Ancient Greeks: Athletes, Warriors and Heroes opens to the public on Friday, after a 12-month delay due to COVID. Featuring more than 170 objects from the British Museum's collection of Greek treasures, with artefacts dating from 800 BCE to 200 CE, it explores how life compared to that of today.

"This is a celebration of Greek culture, and history with artefacts ranging over more than 1000 years - 800 BC through 200 years after the birth of Christ," museum director Mathew Trinca said.

"I can't wait to see people coming into this exhibition and enjoy what this exhibition tells us about the common image that we all have of the Greek world and how it informs our present.

"The legacy of Ancient Greece endures in our society today, and visitors will be mesmerised by the stories of competition in the Ancient Greek world."

The exhibition's pieces include gold jewellery, the civilisation's iconic black and red ceramics with depictions of athletes, gods and citizens, as well as marble and terracotta statues and reliefs, bronze figurines, weapons, armour, toys, games and coins.

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Each piece tells a story. Some quite literally - such as on the depictions on ceramics - while others its through the insight the objects give about life in Ancient Greece.

And with items such as the sculpture of the women playing knucklebones or one Ancient Grecian's jury ticket, it's easy to see some similarities between life today.

National Museum curator Lily Withycombe said the exhibition also gives insight into what life was like for women in Ancient Greece - something which is often left out of stories from the time.

"Women were very much dominated by forces outside of their control, and they were written about very rarely," she said.

"What I love about material culture is that it can help to fill this gap. This exhibition presents so many glimpses into the lives of women. From the exquisite terracotta figurine of two young women playing with knucklebones, to the elderly woman nursing a baby, to statues of goddesses, the honorific portraits of elites, and the colossal architectural fragments that tell the story of Queen Artemisia - who completed one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, the great Mausoleum of Halicarnassus.

"I've loved uncovering what things were like during these times, and now, in times of uncertainty, I found great solace in reflecting on how people have endured and survived major cultural and social shifts over millennia."

Ancient Greeks is the fourth in a series of British Museum exhibitions to have featured at the National Museum of Australia, following Rome: City and Empire in 2018, A History of the World in 100 Objects in 2016 and Encounters: Revealing Stories of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Objects from the British Museum in 2015.

The exhibition was recently at the Western Australian Museum and after its stint in Canberra, will go on to show at the Auckland War Memorial Museum.

Ancient Greeks is at the National Museum until May 1. For tickets go to nma.gov.au.

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