Ancient Greek Boys

Have you ever tried to get all the information on ancient Greek boys? No, you did not! It is never too late. If you have started with these Greek boys then you have come to the right stop. In this article, you can get all information on these. These days many children and students who are eager to know all study about these ancient boys. There are many different kinds of books well-written books.

There are many Greek books which have all information on Greece. It has such a great and rich history of Greece. To know more, you can go online and read all about these boys.There are four different periods of which the art made its enhancement.

They are the Ancient period, Byzantine period, Modern period and Contemporary period. Ancient people used to focus totally on an education of the boys. So that they can come out to be a good citizen and a well rounded human being.

Ancient Greek Boys

Education of boys

The male citizens of the state were well trained in arts. The young people were trained so that they could face both waves of peace as well as war conditions. There were private schools throughout the state. Until the age of six or seven boys received education at home. Either their mothers taught them or they were taught by a male slave serving the house.  These pieces of training are based to produce citizen to enhance arts. These boys are also trained to prepare themselves for war and peace. In ancient Greece and Athens, these boys are also given huge training against wars as invasion in earlier days was very common.

Ancient Greek Boys

The boys are trained with all kinds of weapons and spears. All young boys 18 and above used to get these special training. In the ancient era of Greece, boys used to get knowledge from schools which were private. The tuitions were also provided but were also low to get provided with. Thus, poor people or citizens could hardly get enough money to provide tuitions and schooling to their children.

After the boys attained the age of 7 they were sent to elementary school. They studied in these schools until they were 13 or 14 years of age. They were also given training in physical education. Gymnastics were taught to these boys in school. Sports were given equal importance in the schools. They were taught to run, jump, wrestle and also boxing. The boys had singing classes in school.

There they were taught the poems of Homer, they were taught how to read, and write, they were taught how to do public speaking, solve mathematics etc. in middle school they were taught science, math and how the government machinery functions.

Ancient Greek Boys

Boys used to get admitted to schools at the age of 6 or 7. They were taught until the age of 13 or 14. The ancient boys were also trained in gymnastics. They also used to get training upon wrestling, jumping, running and boxing. The boys were also trained with all kinds of art forms. They used to sing and play lyre and pipes.

Books were read in those times. Therefore the subjects were read out loudly by the teachers. The boys memorized everything and had to rely on memory to reproduce them later. They also made use of writing tablets and rulers while learning subjects. Those who were poor could not carry on with their education after they were 13 or 14 years old.

They took up the job of an apprentice in a trade. The boys from well-to-do families sought education from the great philosophers of Greece. People who enlightened their minds were the great philosophers like Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle.

Daily life of boys

The boys were taken to schools by the age of six and had to learn Greek epics, literature, science, etc. They were even trained in music, musical instruction, dance, and philosophy.

In Athens, subjects were taught at different schools. There was one for general studies, one for music, and one for physical education. In general studies, reading, writing, and arithmetic were taught. In music, students learned how to play ovals or a lyre. In physical education, they ran, jumped, and wrestled.

The most important part of their lives was wars and so physical training of boys took place regularly. After they had completed their school education they were taught the family trade like blacksmiths, craftsmen, business, etc. They were expected to lead the family business forward. They had to mandatory serve in the army after they attained the age of 19 to become a citizen and enjoy their rights.

Ancient Boys names and meanings

Ancient Greek Boy’s Games

The boys as kids in ancient Greek had a number of toys to play with, in their pastime. Dolls, rattles, tops, swings, and many other items have been unearthed by archaeologists. As is seen today, those from richer families had a greater assortment of toys, while those from poorer families were expected to work for the family at a much younger age. Evidence also shows that Greeks kept pets such as dogs, pigs, tortoises, and caged birds. One ritual designated for young girls was the agora or swinging ritual.

There were many games common for ancient Greek children like Ephedrismos which was a type of piggyback game, Ostrakinda which included chasing each other. Juggling was another common game that was encouraged to improve their senses and instincts. The Greeks had many ball games like Episkyros but they used pig bladders for a ball instead of rubber like in modern times.

Some other games were:

Relation between boys

Pederasty or sexual relations between an elderly male and a youth soldier was very common and also socially accepted in ancient Greece. Marriage in ancient Greece was not considered romantic or lovely, rather it was an institution for a way of life or for getting children while romantic relations were more common as extramarital affairs with other women or younger males were romanticized.

In many city-states, these relations between a senior soldier and a new young boy were also ritually included in military life as it was supposed to be a method to create brotherhood.