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Ancient Greece
The Expansion of Greek civilization,
through trade and colonization led to
the spread of Hellenic culture across
the Mediterranean and Black seas.
Hellenic is a name for Greek culture;
from the Hellenes who were people
who inhabited the Balkan Peninsula.
From the beginning, Greeks can trace
their heritage to the Minoans who
lived on Crete from about 2500 B.C.
to 1450 B. C. and the Mycenaean
people who migrated from Central
Asia to the Greek Peninsula and conquered the Minoans. The Mycenaean Civilization
flourished until about 1100 B.C.
The physical geography of the Aegean Basin shaped the economic, social, and political
development of Greek civilization.
Location and Places of Greece:
- Aegean Sea
- Balkan and Peloponnesus peninsulas, Europe, Asia Minor.
- Mediterranean Sea.
- Black Sea, Dardanelles, Athens, Sparta, Troy, Macedonia.
- Since the Greeks were close to the sea, many Greeks became
traders or fishermen.
Economic and Social Development of Ancient Greece:
- Agriculture (limited arable land). Arable land is land that can
be used for the purposes of farming, it is fertile and a good
natural resource.
- Commerce and the spread of Hellenic culture.
- Shift form the barter system to money economy (coins).
Political Development of Ancient Greece:
- Mountainous terrain helped and hindered
the development of city-states.
- Greek cities were designed to promote civic
and commercial life.
- Colonization was related to overpopulation
and the search for arable land.
Greek Social Structure in Athens
Classical Athens developed the most
democratic system of government the world
had ever seen, although not everyone could
participate in decision-making. It became a
foundation of modern democracies.
Contrasting philosophies of government
divided the Greek city-states of Athens
(democracy) and Sparta (oligarchy).
Greece was made up city-states. A polis, or
city-state, was the basic political unit of Greek
civilization. It included a city and the
surrounding villages and fields.
Inside each city, there was an acropolis, which was a fortified
hill in the center of the city where the temple to the local deity
(god) was located.
Each city also had an agora (pictured right), which served as the
political and business center of the polis.
Social Structure and citizenship in the Greek Polis:
- Citizens (free adult males) had political rights and the
responsibility of civic participation in government.
- Women and metics had no political rights. Metics
were free (non-enslaved) foreigners (immigrants) who
could not own land or participate in the government.
- Slaves had no political rights.
Government in Athens:
- Stages in the evolution of Athenian
government: Monarchy (9th Century B.C.),
aristocracy (8th Century B.C.), tyranny (7th
Century B.C.), and democracy (6th Century
B.C.).
- A monarchy is rule by a king or queen.
- An aristocracy is government control by
nobles/upper class.
- A tyranny is a government of one person who rules single-handedly; not all tyrants
ruled unjustly, but some were cruel and unjust. There were two tyrants who worked for
reform: Draco and Solon.
- Origin of democratic principles: Direct democracy, public debate, duties of a citizen
(voting). A direct democracy is a government of the people; power is in the hands of all
the people who make decisions (citizens).
The Golden Age of Pericles
Athenian culture, during the Classic Era, became one of the foundation
stones of Western Civilization. Athens’ Golden Age occurred mostly
between the Persian and Peloponnesian Wars (461-429 B.C.).
Pericles (pictured right) was a prominent and influential Greek statesman,
orator, and general of Athens during the city's Golden Age. Pericles
beautified Athens.
- Pericles extended democracy; most adult males had equal voice.
- Pericles had Athens rebuilt after destruction in the Persian Wars; the Parthenon is an
example of this reconstruction. The Parthenon
(pictured right) is a temple which was dedicated to
the goddess Athena, located on the Acropolis in
Athens.
Greek Social Structure in Sparta
Sparta emerged as a political entity around the 10th
century BC. From about 650 B.C. it rose to become
the dominant military land-power in ancient Greece.
In the 8th century B.C., Spartan towns were united into
one city. All free Spartans became equals.
Government in Sparta:
- Sparta was unique in ancient Greece for its social
system and constitution, which completely focused
on military training and excellence. Spartan women
enjoyed considerably more rights and equality to men
than elsewhere in the classical world.
- Ruled by an Oligarchy. An oligarchy is a
government by a few wealthy people who hold power
over most people.
- Government made up of 2 kings, 30 senators, and 5
Ephors.
- Rigid social structure.
- Militaristic and aggressive society.
In Spartan government, there were 2 kings and a 30
member senate. The Apella (popular assembly of all
free Spartans over 30 years of age) elected the King,
Senate, and the Ephors (magistrates). The Ephors
represented the main towns of Sparta.
Helots (the laborers/serfs of Sparta), Periokoi (noncitizens), young Spartans, and women had no
political rights and had to obey Spartan laws.
“THIS IS SPARTA!”
Important Greek Wars
Importance of the Persian Wars (490-476 B.C.):
- Persia threatened to invade Greece. Early on, the citystates were not unified and stood alone, eventually, they
would unite.
