Ancient Greece

The cultural heartland of ancient Greece consisted of the Greek mainland, the islands of the Aegean, and the west coast of Asia Minor, but colonies on the Italic peninsula and the island of Sicily extended Greek cultural influence farther west into the Mediterranean.

Colonies in the mountainous regions of Italy, Sicily, and Asia Minor were tied together by common language, heritage, religion, and art.
Greek artists sought to improve existing artistic trends and fashions, causing rapid shifts in style as compared to stable trends in Egypt.