Language/Modern-greek-1453/Culture/Toys-and-Games-in-Ancient-Greece

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Ancient Greek Toys
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Thousands of years ago, Greek children indulged in a variety of toys and games, many of which are still visible in modern playgrounds. Some of these include juggling, balancing sticks, and seesawing.

Present-day children's playthings, such as dolls, yoyos, jacks, balls, blind man’s buff, hopscotch, hide-and-seek, and statues, bear a striking resemblance to the playthings from ancient Greek times. Despite the names having evolved, the basic concepts have endured.

Through the lens of descriptions, illustrations, and images of antiquity's playthings housed in Greek and international museums, readers are given an insight into the fun and games ancient Greeks engaged in. These toys served as a testament to their significance in Greek society.

Play held a pivotal role in the upbringing of Greek children, forming an integral platform for learning social interactions and understanding gender roles. The children of ancient Greece had a wide range of toys to choose from in their leisure time. Discoveries by archaeologists, such as dolls, rattles, tops, swings, among others, provide tangible evidence of the rich play culture in ancient Greece.

Dolls[edit | edit source]

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Clay "Plaggona"(dolls) with movable limbs, 4th and 5th century B.C. Plaggonas were the favorite toys of girls and those with movable limbs were played with like the dolls of today. They dressed them in clothes sewn for the purpose by the women of the house. Besides being fun, the dolls introduced the young female population to their destined roles: to be good husbands, housewives, and mothers of healthy children.

Boeotian red-shaped spool (yo-yo)[edit | edit source]

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The Ancient Greeks were the first to create a toy like the yo-yo we know today. It was made with discs of clay, joined in the middle by a cylindrical shaft to which they attach the beginning of a thread, which is then wound around it. If the thread is dropped, it unfolds while it is collected around the shaft again with a hand movement.

Hoop rolling - Krikilassia[edit | edit source]

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It was a popular form of recreation for young and old. Besides children’s game, hoop rolling (trochus) was practiced by men in palaestra as a training exercise. Hoops were made of metals, like bronze, iron or copper. Greek pottery representations usually show boys rolling a hoop with a stick.

Spinning tops – Strombos : σβούρα[edit | edit source]

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Another skill toy was the “strombos”, that is, our modern tops. There were many variations of spinning tops, with lots of different shapes and colours. The easiest way to play was to try turning the top with your hand. In another variation, the player used to spin it with the help of a small whip, as we can see in this Greek vase from the 5th century BCE. Spinning tops were a favourite toy with boys and girls. There were two types: the twirler and the whipping top.The twirler had a stem on the top to get it spinning by hand. Most spinning tops were made of wood or terracotta.

Dice - Pessoi[edit | edit source]

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The Greek referred to the dice as the “pessoi”, and as today’s dice, they were cubes with marked sides, numbered from 1 to six. Dice, along with knuckle-bones, were used as part of board games and games of chance. As games of chance they were played especially by men. Games were not limited only to children. Adults in Greece loved their games as well. The Greeks apparently had a love of gambling, and have invented dice. Their dice were like ours. They were small cubes with the numbers positioned so that the ones on opposite sides added up to seven. But unlike modern dice, ancient Greek dice were usually made of ivory or bone.

Baby Rattle - Platagi[edit | edit source]

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Seistron (σείστρο) or platagi ancient percussion instrument, made of wood, metal, clay or a combination of all, the rattle it was the first toy given to children and newborns, since the sound it made when they




  • These are the toys and games the most interesting. Naturally there are others, no less fascinating, that resist time and technological advances and continue to fill children with joy thousands of years later.

Author[edit source]

Marianthi

  • Ευγενική χορηγία που στοχεύει να βοηθήσει μαθητές ή μη, απανταχού της Γης, που επιδίδονται στην εκμάθηση της ελληνικής γλώσσας!
  • Contribution bénévole visant à aider les personnes, partout dans le monde, qui sont engagées dans l'apprentissage de la langue grecque !
  • Voluntary contribution aimed at helping people, all over the world, who are committed to learning the Greek language! 

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Vincent, Maintenance script and Marianth


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