Download Heather Balogh, 8th - Crestwood Local Schools

The Gifts of Greece: Introduction
IA. The Aegean Bridge was a connection of all the islands in Greece. It formed a lovely trade route that worked out
perfectly for the economy of Greece.
IA. The Greeks failed to unite because of many reasons. One of those reasons would be geographical boundaries.
Most of Greece didn't unite in the first place because the mountains, valleys or rivers separated the city-states.. Once the
city-states were established, they formed their own cultures, beliefs and traditions. It's very difficult to go back on what
you've been taught all of your life - causing the reluctance to unite. The tension between Athens and Sparta didn't help
one bit. The socio-economic racism that occurred between those city-states caused many problems and allowed other
city-states to take sides in an argument that should have never occurred.
IIIA. Macedonia conquered Greece by attacking during the time of weakness. Athens had just surrendered to Sparta,
who was attempting to tack over all of Greece. After the Spartan defeat at Thebes, all of Greece was left vulnerable to
attack. The loss of moral caused the Greeks to sit and wait for their fate to kick in, while the country of Macedonia was
preparing to takeover the entire nation. The second generation of those who waited for their fate to take action found out
what the gods had in store for them: a Macedonian army that conquered everything in sight, lead by Philip and his son,
Alexander the Great.
IIB. Alexander started a new culture by uniting Macedonian and Greek cultures. The caused the formation of a
Hellenistic culture, a new culture founded on Greek ideals accompanied by features from other Mediterranean cultures.
IIIB. The Greeks, before Lycurgus and the Spartan Code came into the picture, made a living by farming, trade
(internationally or domestically), or by taking part in the industry of Greece. After Lycurgus, only domestic trade was
allowed, industry was outlawed was outlawed, and silver and gold were no longer imported. The Greek currency became
iron, and 'materialistic mindsets' and 'the promotion of greed' were reduced; the only worries of the country were
conducting government and war.
IIIE. The Greek gifts to learning were advancements in philosophy, math, and science. The atom was discovered,
the Pythagorean Theorem was created, the steps to the scientific method were shaped, ethics, logic and politics were
investigated. Greece excelled and gave the world an example of what the mind could accomplish. The Greeks helped the
people realize that one needs to use one's mind - not always follow the crowd.
Terms and Definitions
Achaean League - confederation of 10 or 20 towns in ancient Greece. The original league played little part in the wars of
the 5th century BC, but, toward the end of the 4th century BC, it was conquered by the Macedonians. By 280 BC, almost
fifty years after the death of Alexander the Great and the subsequent internal strife in Macedonia, the Achaean League
was reestablished..
Acropolis - hill or mountain in Greece with temples or other public buildings on it.
Alexander - son of Philip of Macedonia, student of Aristotle; planned on creating a Hellenistic empire (accomplished); set
out to conquer the world (conquered the Persian Empire, Asia Minor, Syria, Egypt and Mesopotamia).
Aristotle - student of Plato, wrote Ethics, Poetics, Logic, and Politics; concluded that the best government contains a
middle class who play an important role.
Cleisthenes - 510 BC, a ruler of Athens; created a Democratic state of Direct Democracy wherein all citizens participated
directly in making decisions.
Colossus of Rhodes - enormous statue of the ancient Greek sun god Helios located at the entrance to the harbor of the
ancient Greek city of Rhodes. Built around 280 BC and later destroyed in an earthquake, the Colossus of Rhodes was
one of the ancient Seven Wonders of the World.
Draco - 621 BC, a ruler of Athens; Draconian laws (harsh laws) were written down so everyone would know them;
conditions still unsatisfactory in Athens.
Hippocrates - taught all disease comes from natural causes, not as spite from the gods, wrote Regimen of Health.
Mount Olympus - home of the gods.
Oracle at Delphi - bribed to help the Persians during the Persian Wars.
Parthenon - white marble temple constructed in honor of Athens; represents the Golden Mean.
Peloponnesian Wars - the explosion of cultural and social rivalry between the two city-states, Athens and Sparta. Sparta
destroyed Attica's fields, but the Athenians sat behind their walls. Because of jam-packed quarters, however, a plague
broke out which killed many people. Athens surrendered to Sparta in 404 BC.
Persian Wars - from 546 BC through 479 BC Greece was at war with Persia. Darius sent an army towards Greece in 492
BC to punish Athens for helping other city-states rebel. The fleet was destroyed by a natural disaster, however more
troops were sent in490 BC. The Persians landed on Attica but set up camp of Marathon. Athenians fought fiercely and
defeated the Persians and kept an uneasy peace for 10 years. In 480 BC, Xerxes (Darius' son) brought the entire Persian
army over. The Battle of Thermopylae occurred, with an entire 300-man fleet of Spartans killed, leaving Persia an
unobstructed route to Athens.
Philip II - created infantry and the phalanx; thought of as either a savior that could bring unity to Greece, or a menace to
liberty; Alexander the Great's father.
Plato - student of Socrates, taught philosophy openly on the Academy grounds, supported aristocracy of intelligence,
education and high ideals.
Polytheism - the belief in more than one god.
Sparta - known as "the military ideal", capitol of the Dorians (1200 BC); three social classes (Dorian relatives, "neighbors",
and helots), no walls for protection, three government standings.
Socrates - philosopher who criticized the Athenian education (esp. Sophists), created the term 'philosopher', disdainful of
conceit, support individualism.
Solon - 594 BC, also a ruler of Athens; Peaceful Revolution (canceled debts for the poor, outlawed enslavement for debt,
and freed those enslaved for nonpayment), no exceptions for rich or poor (citizens ONLY); established government:
Senate, Council of 400 (later changed to 500; randomly chosen men) and the Assembly (500 elected men).
Trojan Horse - caused the success of the Mycenaeans in Troy; approximately 1200 BC.
Weaknesses of Athenian Democracy - every adult male over the age of twenty was induced into the Assembly. This
would include those without much political interest, faith, compassion, or intellect along with the bright crayons in the box.
In having a direct democracy, all citizens are included in decisions. There is also a problem with this in ancient Athens:
Women were not citizens. Although men did make strategic decisions, why was at least half of the populace left to sit and
be pretty? For jury duty, all citizens could be call in to judge the offending person. Ah, wait, women still aren't citizens.
There goes most of the compassion that an offender may have received. I do understand that men can be compassionate
judges, but to exile a side of an entire population is never the best solution to anything. In total truth, Athens was not a
'direct democracy' at all. It was democracy of men with their silent and supportive wives by their sides.