introduction to Ancient Greece. Loved it! All though I get the impression that pederasty is a carefully avoided subject here.

[@PartyHans]

Holy shit this video has a mobile vibrate sound between chapters and it's maddening

[@jonahwatson261]

What is the song at 1:10? I fondly recognise it from somewhere

[@the_clawing_chaos]

Just wanna say, I am a big fan of your podcast! More mythical gods, pls

[@rosebroady6618]

I'd love to know why the ancient Greeks where so good at discovering things. They can up with so many innovations, it seems more than most other cultures

[@KasumiRINA]

It's probably because Greek language, like English now, was international SO any Syrian, Egyptian or Libyan scholar would be considered Greek based on language.

[@rosebroady6618]

True for a period of time, but other languages have often had the upper hand during different periods, like Acadian and Latin. I think it was more to do with the Greek approach to thinking

[@Jiamil]

Your switching sound sounds like my phone vibrating. Great video, but got stressed by that vibration sound constantly

[@user-pf4sk8im4b]

Love these videos with Tristan, my only small complaint is the audio, the mic is too low and there's a lot of reverb. Put him in a tiny room, pet him, feed him, and poke him for history facts.

[@larkjames1671]

That little sound effect when he explains the Greeks getting rid of their chamberpots 😂😂

[@jeremyhart8443]

I would love this series to cover ancient African history, lots of on told tales

[@Youfoh]

16:04 My man said professor Michael Scott. 😂

[@vhultos]

hey guys this is a great format i loved it but could you please position the mic closer and put a compressor on the audio 😭😭 it's uncomfortable to listen to this before bed

[@Mr.Glidehook]

I loved Assassin's Creed Odyssey. How accurate is it?

[@irrigationnation4410]

conflated "Discover" with "Invent" in the 7th question section, but otherwise, great vid.

[@McGuinnessralph]

Good aul Hughes he thought me more than history degree

[@evilkakepie708]

There is no debate about what garum was. We have recipes and even know that the most expensive garum came from Spain. I've no idea why he would think that. It's one of the only things from that time that we have exact details on lol.

[@tysonschuchardt4823]

Went to UWGB and got to see Prof. Aldrete lecture.

[@SophiaKilkis]

my mom was born in Uzbekistan in a town called Bukhara..she told me that locals in the old days they found armors burried in the ground( like it was from some battle or something) and that in ancient times because of the mass mariages that Alexander the Great was condacting ppl actually asking "που είναι η χαρά?"( meaning where is the wedding, " hara" is joyous occasion) so the name kinda stack Bukhara..ofc that is just a myth passed down the locals dont know how true it is

[@Kalah_]

1. Basically, yes. They develop about the same time, and then Rome eventually conquered Greece. 2. Not the way we think of countries, no. Each city was its own state and there were hundreds of them. 3. Yep, although each city quite often had one main god. 4. Yep. 5. Food. :D Greece didn't have a huge corn agriculture, so they often imported grain. Olives, cheese, meats, fish... 6. Alexander conquered Persia, Egypt and parts of what is today Afghanistan and India. Before Alexander, Greeks set up several colonies around the Mediterranean. 7. Lots! They charted their way all around the Mediterranean as well as the British isles. They also discovered lots of mathematical, theatrical and philosophical ideas. 8. Clothes. Usually made from linen or wool. 9. Like people do today. 10. Yep, although the Olympic games that were re-invented in the 1800s were different. The first games in ancient times would just be the 192 m running race. 11. Yes, men did. There are several sources mentioning parties. For instance, Xenophon talks at length about Socrates attending a feast. 12. Sure, but "orgy" didn't mean orgy in the sexual way we think of them today. These orgies would be closer to wild drinking parties today. 13. Yes, although Socrates didn't write down anything himself, so what we know about him is from other sources. Some have speculated that it's possible that he didn't really exist but has been "invented" by these other writers, but that seems highly unlikely, given the source material. 14. Democracy varied greatly from state to state. Generally, however, they would be direct democracies where people voted on specific proposal. Only men would be allowed to vote. 15. Like most other people, by taking off their pants and doing their business. 16. Stone tablets and parchment can survive a really long time. When a civilization produces a lot of text, some of it has a chance of surviving. A lot of Greek text was preserved by Arabians or by Mediaeval monks. 17. There were temples, big and small. 18. Naked, by running, wrestling or competing. 19. Long lists of people; basically, all neighbouring peoples, at some point. Also, each other. 20. No autotune, that's for sure. A lot of string instruments like harps/lyres, flutes and drums, as well as singing.

[@hiltonmarlton6373]

Virtuosic. 👌

[@patiencerocker1]

Bring on Dawn Brodey for Pirate history!! Host of HILF podcast

[@jensphiliphohmann1876]

02:30 I'd refer to ancient Greece as a cultural area similar to Europe in the 19th and first half of the 20th century. Interestingly, it was the Roman conquest that would make Greece kind of a nation, under the name of Rhomei which means both "Romans" and "Greeks" which was basically the same in "Byzantine" times.

[@Raz.C]

re - 4:35 It's funny you should say that, because that is the EXACT ideal beauty standard of modern Egypt. The women find men to be more attractive if they have a deep tan (but not black skin. Egyptians can be quite racist against people with black skin, commonly referring to them as "bar barry," meaning barbarian). Whereas the more pale a woman is, the more attractive. This ideal can even be seen in art from ancient Egypt, from the days of the Pharaohs. So it's either a mediterranean thing, or it's one of the very many things that Greek culture borrowed from the Egyptian culture.

[@murrayscott9546]

Mixelodian Scale, I've heard, was a Greek method - as opposed to the Pentatonic that is generally used today.

