This article is about the civilization in Age of Empires. For their appearance in Age of Mythology, see Greeks (Age of Mythology). |
ā | Establish colonies using your mobile fleets, resolve internal conflicts, and command armies of swift hoplites as you expand your domain. | ā |
—Description[1] |
The Greeks are a playable European civilization in Age of Empires. The Greeks are represented in the first non-tutorial campaign, Glory of Greece, which details their development from the emergence of Mycenaean civilization, through the Greek Dark Ages, to the height of the classical city-states, finally culminating with Alexander the Great's campaigns against Persia.
Characteristics[]
Civilization bonuses[]
- Town Centers work 10% faster starting from Tool Age.*
- Academy units move 30% faster and cost -20%.
- Ships move 20% faster.
- Polytheism and Astrology free (requires Temple).*
Team bonus[]
- Markets cost -50%.
Missing technologies[]
Missing units[]
- Broad Swordsman, Improved Bowman, Chariot Archer, Horse Archer, Elephant Archer, Chariot, Cataphract, War Elephant, Camel Rider
Overview[]
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They are primarily an aggressive civilization.
Changelog[]
Age of Empires[]
- Academy units are 33% faster (but stated 30%).
- Warships are 17% faster, siege ships are 22% faster (but stated 30%).
- The Greeks do not have access to the Fire Galley.
Definitive Edition[]
- Academy units are 30% faster and cost -20%.
- All Ships are 20% faster.
- With update 38862, Town Centers work 10% faster starting in the Tool Age. This affects both Villager creation and aging up.
- With update 38862, the Greeks have have access to the Fire Galley.
Return of Rome[]
- Team bonus added.
- Gained free Polytheism and Astrology (requires building a Temple).
Campaign appearances[]
The Greeks appear as AI players in:
Ascent of Egypt[]
- 7. Trade
- Canaanites - Enemy
- 8. River Outpost
- Enemy - Enemy
- 9. Naval Battle
- Enemy - Enemy
Glory of Greece[]
This campaign is played as the Greeks.
- 1. Claiming Territory
- Pelasgians - Enemy
- Danaans - Enemy
- Achaeans - Enemy
- 2. Acropolis
- Tiryns - Enemy
- 3. Ionian Expansion (Original)
- Ionia - Enemy
- Lydia - Enemy
- 3. The Conquest of Crete
- Pelasgians - Enemy (since the Definitive Edition)
- Mycenaean Allies - Ally (since Return of Rome)
- 4. The Trojan War
- Troy - Enemy (only in the original)
- Enemy - Enemy
- 5. I'll Be Back (only in the original)
- Doria - Enemy
- 5. Colonization of Ionia (since the Definitive Edition)
- Athens - Ally
- Aegean Pirates - Enemy
- 6. The Siege of Athens
- Spartan Army - Enemy
- Spartan Navy - Enemy
- Theban Army - Enemy (since the Definitive Edition)
- Delian League - Ally (since Return of Rome)
- 8. Alexander the Great (since the Definitive Edition)
- Satrapy of Lydia - Enemy
Voices of Babylon[]
Before the Definitive Edition, the fourth scenario of this campaign is played as the Greeks.
- 3. Lost (only in the original)
- Enemy - Enemy
- 4. I Shall Return (only in the original)
- Elam - Enemy
- 5. & 6. The Great Hunt (original) and The Caravan (original)
- Elam - Enemy
- 7. Lord of the Euphrates (only in the original)
- Chaldea - Enemy
- 8. Nineveh (only in the original)
- Ninevah - Enemy
Yamato, Empire of the Rising Sun[]
- 3. Capture (original)
- Izumo - Enemy
The Rise of Rome[]
- 3. The Siege of Syracuse (since the Definitive Edition)
- Olympieum - Enemy
Ave Caesar[]
- 1. Caesar's Revenge
- Italian Pirates - Enemy (only in the original)
- Cretan Pirates - Enemy
- 2. The Invasion of Britain
- Picts - Enemy
- 3. The Siege of Alesia
- Vercingetorix - Enemy
Imperium Romanum[]
- 1. Year of the Four Emperors
- Galba - Enemy (only in the original)
- 5. The Coming of the Huns (Definitive Edition)
- Visigoths - Ally
- Ostrogoths - Enemy
Enemies of Rome[]
- 2. Third Macedonian War
- Greeks - Ally
- Larissa - Enemy
- Larissa Garrison - Enemy
- 3. Spartacus (only in the original)
- Slave Army - Enemy
The First Punic War[]
- 2. Battle of Mylae
- Syracusans - Enemy (since the Definitive Edition)
Pyrrhus of Epirus[]
- 1. A Second Alexander
- Antigonus - Ally
- Demetrius - Ally
- 2. The Many Kings of Macedon
- Alexander V - Neutral ā Enemy or Ally
- Antipater - Neutral ā Enemy or Ally
- 3. Pyrrhic Victories
- Greek Settlements - Ally
- Tarentum - Ally
- Heraclea - Ally
- 4. Savior of the Greeks
- Syracuse - Ally
- Sicilian Towns - Ally
- 5. Sisyphus
- Tarentum - Ally
- Ruins of Italy - Ally
AI player names[]
Names shown in italics are only used in the original game, names shown in bold are used in both the original game and its expansions.
