Ancient Greece had a clear social structure but was more flexible in some areas. Greece in many ways was more democratic than its ancient neighbour Rome as social status did not give additional rights. Democracy itself is a Greek word. There was four main social classes in Athens, yet if one earned more money and chattels they themselves could climb the social ladder. Education was an important factor for climbing the social ladder as most rights were awarded once the education was completed, but education was an expensive and private engagement with the family employing a tutor. Only Sparta seems to have had publicly funded and obligatory education. Only wealthy families could afford a teacher. Boys learned how to read, write and quote literature. They also learned to sing and play one musical instrument and were trained as athletes for military service. They studied not for a job but to become an effective citizen. Girls also learned to read, write and do simple arithmetic so they could manage the household. They almost never received education after childhood. Slavery was common in Greece; however there were differences between Greece and Rome. The Greeks generally treated slaves far better than the Romans with beating and killing them as forbidden and many slaves were offered their freedom as an agreement to work better. The population of slaves however varies by accounts of being the majority of the populace, but it is still clear they were a significant part of the population and many held roles in public service. Unlike the Romans, slaves were not accorded the rights of citizen after freedom and they were part of their own social group known as a 'metic'. In Sparta however, things were far harsher for slaves and a group of slaves from conquered armies were often killed in a rite of passage for Spartans. Serving in the army was often compulsory for men, as it was not only a way to maintain and defend the empire, but also to give skills in engineering and management. Before Christianity became mainstream in 529 AD, Greek religion was pantheistic and included worship of heroes as an important factor. One of the central dynamics of the religion focused on the epic conflict between the Gods on Mt Olympus and the Titans. The Gods & Titans feature within the same creation myth but were divided between them and frequently at war. The Gods and Goddesses are biographical and personalised than Roman Gods and these deities and legends had a complex relationship between themselves and humans. The cult-like worship of heroes such as Heracles (also known as Hercules), Perseus, Achilles and their stories was important to Greek society as they served as role models and sources of national pride. The "anti-hero" was also important, which is not the villain of the story, but are bland or non-heroic characters that are least likely to be heroes but become or act heroically. Indian and other religions were also known to the Ancient Greeks, with one King who is commonly referred to Menander I Soter (or Melinda in the Indo-Greek world), who had embraced Buddhism and reigned around 150BCE ruling a significant eastern part of the empire. This region had influenced Greek architecture, which in turn strongly influenced the Roman models, yet heading the other way, the influence spread as far as Japan. The Greeks also set great store in Oracles and prophecies, such as the famous Oracle of Delphi. Oracles would often fall into a trance and priests for those who had paid for the prophecy translated their expressions. After the Roman conquest, many of the Greek gods with synthesized were Roman equivalents within Rome, this functioned in a way so a Roman citizen could worship in Greece but the synthesis also boosted the power of the Roman gods. Most of the planets, excepting Earth, Mars, and Venus were named after Greek Gods & Goddesses, Visit Know the Twelve Olympians of Greek Mythology to get some more background information on the heroes of Greece. These two fields were often part of the same school, where today philosophy is a separate field and occasionally not seen as a science at all. Learn about some of the famous Greek philosophers and scientists such as Thales, Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Epicures, Pythagoras, Zeno, Euclid, Archimedes and more. Early philosophers were more interested in science rather than wisdom, but in the classical period, wisdom, ethics, good governance and other virtues became equally important. Greece was often at war with various nations within Greece (such as Athens and Sparta), but also outside of Greece with the Persian world and other nations so philosophy was an important science. The Greek language has contributed much to our modern language as many of our modern names for sciences come from Ancient Greece. Some examples are physics, philosophy, astronomy, geography, mathematics, and cartography. Other interesting technologies and inventions include - cranes for lifting, road building, the antikythera - reckoned to be a complex astronomical calendar, calipers, astrolabes, lighthouses, showers, waterwheels and many more including steam and water powered machinery. Visit for How to Live Like Socrates, Argue Using the Socratic Method, Do the Philosophy of Happiness (Diogenes, Epicurus) & Understand Stoicism for more ideas and insights about Greek philosophy.

Summary: Consider the social structure of Greece. Explore the religion and mythology of Greece. Learn about the philosophy and science of ancient Greece.

Raw beef is notoriously difficult to cut. However, you can alleviate some of the strain by placing the beef in the freezer. Partially freezing beef firms up the meat, making it easier to work with. Put your meat in the freezer for 30 minutes to an hour. The extra time you put into preparing it will make the cutting process that much easier for you. One thing about cutting beef while raw is that you're able to cut off potentially unwanted parts (like muscle and fat) without their flavour sinking into the rest of the cut during the cooking process. Slide your knife under the surface fat and take it off in a smooth motion. Take care not to go too deep with your cuts. Getting too aggressive with your fat trimming will result in the loss of good meat. Membrane is a fine film over parts of some cuts, and can be peeled off with your hands. Consider leaving some of the fat on your cut. Even if you want to keep your beef lean, a bit of fat will keep your cut of beef juicy. If you haven't yet cooked your beef, it's all the more important that you make your cuts consistent. If you're cutting pieces of different sizes, they'll cook at different rates. This will run the risk of undercooking (or overcooking!) parts of your beef. It helps to mark your cuts beforehand. Because consistent size is so important with pre-cooked cutting, you should get the measurements done before you set a knife to your beef. Setting your beef on a cutting board, cut down in a smooth, downward motion, much as you would with cutting cooked beef. Although raw beef is generally harder to cut, pre-freezing it partially helps ease some of the difficulty. If you plan on cutting the beef before cooking it, only cut it if you're planning on cooking immediately after. Slicing in advance will increase oxidation and make the meat taste off. Raw beef carries lots of bacteria with it. Whenever you're handling raw meat, it is strongly recommended you wash your hands thoroughly afterwards. Lather your hands with anti-bacterial soap under hot water for at least 30 seconds. Dry your hands off with a towel afterwards.
Summary: Partially freeze your beef. Trim off the fat. Take extra care to make your cuts consistent. Cut in slow, smooth strokes. Cook your beef as soon as possible. Wash your hands vigorously after cutting.