Download Ancient Greece

Ancient Greece
1900 – 133 B.C.
Definition of An Empire
A large political unit, usually under a single leader, that controls
many peoples or territories.
Empires grow from the conquest of one people by another-an
empire is the extension of political rule by one people over others
An empire has roads, common currency, army, colonies,
centralized government
Is the U.S. an empire?
Physical/Human Geography
Greece is a small area-size of Louisiana
Peninsula is mountainous/arable land limited
Mountainous terrain prevented unification/city-states/many small citystates
Coastline-depended on trade
Greeks were seafarers
Lack of arable land-forced Greeks to look for colonies
Unifying Greek factors-common lang., religion and Olympics
Did you watch the Olympics?
The Minoan Civilization
By 2800 B.C., a Bronze Age civilization that used metals, especially
bronze, in making weapons had been established on the large
island of Crete, southeast of the Greek mainland.
Called the Minoan civilization, it flourished between 2700 and
1450 B.C.-named after Minos-legendary king of Crete
Collapsed around 1450 B.C.-maybe due to a tidal wave or invasion
Mycenae
Mycenae was one of a number of centers in a Mycenaean Greek
civilization that flourished between 1600 and 1100 B.C.
The Mycenaean Greeks were Indo-European who spread into southern
and western Europe, India and Iran.
Warrior people
Traded & spread out militarily
By 1100 B.C.-Mycenaean civilization collapsed
The Greeks In A Dark Age
After the collapse of the Mycenaean civilization, Greece-difficult period
in which the population declined & food production dropped (1100-750
B.C. “Dark Age”) no records
During the Dark Age, large numbers of Greeks left the mainland and
sailed across the Aegean Sea to various islands.
Traded & some economic activity besides agriculture
Iron replaced bronze in construction of weapons
In the 8th century B.C., the Greeks adopted the Phoenician alphabet to
give themselves a new system of writing.
The Polis: Center Of Greek Life
By 750 B.C., the city-state-or what the Greeks called a polis-became the
central focus of Greek life
Our word politics is derived from the Greek word polis
As a community, the polis consisted of citizens with political rights (adult
males), citizens with no political rights (women and children) and
noncitizens (slaves and resident aliens).
Rights were coupled with responsibilities
Greece divided into fiercely independent city-states
New military system
Wars used to be fought by aristocrats, but by 700 B.C., the military used
heavily armed soldiers-marched in a phalanx
Greek Colonies
A desire for rich farmland and the growth of trade were two factors in the
people’s decisions to move-750 and 550 BC
Colonization also led to increased trade and industry. The Greeks on the
mainland exported pottery, wine and olive oil.
In return, they received grains and metals from the west and fish, timber,
wheat, metals and slaves from the Black Sea region
Tyranny In The City-States
The creation of a new group of rich men (trade and industry) fostered
the rise of tyrants
The tyrants gained power through hired soldiers
Fell out of favor by the end of the 6th century B.C., due to the fact that
the Greeks believed in the rule of law
More people were allowed to participate in government which led to the
development of democracy-rule by the people in some city-states
Other city-states remained committed to an oligarchy-rule by the few
SPARTA
vs.
Authoritarian
MILITARY STATE (entered at 20 exit 60)
Could marry @ 20
Vote @ 30
2 kings led
Travelers were discouraged
-may bring in new ideas-no trade
ATHENS
Limited Democracy
Laws made by assembly
Only male citizens in assembly
Trade with other city-states
Education for boys
Women inferior
Girls trained to be mothers of soldiers
From childhood-Spartan boys
were trained to be soldiers
Women obeyed men
Women owned property
*Athens went through several changes
in government until it finally became a
democracy. In a democracy, the
citizens have the power to make
government decisions by voting.
Persian Wars 499-479 B.C.
As the Greeks spread throughout the Mediterranean, they came
in contact with the Persian Empire to the East
Persian ruler Darius seeks revenge after an unsuccessful revolt in
Ionian city-states
Persians landed at Marathon, but were defeated by the Greeks
490B.C.
Xerxes (new Persian ruler) vowed revenge-Athenians prepared by
building ships
Persians 180,000 troops and thousands of ships
Thermopylae-300-traitor tells Persians how to outflank the Greek
force
Island of Salamis-Greek Navy defeats the Persian Navy
479 B.C. Greek Army defeats the Persians at Plataea
PELOPONNESIAN WAR 431-404 B.C.
Age of Pericles-Athens takes over leadership of Greek World after
the defeat of the Persians-under Pericles Athens expands its new
empire-height of Athenian power and brilliance
Peloponnesian War-Between Athens and Sparta-they did not
trust each other
Athenians lost
Lasted 27 years
HOMER
Greek Poet
He wrote the Iliad And The Odyssey
Heroic Epic Poems-an epic poem is a long poem that tells the deeds of a
great hero. The Iliad and the Odyssey were based on stories that had
been passed from generation to generation.
GREEK PHILOSOPHERS
PHILOSOPHY REFERS TO AN ORGANIZED SYSTEM OF RATIONAL
THOUGHT
PHILOSOPHERS
◦ SOCRATES
◦ PLATO
◦ ARISTOTLE
SOCRATES
TAUGHT FOR FREE
BELIEVED THE GOAL OF EDUCATION WAS TO IMPROVE THE
INDIVIDUAL’S SOUL.
PLATO
SOCRATES STUDENT
FOCUSED ON REALITY
HE EXPLAINED IDEAS OF A GOVERNMENT IN THE REPUBLIC (3
GROUPS)
◦ RULERS – MOTIVATED BY WISDOM
◦ WARRIORS – BY COURAGE
◦ COMMONERS – BY DESIRE
ARISTOTLE
INTERESTED IN CLASSIFYING THINGS BY OBSERVATION AND
INVESTIGATION
◦ ASTRONOMY, GEOLOGY, BIOLOGY, AND PHYSICS
Alexander the Great
King of Macedonia at 20 yrs old
Sought to control Persia
Had many Conquests
Sought to imitate Achilles-warrior hero of Homer’s Iliad
◦ Spread Greek language, art, architecture, and literature
throughout the Middle East
◦ Created a Hellenistic Era
◦ Empire p. 140
Hellenistic Era
Means – to imitate Greeks
Alexander conquered many empires
Put Hellenistic rulers in charge
Created many other cities
Gifts of the Greeks
Olympics
Dramatic plays and theater
Sculptures
Literature
Astronomy
Mathematics
Philosophy
History
Arts and architecture
Democracy “the people rule”