Greece, the cradle of one of the most fabulous ancient civilisations the world has ever known, held sway over an immense empire for centuries and influenced the entire world with its arts, science and culture which are the cornerstones of western civilisation today. Modern Greece is intensely proud of its culture, and, at one and the same time, is able to draw on its ancient past to enter the new millennium with confidence, without neglecting its truly magnificent heritage.