Ancient Peoples Who Shaped Modern Europe

Before modern Europe took shape as we know it, the continent was teeming with ancient and enigmatic peoples and tribes. Many have vanished, but their influence remains evident in modern European civilization and culture. Each played a role in shaping the Europe we know today. The Greeks, or Hellenes, were among the most important European peoples of the ancient world. Their civilization originated in Greece and Cyprus, extending to the Aegean Islands and western Anatolia. They also had colonies along the eastern Mediterranean. Greece is considered the cradle of western civilization, having laid the foundations of European culture. The sciences of philosophy and logical analysis developed in Greece at the hands of philosophers such as Socrates, Aristotle and Plato. The Greeks also popularized the concept of democracy and the idea of popular rule and the election of a ruler, which flourished in cities like Athens. They also invented the art of theatre, epic poetry and mythology. They developed magnificent artistic styles of painting and sculpture and made significant contributions to all fields of science, including medicine, astronomy, mathematics and engineering. Architecture As much as the Greeks excelled in philosophical thought, science and the arts, they were also among the greatest warriors of the ancient world. Alexander the Great is considered one of the greatest leaders of the ancient world. He founded one of the greatest empires of the ancient world, the Macedonian Empire, during the first centuries BC. The Romans emerged as a rising power on the Italian peninsula, with Rome as their capital. During the first three centuries AD, Rome became the greatest empire in Europe, ruling the entire Mediterranean basin and most of Europe. The Romans had a profound influence on western civilization. Latin spread throughout western Europe and is considered the origin of modern The Romans also established Roman law, which became the basis for modern European legal systems. They also developed architectural engineering and urban planning styles and built great cities that continue to thrive today, such as London, Paris, Lyon and Barcelona. Zaragoza, Budapest and many others benefited from the Roman emperor's conversion to Christianity, which had a significant impact on the spread of Christianity throughout Europe. The Celts were an important people who had a profound influence on European culture and language, especially before the Roman expansion. They reached the height of their power between the 5th and 1st centuries BC. Despite their importance, the Celts left no written records of their own, and almost everything we know about them comes from Greek and Roman writings. Their homeland was in central Europe, but they spread throughout the continent, becoming the largest and most widespread population group to inhabit it in antiquity. The Celts did not have one large empire or kingdom, rather they were numerous tribes with a shared culture and language. The Celts established important kingdoms, such as the Kingdom of Gaul in present-day France. The Celtic tribes reached the British Isles, and the Celts formed the basis of the peoples from whom kingdoms such as Wales, Ireland and Scotland later arose. The roots of Celtic culture and music persist to this day in what are known as the Six Celtic Nations, regions where strong Celtic influences remain, Brittany in France, Cornwall in Britain, Ireland, the Isle of Man, Scotland and Wales. Celtic culture and its kingdoms gradually declined and disappeared with the rise of the Roman Empire. The Germanic peoples are among the most important peoples of Western Europe and form the backbone of modern major European states such as the French, Germans and English. The original homeland of the Germanic tribes was in Northern Europe, but they spread westward and mixed with other peoples such as the Celts, Romans and Iberians, forming the future basis of modern Western European states. The Germanic tribes were one of the main reasons for the fall of the Roman Empire. From the 5th century AD onward, the Germanic tribes dominated much of Western Europe during the Middle Ages. They established Germanic kingdoms on the ruins of the Roman Empire in Western Europe. Among the most important Germanic peoples were the Goths, including the Ostrogoths, who overthrew the Roman Empire in Western Europe and ruled all of Italy and southern France. The Visigoths, who ruled the Iberian Peninsula and most of France, were among the most important and powerful Germanic peoples of the Middle Ages. The Franks founded the Frankish Kingdom in France and its king, Charlemagne, was one of the greatest European rulers of the Middle Ages and the first Germanic king to be crowned Holy Roman Emperor. Other important Germanic peoples included the Anglo-Saxons, who migrated to the British Isles and established several kingdoms there during the Middle Ages. Also important Germanic peoples were the Lombards, who ruled Italy, the Saxons in Germany and the Vandals in the Iberian Peninsula and North Africa. The Slavs were among the most important peoples of Eastern Europe. Originating in North-Eastern Europe, the Slavs spread throughout the region. Slavic kingdoms flourished across Eastern Europe and Russia beginning in the 6th century AD. From the 9th and 10th centuries AD, the Slavs were divided into three groups. The Eastern Slavs, who formed the core of the Russians, Ukrainians and Belarusians. The Western Slavs, who formed the core of the peoples of Eastern Europe, such as the Poles, Czechs and Slovaks. And the Southern Slavs, who were found in the Balkans. The Slavs established important kingdoms in the history of Eastern Europe, such as the Principality of Rus', which paved the way for the later rise of the Russian Empire. Under Prince Vladimir the Great, the Orthodox Christian faith was adopted and began to spread throughout Russia. Among the important empires established by the Slavs was the Bulgarian Empire, founded during the 7th century, which became a major power in the Balkans. The Kingdom of Poland was one of the great Slavic kingdoms, which became a major power in Central Europe starting in the 10th century. The Vikings appeared in the Middle Ages, from the 8th to the 11th centuries. They were among the Northern peoples, originating from Scandinavia. Norwegians, Danes, Marcuses and Swedes were among the most skilled navigators in Europe, using longships that sailed across seas and rivers. The Vikings were renowned for their fierce and violent sea raids on European kingdoms in France and the British Isles. They established numerous kingdoms and principalities, such as the Principality of Normandy in northern France and the Kingdom of Diallo in England. This period became known as the Viking Age. Eventually, the Vikings assimilated into other European societies, particularly after their conversion to Christianity.