What civilization did European civilization originate from?

European civilization originated from Greek civilization.

Greece is the earliest civilization in Europe, and Aegean Sea is the cradle of ancient Greek civilization. Ancient Greek civilization first developed in Crete. Crete civilization is centered on Knossos in the northern part of the island. As an ancient civilization, ancient Greece has made great contributions in science and technology, mathematics, medicine, philosophy, literature, drama, sculpture, painting and architecture. , and contributed a lot to the development of Roman civilization in later generations.

Many mountains and islands, surrounded by the sea, few plains and many mountains are the geographical characteristics of ancient Greece, which is helpful for ancient Greece to form a small city-state with few people. However, barren land is not conducive to the cultivation of food crops, only suitable for the cultivation of olives and grapes. The food in ancient Greece can only meet the needs of its 1/3 to 1/4 population. Olives and grapes produce very good oil and wine, but they are not necessities of life. In order to survive, the Greeks had to sail out to sea and exchange their agricultural products for food and daily necessities, which determined that the commodity economy played an important role in the ancient Greek economy.

Extended data:

The history of ancient Greece can be roughly divided into five periods:

1, Aegean civilization period. It includes two civilizations, one is Crete civilization and the other is Mycenae civilization, both of which have produced magnificent palace buildings and figures. This civilization began in 2000 BC and ended around 1 100 BC.

2. Homer era. From 1200 BC to 800 BC, the Akayan people destroyed Mycenae civilization, and the Greek peninsula returned to the clan and tribe stage, entering a relatively dark retrogression period, which was reflected in Homer's epic, so this period was called Homer's era.

3. Antique era. 800 BC to 500 BC. The struggle between the poor and the nobles weakened the power of the military leaders, and the Greek city-state gradually formed an aristocratic and democratic city-state.

4, the classical era. 500 BC to 337 BC. The classical era is the most glorious era of Greek civilization. At this time, Greek civilization, whether it is commodity economy or democratic politics, has reached a peak and its culture is brilliant. This era has produced democracy and science that have been used by later generations. The Greek-Persian War and the Peloponnesian War also occurred in this period.

5. The era of Macedonian rule (also called the ancient Greek era). In 337 BC, King Philip II of Macedonia confirmed Macedonia's dominance over Greece at the Collins Conference. In 323 BC, Alexander the Great died of illness and the empire collapsed. Later, it was divided into Macedonia, Ptolemy and Syria. Antioch of Macedonia established the Antioch dynasty in 276 and continued to rule Greece until its demise in 168 BC. In 146 BC, Rome conquered Greece, and Greece was incorporated into the territory of Rome, thus ending the ancient Greek era.

Baidu Encyclopedia-Greek Civilization