Age of Empires Series Wiki
Register
Advertisement
Info icon
This article is about the civilization in Age of Empires. For their appearance in Age of Mythology, see Greeks (Age of Mythology).
Civilization Technology tree Strategy History

ā€œEstablish 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[]

Team bonus[]

Markets cost -50%.

Missing technologies[]

Metallurgy, City Watch, Conscription, Monotheism, Zealotry

Missing units[]

Broad Swordsman, Improved Bowman, Chariot Archer, Horse Archer, Elephant Archer, Chariot, Cataphract, War Elephant, Camel Rider

Overview[]

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it.

They are primarily an aggressive civilization.

Changelog[]

ReturnRome-AoEIcon 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.

Age of Empires Definitive Edition icon 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.

AoE2Icon-ReturnRome Return of Rome[]

  • Team bonus added.
  • Gained free Polytheism and Astrology (requires building a Temple).

Campaign appearances[]

The Greeks appear as AI players in:

AoE Ascent of Egypt icon Ascent of Egypt[]

NuRoR hoplite idle Glory of Greece[]

This campaign is played as the Greeks.

NuRoR priest idle Voices of Babylon[]

Before the Definitive Edition, the fourth scenario of this campaign is played as the Greeks.

Yamato, Empire of the Rising Sun[]

  • 3. Capture (original)
    • Izumo - Enemy

The Rise of Rome[]

Ave Caesar[]

Imperium Romanum[]

Enemies of Rome[]

AoE The First Punic War icon The First Punic War[]

RoR Pyrrhus of Epirus Pyrrhus of Epirus[]

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 (į¼ˆĪ»Ī­Ī¾Ī±Ī½Ī“ĻĪæĻ‚) - The most famous is Alexander (III) the Great, king of Macedon 336-323 BC.
  • Achilles (į¼ˆĻ‡Ī¹Ī»Ī»ĪµĻĻ‚) - Greek Hero of the Trojan War.
  • Pericles (Ī ĪµĻĪ¹ĪŗĪ»įæ†Ļ‚) - Athenian general (strategos), lived 495-429 BC.
  • Miltiades (ĪœĪ¹Ī»Ļ„Ī¹Ī¬Ī“Ī·Ļ‚) - Athenian general (strategos), lived c. 550-489 BC.
  • Leonidas (Ī›ĪµĻ‰Ī½ĪÆĪ“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 (Ī˜ĪµĪ¼Ī¹ĻƒĻ„ĪæĪŗĪ»įæ†Ļ‚) - Athenian general (strategos), lived c. 524-459 BC.
  • Alexander II (į¼ˆĪ»Ī­Ī¾Ī±Ī½Ī“ĻĪæĻ‚ Ī’Ī„) - King of Macedon 371-369 BC; King of Epirus 272-242 BC.
  • Lysander (Ī›ĻĻƒĪ±Ī½Ī“ĻĪæĻ‚) - Spartan admiral, lived ?-395 BC.
  • Alcibiades (į¼ˆĪ»ĪŗĪ¹Ī²Ī¹Ī¬Ī“Ī·Ļ‚) - Athenian general (strategos), later with Spartan and then Persian allegiance, lived c. 450-404 BC.
  • Cleon (ĪšĪ»Ī­Ļ‰Ī½) - Athenian general (strategos), lived ?-422 BC.

History[]

Main article: /History
ā€œ2100 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 architectureChoson AOE DE ROR icon Choson Ā· Lac Viet AOE DE ROR icon Lac Viet Ā· Shang AOE DE ROR icon Shang Ā· Yamato AOE DE ROR icon Yamato
Egyptian architectureAssyrian AOE DE ROR icon Assyrians Ā· Egyptian AOE DE ROR icon Egyptians Ā· Hittite AOE DE ROR icon Hittites
Greek architectureGreek AOE DE ROR icon Greeks Ā· Minoan AOE DE ROR icon Minoans Ā· Phoenician AOE DE ROR icon Phoenicians
Mesopotamian architectureBabylonian AOE DE ROR icon Babylonians Ā· Persian AOE DE ROR icon Persians Ā· Sumerian AOE DE ROR icon Sumerians
Roman architectureCarthaginian AOE DE ROR icon Carthaginians Ā· Macedonian AOE DE ROR icon Macedonians Ā· Palmyran AOE DE ROR icon Palmyrans Ā· Roman AOE DE ROR icon Romans
Advertisement