Greece: City-States

Post Dark Age750 B CTrade IncreasedPopulation GrowthImproved AgricultureCity-States Emerged

City-StatesPolis-A town/city/village along with its

surrounding countryside Town/city/village was the center of the polis-

people met for political, social and religious activities

Acropolis-Fortified area on a hill for refuge during an attack

Agora-Open area where people could assemble and for a market area

Community of the City-StatePolis=communityCommon identity and goalsCitizens with political rights-adult men had

rights-women and children had no rights-noncitizens (laborers, slaves, residential aliens) had no rights

Loyalty to city-state-resulted in city-states fighting

Greek ColoniesColonies were a result of the search for

farmland and the growth of tradeColonies set up along the coastlines of

southern Italy, southern France, eastern Spain and Northern Africa, north of Greece, along the Black Sea, along the Hellespont Strait and Bosporus Strait

Most famous city-Byzantium (later called Constantinople)

Control of straits gave the Greeks great economic advantage-trade-industry

Tyranny in the City-StatesTyrants-Rulers who seized power by force

from the aristocratsPoor and newly rich supported tyrantsTyranny came to an end when tyrants

became too controllingThe end of tyranny allowed for more people

to participate in politics-this led to the development of democracy-others remained an oligarchy (rule by few)

SpartaDeveloped different systems of governmentSpartans (Greeks) took over surrounding lands-

they needed more land-Helots (slaves captured in conquered lands)

Spartans led very strict livesMen trained for military-lived in barracks until

30-could vote at 30-fierce warriors-Women raised family on their own-more freedoms

because men were gone most of the time

AthensBy 700 BC Athens became a unified polisRuled by a king-later by an oligarchyLater faced political turmoil because of

economic problems-sold into slavery if they couldn’t pay debts

Athens gave full power to Solon to solve problems-cancelled all debts-Eventually tyranny

Cleisthenes eventually took power from tyrants-created a council of 500 men-controlled foreign affairs, treasury and laws-created foundations for Athenian democracy