自译《欧洲文化入门》（2）：希腊文化

1. The Historical Context
1、历史背景

In a remote period of Greek history, probably around 1200 B.C., a war was fought between Greece and Troy, a city on the Asiatic side of the Aegean, ending in the destruction of Troy.
在希腊历史很遥远的一个时期——大约公元前1200年左右，一场战争在希腊和爱琴海亚洲一侧的城市特洛伊之间爆发了，战争的结果是特洛伊城毁灭了。
This is the war that Homer refers to in his epics.
这就是荷马在他的史诗里提到的战争。

Greek culture reached a high point of development in the 5th century B.C.. This was marked by the successful repulse of the Persian invasion early in the century, the establishment of democracy and the flourishing of science, philosophy, literature, art and historical writing in Athens.
希腊文化在公元前5世纪达到了其发展的巅峰。它的标志是：在世纪初成功地击退了波斯的入侵，以及在雅典产生的民主制建立和科学、哲学、文学、艺术的繁荣。

The century closed with civil war between Athens and Sparta.
这个世纪以雅典和斯巴达之间的内战告终。

In the second half of the 4th century B.C., all Greece was brought under the rule of Alexander, King of Macedon.
在公元前4世纪的后半叶，所有希腊人都被置于马其顿国王亚历山大的统治之下。
His armies went out to conquer large areas of Europe, Asia and Africa, spreading Greek culture wherever they found themselves.
它的军队离开国土征服了欧洲、亚洲和非洲的大片地区，在他们力所能及的任何地方传播着希腊的文化。

In 146 B.C. the Romans conquered Greece.
公元前146年，罗马征服了希腊。
By that time Greek culture had firmly established itself in much of eastern and western Europe and northern Africa, with flourishing centres of Greek learning, such as Alexandria with its famous library, around the Mediterranean.
到那时，希腊文化已经坚定地确立在多数的东西欧和北非地区，地中海沿岸涌现了一批像有着著名的图书馆的亚历山大里亚一样的、繁荣的希腊文化学习中心。