- Athens aided rebels against Persia.
- Darius I wanted to punish Athens for interfering. Persia
landed near Marathon, where the Athenians mounted an
attack and won. This inspired Athens to build up their navy.
- Darius I dies, Xerxes (Darius’s son) takes over and sent a
large force to conquer Greece. Sparta joins in the fight and
confronts the Persians at Thermopylae. The Spartans lost,
but it allowed the Athenians to escape before Athens is destroyed by the Persians.
- Given its military pre-eminence, Sparta was recognized as the overall leader of the
combined Greek forces during the Greco-Persian Wars.
- The navy of Athens defeated Persia’s navy at the battle of Salamis. The Greeks would
eventually invade Asia Minor and defeat the Persians on land. This marked the end of
the Persian invasions.
Outcomes of the Persian Wars.
- Persian Wars united Athens and Sparta against the Persian Empire.
- Athenian victories over the Persians at
Marathon and Salamis left Greeks in
control of the Aegean Sea.
- Athens preserved its independence and
continued innovations in government and
culture.
- The Greeks defeated the Persian
Empire and preserved their political
independence.
- Athens would start the Delian League.
Importance of the Peloponnesian War (431-404 B.C.):
Competition between Sparta and Athens for control of
Greece helped cause the Peloponnesian War.
Between 431 and 404 BC, Sparta was the principal enemy of
Athens during the Peloponnesian War, from which Sparta
emerged victorious, though at great cost.
Causes of the Peloponnesian War:
- Many Greeks outside of Athens resented Athens’
domination of Greece. It split Greece into two rivals.
- Caused by the competition for control of the Greek world.
Athens and the Delian League vs Sparta and the Peloponnesian League.
- The Delian League was when Athens and most of the city-states, except for Sparta,
united against common enemies. The treasury for the alliance was kept on the island of
Delos. Eventually, Athens would begin moving the money from Delos to Athens.
- The Peloponnesian League was an alliance between Sparta and other Peloponnesian
states. Peloponnesus is one of the large Greek islands on which Sparta was located.
Athens had a strong navy, but was unable to
attack Sparta because it was too far inland.
Sparta marched in on Athens with the support of
Persia. When Pericles moved everyone in to the
city, behind the walls, overcrowded conditions
led to the deaths of many Athenians including
Pericles.
Results of the Peloponnesian War:
- Resulted in the slowing of cultural advance
and the weakening of political power.
- Athens’ economy recovered, but its
domination of Greece ended, though it remained
the cultural center of Greece.
- The economy in Greece declined.
Unemployment was high after the
Peloponnesian War, so men became hired
soldiers in the Persian army; many Greeks had
lost faith in democracy and became more
interested in money.
Influences of Greek Culture
Athenian culture, during the Classic Era, became one of the foundation stones of Western
Civilization.
Contributions of Greek Culture to Western Civilization:
- Drama: Aeschylus (524 BC –455 BC) was
the first of the three ancient Greek tragedians
whose plays can still be read or performed.
He is often described as the father of tragedy.
Sophocles (497-406 B.C.) is another
playwright whose plays are still performed. A
tragedy is the earliest of Greek plays, where
the lead character struggles against fate only to be doomed to an unhappy or tragic
ending. The opposite of drama is comedy, where the story has a humorous theme with a
happy ending.
- Poetry: Homer (Iliad and Odyssey): The Iliad was set during the
Trojan War, the ten-year siege of the city of Troy by a coalition of
Greek states, it tells of the battles and events during the weeks of a
quarrel between King Agamemnon and the warrior Achilles. The
Odyssey mainly centers on the Greek hero Odysseus and his journey
home after the fall of Troy. It takes Odysseus ten years to reach Ithaca
after the ten-year Trojan War. In his absence, it is assumed he has
died, and his wife Penelope and son Telemachus must deal with a
group of unruly suitors.
The Trojan War took place around 1250 B.C. According to legend, there was a rivalry
between Mycenae and Troy. For years, many regarded the war as pure legend, but in the
1870’s, evidence was found in the site of ancient Troy. Still, much of the information is
lost in legend.
- History: Herodotus and Thucydides were early historians. Herodotus is considered
to be the father of historians. During this time period, people began keeping a written
history of events.
- Sculpture: Phidias (490-430 B.C.) is commonly regarded as one of the greatest of all
sculptors of Classical Greece. His work was often modeled. He was known for sculpting
statues of gods.
- Architecture: Types of columns in Doric (Parthenon),
Ionian and Corinthian.
-Science: Archimedes - Archimedes of Syracuse was a
Greek mathematician, physicist, engineer, inventor, and
astronomer. Although few details of his life are known, he is regarded as one of the
leading scientists in classical antiquity. Hippocrates - Hippocrates of Cos was
an ancient Greek physician of the Age of Pericles, and is considered one of the
most outstanding figures in the history of medicine. Have you every heard of
the Hippocratic Oath?
