Early Greek Development

Sappho lived in a time of change, just after the end of the period known as the Dark Ages and just as the golden age of Greek life was beginning. At the beginning of the sixth century b.c. , Greek people were not called by that name. The Romans gave the people of the area the name "Greek." The actual name that the people of this area used translated into English as "Hellenes," hence the term "Hellenism." In one sense, this period of Greek history had many similarities to the origins of the United States. The area that became Greece was filled with immigrants from other countries, just as with the early establishment of the United States. As the Dark Ages ended, a diverse group of people came together into one area, where they began to share the same language. All of these people would...