[@kevinjohnbetts]

Music nerd alert. All the modes of the major scale (Doh, Re, Mi, Fah, So, La, Ti, Doh) are derived from Greek. Ionian, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Aeolian, and Locrian. The Pentatonic Scale is probably African in origin but in its major form contains all the notes most pleasing to the ear. A lot of gospel music is built around the Major Pentatonic for example. In its minor form it becomes the blues scale (some jazz players would beg to differ) and it's the staple of a lot of classic rock guitar solos. Sorry if that's a bit long but I couldn't make it much shorter. Fwiw the Mixolydian scale is a favourite of a lot of Latin American musicians, Carlos Santana being a well known exponent.

[@murrayscott9546]

@kevinjohnbetts Thanks for info. Sorry. I am easily confused. Hey ! It's not what you got, it's how you use it, eh ? Wish I'd taken up the lyre. Coulda been Apollo Creed !

[@kevinjohnbetts]

@@murrayscott9546 Bluesy-Rocky stuff on the lyre. Or a bit of Sly And The Family Stallone? Sorry, had to follow up on 'Apollo Creed'. 😁

[@murrayscott9546]

@@kevinjohnbetts Side-splitter ! Keep'm comin' !

[@murrayscott9546]

Getting high now ! Gonna fly now !

[@fruzsimih7214]

To be fair, most of the Ancient texts we have were preserved by Medieval copyists. Most of the oldest copies of ancient historical and literary works come from codexes from the high Middle Ages (11th-12th centuries). The Bible is a certain exception, with large portions of it surviving on papyri from late Antiquity.

[@mattjones5813]

Need to bump up the volume - I can almost hear him

[@sirvile]

Silphium has been found! It's being grown in small quantities.

[@evilmarken]

You mentioned my Goddess Hestia

[@helenamcginty4920]

Re sports I enjoyed the sports at the funeral of Achilles as described by Homer. If memory serves someone fell face down in the huge cow pat left by the bull whem he was sacrificed.

[@jackloughridge7617]

I dont understand why the south of Europe has a reputation for being “very hot”. Maybe because people in northern Europe mostly go in summer but on an average day in an average part of Greece you would probably carry a jumper.

[@argentum3919]

The Mediterranean often reaches 40 °C in the months of July and August.

[@Mmjk_12]

I heard somewhere that the Greeks thought the voice is in their heads wasnt their own, but that of the gods. Hence intrusive thoughts/being told to do things was simply seen as just the gods telling you what to do.

[@SenBonZakura2007]

25:19 Nothing byzantine about the image you chose here 😅

[@keeva6530]

For wild parties and maybe orgies(?) id look into Dionysus followers. I dont know much about it or if the greeks or the romans were more active in this case. I have a sort of vague knowledge that they drank and danced and both men and women could be followers but i dont have a solid knowledge of the subject

[@otteotte7698]

17:29 Hahahaha! 🤣

[@trentitybrehm5105]

18:30 is false. Plato didn't make it as a literary device

[@Victoria_Fama]

Alexandria library didn’t burn down watch kaz Rowe

[@hesky10]

Just me or does he remind you of the actor tom hiddlestone, voice and face especially

[@davidscwimer1974]

🇬🇷 ❤️

[@Nunya_bidness__]

An ancient greek walks into a tailor with a damaged pair of pants. The tailor looks up and says "Euripides?" The ancient greek says "Yes. Eumenides?"

[@KasumiRINA]

Apart from Olbia (near Mykolaiv), and Khersonesus (no relation to Kherson) and other Greek ruins in Crimea, Ukraine also has dig sites in Odesa. Which really makes russians mad as they claim the settlement is only 200 years old.

[@stvk99]

ever heard of Greek Plan? if we were mad about it we wouldn't name it after Odessos, dummy. your roast doesn't make any sense🤔 but yeah, modern settlement of Odessa is technically 200 years old.

[@AndreA-dl5po]

Going to disagree on the toilet aspect. It's very logically unlikely that chamberpots were thrown into the street on a regular basis (if at all). The cities would have been like medieval cities in that there would have been privies that would have been periodically cleaned as well as services to take waste away akin to medieval gong farmers either freemen or slaves. Several historians have talked about the chamberpots in streets thing as largely a total myth in regards to medieval times. There were specific laws and strict fines were enforced. A person was very unlikely to appreciate having to walk past a daily pile of poo right outside their own door growing bigger by the day. This would have quickly accumulated into dozens of pounds in a week per house and the smell would have been completely overwhelming. Cities also may have gone weeks or months without much rain. Having waste removal services was common across ancient Asia even without advanced sewage systems.

[@benkane813]

Interesting. Can you provide a source for the 'specific laws and strict fines were enforced' statement?

[@AndreA-dl5po]

@@benkane813 There's a video I watched that addressed the topic specifically. kzbin.info/www/bejne/e5_ReYuql8inZ6c Basically a number of towns had a recorded history of having very large fines for throwing chamber pot contents in the street. The people of the time weren't stupid. It would have been just as annoying for them as it would be for us.

[@sormiliha]

What did ancient Greek conquer? Well when they stopped fighting between themselves.. Ancient Finns: unthinkable!

[@karamia1392]

Garam in Hindi means ‘hot’ so perhaps the word for the Roman fish sauce is proto-Indo-European ❤

[@foozballguy]

First toilet was India River Valley

[@kaigaitley]

The Indus Valley had flushing toilets before Zeus was a glint in the milkman's eye!

[@evansmith2766]

And the Sumerians before them!

[@--julian_]

28:00 it is better now tho, simply from a technological, scientific and higienic perspective without considering all the advances in human rights

[@alecfraser541]

We need to bring back the ostracizing rule