Far across the sea from Egypt, another famous civilization grew in a land of rocky hills and blue water: ancient Greece. The Greeks did not have one big country. Instead, they lived in many separate cities, each with its own rules.

Each of these was called a city-state, which was a city plus the farmland around it. Two of the most famous city-states were Athens and Sparta, and they were very different from each other.

Athens was proud of learning and new ideas. The people of Athens loved art, stories, and thinking about how to live well. Athens is famous for an idea called democracy, where citizens vote to help make the rules together.

Sparta was different. Spartans cared most about being strong soldiers. Boys trained hard from a young age to become brave warriors, and the whole city was built around its powerful army.

The Greeks also gave the world the Olympic Games. Athletes from different city-states would stop fighting and come together to run, jump, and throw, competing for honor. We still hold the Olympics today.

Many Greek ideas are still part of our lives, from voting and democracy to plays, science, and sports. That is why people say we owe a lot to the thinkers of ancient Greece.