Ancient Greece is a term used to describe the period of Greek history lasting from around 800 BC to the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC. During this time, Greece experienced a golden age in which they established colonies, developed democracy and advanced their culture through art and architecture.

There are several ways to capitalise Ancient Greece, depending on how you use it. As a geographical term describing an area or place, you should use lowercase letters: “the ancient Greeks”, “ancient Greece”. However, when you are referring to the people who lived there or their culture at that time, you should use capital letters: “the ancient Greeks”, “ancient Greek culture”. This rule also applies when using other ancient civilizations such as ancient Rome and Egypt.

In addition, when referring to specific people from Ancient Greece (such as Plato) or works they produced (such as The Odyssey), you should use italics (or quotation marks if quoting directly). If you’re writing about multiple people or works from Ancient Greece but don’t want them singled out in your text, then use normal text with no italics or quotation marks.

Last modified: October 15, 2022