Ancient Greece

Chapter 5

Geography

• Land & islands, many miles of coastline, inlets, bays, deep harbors

• Seas – Aegean, Mediterranean, Ionian• Poor resources on land (couldn’t farm)• Led to increased sea travel, trade,

imports

Geography

• Land - very mountainous (Mt. Olympus)

• Difficult to unite under one government, divided the people, became fiercely independent

• Climate – moderate (Mediterranean) temperature, led to outdoor activities – shopping, civic meetings, athletics, interaction

First Greeks• Minoans from

Crete• Wealthy traders,

large homes, fancy clothes, jewelry

• Ended by earthquake, volcano, tidal wave?

Mycenaeans• Mycenae – built on

steep hills• Fortified with stone

walls, bronze age• Trojan War (1200 BCE)• Greek kings attacked

Troy in Asia Minor• Greek’s wife stolen by

Trojan man• Archaeological

evidence that this was true

Dorians• 1200 BCE – 800 BCE• Mycenaean

civilization collapsed• From North of Greece

came with iron weapons

• Little skill, less advanced

• Trade and progress stand still

• Skill of writing lost• Dark Ages

Homer• Blind poet• Depended on spoken word (bards –

storytellers)• Wrote long epics – ideals of heroism,

excellence , courage, honor• Interested in individuals; heroes

compete for glory• The Iliad and The Odyssey (750 BCE)

about the Trojan War

Early Greek Leaders

• Draco – 621 BC - codified Athenian laws provided severe punishments (“draconian” = harsh or severe)

• Solon – 594 BC – canceled land mortgages, freed people enslaved for debt, allowed male citizens to serve on juries, granted commoners right to vote in Assembly

Leaders cont.

• Cleisthenes – 508 BC – expanded democracy by extending citizenship; began practice of ostracism – banishing any citizen deemed dangerous to the state

• Pericles – 461 BC – popular leader; opened government to all men, paid salaries to public officials – The Age of Pericles or The Golden Age – height of democracy; art, science, trade, manufacturing thrived

Types of governments in Greece

• Monarchy – one-man rule (king)• Aristocracy – rule by a small group

of nobles• Oligarchy – rule by few• Tyranny – rule by one man who

seized power, favored by some people (unlike today’s definition)

• Democracy – rule by the people

Athens

Polis - city-state (basic political unit)Acropolis – hill, central meeting placeAgora – below hill, open place for meetingsCitizens - those who took part in govt.Hoplites – heavily armed infantry soldiersPhalanx – marching formation shoulder to shoulder

Athens cont. Democratic society The Assembly was the major

political body All male citizens belonged; all were

equal & had freedom of speech Jury system for court cases Had to educate sons - participate in

govt. 2 years military service at age 18

SPARTA Military society & aristocracy Harsh life Invaded other cities to fulfill needs;

greatest warriors in Greece If a child was born sickly or

deformed, they were left in hills to die

SpartaAt age 7, boys were sent to military;

at 60 they could retire; girls got rigorous physical training also

Women strong and fit to become mothers

Suspicious of new ideas - NO CHANGE

Sparta lagged far behind other cities in economic development

Persian Wars• 499 BC Persians control largest empire• Darius attacks Greece at (1) Marathon• Greeks outnumbered but win battle• Pheidippides ran from Marathon to

Athens (26 miles) to announce victory – died; modern day “marathon”

• Minor defeat for Persia but showed they could be beaten

Greek hoplite (soldier)-6th c. BC

Persian Wars

480 BC-Xerxes, son of Darius, invades

Sparta leads the Greeks (united) To delay Persia, the Spartans

slow them at (2) THERMOPYLAE (a mountain pass)

Persian War cont.

