The Greek civilization was born around the end of the 2nd millennium BC,
when south-eastern Europe and the Close East were being upset
by huge migratory movements 
Entire populations moved both from the northern mountainous regions and from the eastern desolate steppes and converged on the shores of the Aegean sea.
The Balkan peninsula was characterized by the Dorian's descent: they occupied the whole Peloponnese and their invasion occurred at the same time with the fall of the Mycenaean towns.
A time of deep and general crisis followed: every art form seemed to disappear, and even the use of writing, which would have reappeared only around the 8th century, was forgotten. The new Dorian populations began melting with the survivors of the previous Mycenaean race; this slow process gave birth to the Hellenes.
Art acquired meanings and purposes which had been unknown before. It freed itself from magic and religion restraints and became a free expression of human intellect and a rational quest for the absolute ideals of beauty and perfection.
Greek history is divided into 4 main ages:
Formation age:
12th-8th century BC
Archaic age:
8th-6th century BC
Classical age:
Between the beginning of the Persian wars (490 BC) and the conquer of Greece by Philip of Macedon (338 BC).
Hellenistic age:
Between 323 BC (death of Alexander the Great) and 31 BC (battle of Azio)
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