Ancient India and Ancient Greece: An Exploration of the Historical Connections

India has one of the world’s most ancient civilizations. Over thousands of years, it has seen a multitude of languages, vibrant cultures and religions.

The Indo-Greek Kingdom fostered significant cultural interaction, most notably by merging Hellenistic and Indian traditions to create Greco-Buddhism, a hybrid religion influencing art and philosophy. This interaction also introduced new artistic techniques, like double-sided coins with rulers' images, and established Hellenistic cities with features like theaters and covered walkways. Trade brought luxury goods, luxury crops like grapes and olives, and fostered a dialogue of ideas that spread throughout the region via trade routes, including the Silk Road.  ​

An exploration of the historical connections that linked two of the ancient civilizations, Greece and India. Beginning with the linguistic connections in prehistory, the courses will offer the history of eastern expansion of Hellenistic culture, and the foundations of Indian civilization. 

Connections will be made between Greece and India, especially those forged by the conquests of Alexander the Great.

Why Study Hindi?

• Communicate and interact with over 700 million people.
• The Indian economy is booming, offering huge opportunities for international business and scientific cooperation.
• India has a great culture: study yoga, Ayurveda, Indian music and dance in their language.
• Understand and enjoy movies from Bollywood, the world’s largest film industry “Educational Cinema”.
• Hindi is closely linked to other South Asian languages, such as Punjabi, Urdu, Nepali and Bengali.

Source: ​Athens Center for Indian & Indo-Hellenic Studies

Courses

Ancient India and Ancient Greece
​Ancient India History
India and the World Economy
Introduction to Modern Indian Culture and Society
Himalayan Geography
Indian Art-From Ancient to Contemporary Times
Religion in India
Music and Dance