- Alexander (į¼Ī»ĪĪ¾Ī±Ī½Ī“ĻĪæĻ) - The most famous is Alexander (III) the Great, king of Macedon 336-323 BC.
- Achilles (į¼ĻĪ¹Ī»Ī»ĪµĻĻ) - Greek Hero of the Trojan War.
- Pericles (Ī ĪµĻĪ¹ĪŗĪ»įæĻ) - Athenian general (strategos), lived 495-429 BC.
- Miltiades (ĪĪ¹Ī»ĻĪ¹Ī¬Ī“Ī·Ļ) - Athenian general (strategos), lived c. 550-489 BC.
- Leonidas (ĪĪµĻĪ½ĪÆĪ“Ī±Ļ) - King of Sparta, ruled 489-480 BC, immortalized by his last stand against the vast Achaemenid Persian army of Xerxes at the Battle of Thermopylae.
- Themistocles (ĪĪµĪ¼Ī¹ĻĻĪæĪŗĪ»įæĻ) - Athenian general (strategos), lived c. 524-459 BC.
- Alexander II (į¼Ī»ĪĪ¾Ī±Ī½Ī“ĻĪæĻ ĪĪ) - King of Macedon 371-369 BC; King of Epirus 272-242 BC.
- Lysander (ĪĻĻĪ±Ī½Ī“ĻĪæĻ) - Spartan admiral, lived ?-395 BC.
- Alcibiades (į¼Ī»ĪŗĪ¹Ī²Ī¹Ī¬Ī“Ī·Ļ) - Athenian general (strategos), later with Spartan and then Persian allegiance, lived c. 450-404 BC.
- Cleon (ĪĪ»ĪĻĪ½) - Athenian general (strategos), lived ?-422 BC.
History[]
- Main article: /History
ā | 2100 to 146 BC The ancient culture with the broadest and most long-lasting impact on the future of Western civilization was that of Greece. The Greeks dominated the known world militarily for only a brief period, but their cultural influence spread farther and lasted much longer. Rediscovered in the West in large part after the Medieval Dark Age, it was an important foundation for the growth of modern western civilization. The Greeks never formed a unified kingdom, but existed as city-states, sometimes working together and sometimes at war with each other. At the zenith of Greek military power under Alexander the Great, they were a collection of city-states in cooperation. | ā |
—Age of Empires manual |
Greek culture emerged from Helladic (3200-1100 BC) and Mycenaean (1600-1100 BC) cultures in modern day mainland Greece as well as Minoan (3000-1100 BC) and Cycladic (3200-1100 BC) cultures in Crete and the Aegean archipelago respectively. The word "Greek" is an exonym; in the Greek language the people and the culture are called "Hellenic". Rather than being a single united state, classical Greece was divided into many city-states and kingdoms.
In the ancient world, Ancient Greeks were a major trade and colonial power, setting up colonies in Southern Italy, Cyprus, and Asia Minor (now modern-day Turkey). The Greeks fought mostly in large hoplite armies and were famous for their army formations, in particular the phalanx. The Greeks played a major role in the ancient world, contributing towards much of the ancient philosophy, mathematics, and other sciences known worldwide today. The Greeks resided in city states that constantly competed for power, especially between the city states of Athens and Sparta. After the Peloponnesian Wars, Athens, Corinth, Thebes, and the major of other city-state (with the notable exception of Sparta) were united by Macedon in the Hellenic League, also called the League of Corinth. Greek civilization would reach its peak under Alexander the Great, who conquered most of the known world. However, his empire was only as strong as he was. After he died, it quickly fragmented and lost power. The Greeks were eventually conquered by the Romans a few centuries later and were largely assimilated into their culture.
Greek influence did not die there, however. The Romans borrowed heavily from Greece, including architecture, religious rites and mythology, and military tactics. The Eastern Roman (or Byzantine) Empire is commonly referred to as the Greek half of Rome.
Trivia[]
- The civilization crest (icon) introduced in Return of Rome portrays a stylised horse painted on a Hoplite shield (called "aspis") in the Black figure style, common between the 7th and 5th centuries BCE, where the shapes and colours chosen resemble silhouettes. The same pattern was also used on the shield of the Greek soldier portrayed in the cover art and main menu background in the Definitive Edition.
- The UI emblem artwork is a model of a typical Corinthian type helmet with transversal crest.
Gallery[]
References[]
Civilizations in Age of Empires categorised by architecture set | |
---|---|
East Asian architecture | Choson Ā· Lac Viet Ā· Shang Ā· Yamato |
Egyptian architecture | Assyrians Ā· Egyptians Ā· Hittites |
Greek architecture | Greeks Ā· Minoans Ā· Phoenicians |
Mesopotamian architecture | Babylonians Ā· Persians Ā· Sumerians |
Roman architecture | Carthaginians Ā· Macedonians Ā· Palmyrans Ā· Romans |