- Mathematics: Euclid – Euclid was a Greek mathematician, often referred to
as the "Father of Geometry". Pythagoras - Pythagoras of Samos was an Ionian
Greek philosopher, mathematician, and founder of the religious
movement called Pythagoreanism. He is best known for creating
the Pythagorean Theorem (Pictured Right).
- Philosophy (The seeking of wisdom): Socrates, Plato, and
Aristotle:
- Socrates was a classical Greek Athenian philosopher. Credited as one of the
founders of Western philosophy, he is an enigmatic figure known chiefly through
the accounts of later classical writers. Socrates developed the Socratic Method. It
is a teaching method where the teacher asks questions without giving the answer
and then opposes the students’ answers with logical arguments.
- Plato was a Classical Greek philosopher, mathematician, student of Socrates,
writer of philosophical dialogues, and founder of the Academy in Athens, the
first institution of higher learning in the Western world. Plato also wrote The
Republic, which was the first book about political science.
- Aristotle was a Greek philosopher and polymath, a student of Plato and teacher of
Alexander the Great. Aristotle developed the syllogism/logical argument and was the
first to observe facts, classify them, and then make generalizations.
Greek Mythology
Many of Western civilization’s symbols, metaphors, words, and idealized images come
from ancient Greek mythology.
- Based on polytheistic religion.
- Explanations of natural phenomena, human qualities, and life events.
Greek mythology was based on polytheistic religion that was integral to the culture,
politics, and art in ancient Greece.
Greek Gods and Goddesses:
- Zeus (Left): The king of the gods, the ruler of Mount Olympus and the
god of the sky, weather, thunder, lightning, law, order, and fate.
- Hera (Right): The queen of the gods and goddess of
marriage, women, childbirth, heirs, kings and empires.
- Apollo (Left): The god of music, healing, plague, the sun,
prophecies, and poetry; associated with light, truth and the
sun.
- Artemis (Right): Virgin goddess of the hunt, wilderness,
animals, young girls, childbirth and plague. In later times she became
associated with the moon.
- Athena (Left): The goddess of wisdom, warfare, battle strategy, heroic
endeavor, handicrafts and reason.
- Aphrodite (Right): The goddess of love, beauty and desire.
- Poseidon (Left): The god of the sea, rivers, floods, droughts,
earthquakes, and the creator of horses; known as the "Earth Shaker".
- Hades (Right): King of the Underworld and god of the dead
and the hidden wealth of the Earth.
- Ares (Left): The god of war, bloodshed, violence, manly
courage, and civil order.
Many of these gods have become symbols and are represented in images in Western
literature, art, and architecture.
Other Recognizable Greek References:
- Achilles, the Greek Warrior (Bottom Middle): Achilles heel.
- Athena’s symbol is the owl for wisdom and olive branch for peace
(bottom right).
- King Odysseus: Odyssey/Journey.
- Greek hero Hercules (Top Right): Herculean task.
- Jason and the Golden Fleece and his ship the Argo: A large merchant
ship; a rich source or supply. (This is referenced in Jason and the
Argonauts)
- Orion (Bottom Left): The Hunter: Constellation of stars.
The Spread of the Hellenistic Culture
Alexander the Great adopted Greek culture and spread Hellenistic influences throughout
his vast empire. Hellenistic refers to ancient Greek civilization/culture, particularly from
the late 4th to 1st centuries B.C.
Macedonia is the land to the north of Greece on
the Balkan Peninsula; the Macedonians
incorporated Greek words and customs into their
civilization.
Phillip II of Macedon:
Phillip II was king of Macedon from 359 B.C.
until his assassination in 336 B.C. He was the
father of Alexander the Great.
- Phillip II conquered most of Greece.
Alexander the Great:
Alexander the Great (356 B.C.-323 B.C.), was a king of Macedon. Alexander was tutored
by Aristotle until the age of 16. By the age of thirty, he had created one of the largest
empires of the ancient world, stretching from the Ionian Sea to the Himalayas. He was
undefeated in battle and is considered one of history's most successful commanders.
- Alexander the Great established an empire from Greece to Egypt and the margins of
India.
- He extended Greek cultural influences.
Alexander the Great died at the age of 33. His empire quickly fell because none of his
successors were strong enough to take care of the empire. The lasting achievement of
Alexander’s conquests was the spread of Greek culture. When Alexander died, around
323 B.C., the Hellenistic period, or Hellenistic era began.
Hellenistic Age:
The Hellenistic era of history is the period which followed the conquests of Alexander
the Great. During this time, Greek cultural influence and power was at its highest in
Europe and Asia. It is often considered to be a period of transition between the brilliance
of the Greek Classical era and the emergence of the Roman Empire.
- During this time period, culture was blended with Greek and oriental elements.
- Hellenistic culture was spread through trade.
Eventually, Greece would be conquered by the Romans. By around 150 B.C., Greece
would become a province of the Roman Empire. They would remain under Roman rule
for hundreds of years.