Ancient Greek History: Supplemental Readings

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A General Timeline of Major Periods of Greek History

Map: General Regions of Greece

Instructions: These readings are intended to supplement and expand on the material presented in class. Most of them are quite short and can be read in a matter of minutes, though some are longer. The study questions will help you understand what you should be getting from the reading and will guide your note-taking. These will also serve as review questions to help you prepare for your exams.

Ancient Greek History: Supplemental Readings

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Flourishing Greece: Archaic Arts and City-States

1) Archaic Political and Social Development: The Greek Polis

a) John Porter, University of Saskatchewan

i) http://homepage.usask.ca/~jrp638/CourseNotes/Polis.html

(1) You only need to read through the paragraph labeled “(2) The Black Sea Region.” You

do NOT need to read the sections on Alcaeus and Theognis.

(2) What is a polis? Be able to describe one.

(3) What was the relationship between the Greek poleis (plural of polis)?

(4) What were some of the forces that led to the loosening of the aristocracy’s control over

the polis?

(5) Who made up the group of polites (citizens), and who was excluded? How did the polis

function?

(6) What was a tyrranos? From what stratum of society did he come, and how did he gain,

and maintain, power?

(7) What were 4 benefits of colonization?

(8) Where is Magna Graecia and what does the term mean?

2) The Archaic Period

a) The Metropolitan Museum of Art

i) http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/argk/hd_argk.htm

(1) This is a very brief summary. The following resource (National Archaeological

Museum) will go into more detail after you review this high-level summary.

(2) Which areas seemed to influence Greece most as it emerged from the “Dark Ages” and

into a new period of creativity?

(3) What were the major developments with pottery in the Archaic period? sculpture?

architecture?

(4) Be sure to click on the “See works of art” link and scroll through the images. Note how

people and animals are portrayed in a stiff, but elegant, manner.

ii) http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/vase/hd_vase.htm

(1) Be sure you understand the difference between Black- and Red-Figure decoration.

(2) Click on the “See works of art” link on the right to view some of the best examples of

Black- and Red-Figure Vases (abbreviated BF and RF)

3) The Archaic Period

a) National Archaeological Museum, Athens

(1) http://www.latsis-foundation.org/eng/electronic-library/the-museum-cycle/the-national-

archaeological-museum - click on “Read the e-book” to load the book

(2) This text is an EXCELLENT discussion of the Archaic period. Type 174 in the page

number box at the bottom of the viewer to go to the first page on the Archaic Period

(3) Questions on the Archaic Period:

(a) Describe the relationship between the Greek colonies abroad and the “mother-cities”

back home in Greece.

Ancient Greek History: Supplemental Readings

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(b) Describe the political institutions that replaced the earlier “kingdoms” (with the

basileus, or “king” at the top) that seem to have been the rule in in the Dark Ages

(i) Know what these terms mean: aristocracy, timocracy, oligarchy

(c) Some tyrants promoted activities that enhanced their cities. What sorts of activities

were these? (You only need to know tyrants we mention in class.)

(d) What kinds of things did Lyric poetry express? (You don’t need to know a list of

Lyric poets – only be aware of any we specifically mention in class.)

(e) What were the “pre-Socratic” philosophers concerned with?

(f) What events mark the end of the Archaic period?

(4) Questions on Art of the Archaic Period:

(a) Why is the term “Orientalizing” used to describe art in the early Archaic period? List

some “Oriental” influences we can see in Greek art of this period.

(b) Where was the “Orientalizing” style of pottery developed? What are the

characteristics of “Orientalizing” pottery coming from this city?

(5) Type 185 in the page number box to go to the “culmination of Archaic art” page

(a) What was the major development in architecture of this period? (“Peripteral”

means that it has a line of columns running all the way around the outside of the

building.)

(b) Pottery

(i) Where did the Athenians get the technique that developed into “Attic Black

Figure” pottery? (“Attic” refers to the region around Athens.) Describe Black

Figure pottery. (You do not need to memorize a list of vase painters – only

know those I mention in class.)

(ii) What is the “Panathenaic Festival” and who is believed to have established it?

What was the prize for the winner?

(iii) When and where was “Red Figure” pottery invented? Describe “Red Figure”

pottery and why it was an advancement over “Black Figure.” (You do not need

to memorize a list of vase painters – only know those I mention in class.)

(iv) What are “bilingual” vases?

(c) Sculpture

(i) Know the names of the two basic types of sculpture and what was represented

in each.

(ii) What sorts of sculpture were used to mark graves in

1. the Mycenaean Period?

2. the Geometric Period?

3. the Archaic Period?

(iii) Most Archaic metal work was of what sort? Where were they found?

(iv) What kinds of Archaic jewelry have been found, and where?

ii) Spend some time enjoying the art of the Archaic period on the pages following the text of

this museum guide.

Ancient Greek History: Supplemental Readings

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4) The Archaic Period

a) Thomas Martin, An Overview of Classical Greek History from Mycenae to Alexander

(1) http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0009%3A

chapter%3D5

(2) This page includes an excellent overview of the Archaic Age, and its organization into

important topics will be a helpful supplement to class session 3 and 4.