大象传媒

In recent weeks, many newspaper articles about Greece have tried to answer one simple question: How did Greece get into this mess?

It's a country immersed in history and steeped in myths and legends.

Greece has been occupied by the Ottomans and the Nazis. It has witnessed civil war between communists and the right wing, as well as military dictatorship.

In 1974 Greeks were offered a referendum to decide whether to keep the king or have a presidential democracy.

So how does all that play into today's crisis?

Lucy Burton asked Professor Stathis Kalyvas, author of "Modern Greece: What Everyone Needs to Know".

(Picture: The Parthenon in Athens. Picture credit: 大象传媒)