Greeks lose (betrayed) & Athens burned; all Spartans die

Greeks lure Persian navy into the shallow waters of (3) SALAMIS - Greeks victorious

(4) PLATAEA – war finally ends

Leonidas & the Spartans hold the Persians at Thermopylae pass

Battle of Salamis, 480 BC

Persian War: Turning Point

End of Persian expansion westPersians don’t conquer EuropeUshers in the Golden Age of Athens

Classical age begins – art, literature, commerce flourish

Greek city-states maintain their independence; Athens dominates

Golden Age of Athens

Pericles led Athens in this period (461 BC) Delian League – defensive alliance; Athens

led Athens stood for all that was the best in Greek

civilization Deeply committed to democracy; Assembly

The Agora

Classical Greece

• Writers• Philosophers• Pottery• Olympics• Religion• Philosophers• Historians• Sculpture• Architecture

Philosophy – “Love of Wisdom”

• Socrates – used questioning method (Socratic method)– Examine one’s life– Convicted of corrupting youth; killed

(drank hemlock)• Plato – Student of Socrates (427-

347 BC) started The Academy – The Republic – first book on political

science (did not favor democracy )

Philosophy cont.

• Aristotle (384-322 BC) wrote on philosophy, science, & govt.

• Tutored Alexander the Great.

History

• Herodotus – “father of history” – described the Persian invasion; embellished with fable and superstition; not very accurate

• Thucydides – accurate account of Peloponnesian War; eyewitness accounts; facts

Theatre

• Dramas, outdoor amphitheatres• Tragedies:

– Aeschylus – Agamemnon; Persian Wars; gods provided justice

– Euripedes – Medea, criticized war, prejudice, greed

• Comedies:– Aristophanes – satirized political

leaders

Architecture

• Parthenon – most famous; temple to Athena (Wisdom) atop the Acropolis in Athens

• Use of columns – Doric, Ionic, Corinthian (elaborate, curly)

Science and Math

• Pythagoras – important principals of geometry

• Hippocrates – father of medicine, attributed disease to natural, not superstitious causes– Hippocratic Oath – uphold medical

standards – do no harm

The Olympics

• 776 BC; held every 4 years• Athletes traveled to Mt. Olympus

to honor Zeus• Glory in athletic competition• Pentathlon most important event

(5) – long jump, javelin, discus, foot race, wrestling

• Men only (naked)• Prize – honor and fame for your c-s

Religion – The Greek Gods

• Lived on Mt. Olympus (12)• Were immortal• They were “human-like” – fought,

had human weaknesses• Oracles to worship the gods

Democracy

• GREECE• Direct Democracy

– citizens were members of legislature

• Citizenship based on Athenian ancestry

• Women denied political rights

• Slavery permitted

• U.S.• Representative

Democracy – citizens elect representatives

• Citizenship based on American birth or naturalization

• Women – equal rights

• Slavery prohibited

Peloponnesian War (431 BC-404 BC)

Series of battles between Athens and Sparta Sparta eventually wins (military superiority) Greece weakened over next century by fighting Growing power to the North, Macedonia goes unnoticed End of classical Greece

Alexander the GreatPhilip II of Macedonia, Alexander’s father, had conquered most of Greece by the time of his death336 BC-Alexander from Macedonia (north of Greece) becomes King (age 20)334 BC-Alexander invades Persian empire & wins major victory in Asia Minor

Alexander the Great

• Conquered Syria, Palestine, Egypt – founded Alexandria

• 331 BCE – defeated Persians again and ended Persian rule

• 327 BCE – Wants to reach Indus River – after 3 years his men say no more

• 323 BCE – Dies at age 32

Alexander the Great• Global view – believed non – Greeks were

equal; encouraged men to marry Persians• Hellenistic – mix of Greek and Middle

Eastern culture• Alexandria, Egypt – key city; home to

poets, scholars, writers, scientists, philosophers; great library

• Built temples, baths, theatres, statues, etc.

Contributions - Hellenistic• Eratosthenes – believed earth was

round• Archimedes – pi, lever and pulley• Epicurianism (philosophy) – humans

were free to follow self-interest, pursuit of pleasure and happiness

• Stoicism – live in harmony with god; daily problems would not disturb you, bear whatever life offers (stoic)

• Sculpture – Colossus of Rhodes 100 ft. bronze