Download The Histories

Ancient Greece
Ancient Greece
Common themes in both Ancient Near
East and Greece?
 What makes Greece stand out?
 Where do we see traces of it in modern
West?

Archaic Greece
Archaic Greece

The polis
 Greek
city-state
 Plural: poleis
 Consisted of city,
surrounding territory
Archaic Greece

Greek Colonization
 Great
seafarers
 Spread Greek influence and trade
 Locations included Italy, Massalia
Archaic Greece

Greek Military
 HOPLITES
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
Infantrymen
Equipment: pike, sword,
shield
 PHALANX
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Military formation
8 rows of soldiers
Charged, stabbed in
unison
Archaic Greece
Phalanx
Archaic Greece
Archaic Greece

Sparta
 Closed
military society
 Xenophobic
 Expansionist
Archaic Greece

Spartan Military Society
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Male newborns examined
by state
Boys’ education, to become
hoplites
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
Training began age 7
Austerity
Preliminary service:
between 14-20 yrs.
Cowards stigmatized
Archaic Greece

Spartan Women
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Raised to bear strong
hoplites
Physical education
Married approx. age 18
No share in government
Managed domestic affairs
while husbands away
Could inherit, own property
Archaic Greece
Archaic Greece
Archaic Greece

Origins of Persian Wars
(499-479 BC)

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Origins in Anatolia
Greeks revolted, petitioned
Athens for aid
Destroyed major Persian
cities
Persians crushed rebellion,
sought revenge
Archaic Greece

The Battle of Marathon
(490/91 BC)


Persians launched invasion
of Greece
The fighting
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24 miles from Athens
Athenians outnumbered
Yet Athenian victory!
Messenger ran to Athens
with news?
Archaic Greece
Archaic Greece

The Conflict Continues


New invasion launched
under Xerxes
BATTLE OF
THERMOPYLAE (480 BC)

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
Location of strategic
hidden road betrayed to
Persians
Leonidas et al. defended
pass
Greece now open to
Persians!
Ultimate Greek victory
Thermopylae
Archaic Greece
Trireme
Archaic Greece

Questions?
Classical Greece

Athenian Democracy (5th cent. BC)

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DEMOCRACY (demokratia): rule of the people
Assembly (ekklesia), for citizens
Judiciary
Classical Greece

Perikles (ca. 495-429 BC)
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

Athenian general, politician
Fostered, promoted
democracy
“Our constitution does not
copy the laws of neighboring
states; we are rather a
pattern to others than
imitators ourselves. Its
administration favors the
many instead of the few; this
is why it is called a
democracy…”
Classical Greece

Athenian Women
 Married
by age 15
 Confined to household
 Supervised domestic
affairs
 Could not inherit
 Only public role:
religion
Peplos Kore (ca. 525 BC)
Classical Greece

Origins of the Peloponnesian War
 Athens’s
power grew after Persian Wars
 Wanted to expand, interfered in affairs of
poleis
 Sparta became jealous, uncomfortable
 War!
Classical Greece

The Peloponnesian War
(431-404 BC)


Battles fought throughout
poleis
Sparta was ultimate victor
(404 BC)
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

Persian support
Now controlled Athenian
territory
Aftermath: poleis were
weakened, exhausted
Classical Greece

Questions?
Ancient Greek Culture
Ancient Greek Culture

The Olympics
 Celebrated
at temple
of Zeus, Olympia
 Ceremonial games
inaugurated 776 BC
 “Panhellenic” event
 Many games
 Victors  prizes
Myron, Diskobolos (5th cent. BC)
Ancient Greek Culture

Greek Religion

Communal
 Olympian gods
 Oracles
Ancient Greek Culture
Ancient Greek Culture
Ancient Greek Culture
Pythia at Delphi
Ancient Greek Culture

Greek Poetry
 Early
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poems: epics
Long, narrative tales
about heroes
Recited, sung to
audience
 HOMER
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
Homer

(ca. 725 BC)
Blind?
Relied on oral tradition
Iliad, Odyssey
Ancient Greek Culture
Ancient Greek Culture

Greek Theater
 Social,
religious
 Tragedy
 Comedy
Ancient Greek Culture
Ancient Greek Culture
Theater at Epidauros, Greece
ca. 335 BC
Ancient Greek Culture

Greek Humanities


RHETORIC: art of speaking,
argumentation
HERODOTUS
(ca. 485-425 BC)


“Father of History”
The Histories

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Observed rises, falls of
empires
Methodology: interviews,
checked public records
Not always critical
Ancient Greek Culture

Greek Sculpture
 Fascination
with
human body
 Emphasis on
“Idealism”
 Favorite: idealized
nude male
Polykleitos, Doryphoros (ca. 450 BC)
Ancient Greek Culture

The Akropolis, Athens
 Reconstructed
after
Persian Wars
 The Parthenon
(447-438 BC)
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Temple dedicated to
Athena Parthenos
“Ideal” temple
Ancient Greek Culture
The Parthenon
Ancient Greek Culture
Phidias, Athena Parthenos (ca. 440 BC)
Ancient Greek Culture

Plato (427-348 BC)
 Disciple
of Sokrates
 Worldview

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“Theory of forms”
Dualistic
 Explored
ideal state in
The Republic
 Founded Academy,
Athens
Ancient Greek Culture

Aristotle (384-322 BC)
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Disciple of Plato
Emphasized scientific
observation
Studied, categorized
political systems in Politics
Misogynist!
Founded Lyceum, Athens
Ancient Greek Culture

Hippocrates of Cos
(ca. 460-370 BC)
 “Father
of Medicine”
 Belief: illness comes
from problems in body,
natural causes
 Prescribed natural
remedies
 Disciples stressed
keeping meticulous
records
Ancient Greek Culture

Questions?
The Hellenistic Period

Macedon
 Not
a polis
 Considered
“barbarians” by
Greeks
 Monarchy
 Expansion under King
Philip (r. 360-336 BC)
The Hellenistic Period
The Hellenistic Period

Alexander the Great
(r. 336-323 BC)
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Son of Philip and Olympias
Tutor: Aristotle
Educated in Greek culture
King at age 20
Secure position in
Macedon and Greece 
Persia!
The Hellenistic Period

Alexander’s Conquests
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Invaded, conquered
Persian Empire
(334-327 BC)
Traveled as far as India
(327 BC)
His “unacceptable”
behavior  mutiny
Alexander died at Babylon
(323 BC)
The Hellenistic Period
The Hellenistic Period

The Hellenistic Period
(323-30 BC)

“HELLENISTIC”
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Refers to spread,
transformation of Greek
culture throughout
Alexander’s empire
Common language: Greek
Foreigners became Greek
by participating in Greek
culture
Center of Hellenistic culture:
ALEXANDRIA, Egypt
Pharos, Alexandria
The Hellenistic Period

Questions?
Ancient Greece
Common themes in both Ancient Near
East and Greece?
 What makes Greece stand out?
 Where do we see traces of it in modern
West?
