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Greek geography

Greece is mountainous

Greek communities
often times developed
independently because
of the mountains, thus
they were diverse

Resulted in many local
rivalries
Technology results from scarcity; going from
abundance of water to a lack of water

All cities need fresh
water. This is a
Greek aqueduct,
basically a brick
water pipe.
Technology results from necessity

Since Greek coastal
cities were
sandwiched
between the ocean
and the sea, they
developed a
powerful navy for
trading and fighting
Greek Inventions
 Dice
 Olympics
 Crane
 Arches
and
columns
 Catapult
Greek Military

This is a phalanx.
 Soldiers get in a
tight box. They
each have a large
shield and a 9 foot
long spear.
RELIGION—polytheistic.




The Greeks developed a
rich set of myths, or
traditional stories, about
their gods.
Mythology.
Greeks attributed human
qualities, such as love,
hate, and jealousy, to their
gods.
Zeus, the “head” god, lived
on Mount Olympus with his
wife, Hera.
– Children: Aphrodite, Athena,
Perseus, and about 100
more!
City-States

Development of more formal
governments- the city states.
 The city-state or polis was the
fundamental political unit in
ancient Greece. A polis was
made up of a city and its
surrounding countryside, which
included numerous villages.
 When have we heard ‘polis’
before?
 The city-states called a “truce”
during Olympics.
Spartan Types of Governments
Totalitarian- govt control over every
aspect of public and private lives.
 Monarchy- a single person, king, ruled
the government
 Aristocracy- a government ruled buy a
small group of noble, landowning
families
 Oligarchy- a government ruled by a few
powerful people

Athens Government
st
(1
Democracy)
Democracy: type of government where
people vote.
 Well, actually, Athens was a direct
democracy where people vote on
everything.
 The U.S. today is a representative
democracy, where we vote for people to
make decisions for us.

Sparta

Spartan society was
obsessed with war.
 Boys were sent to
military school at a
young age.
 Boys who are born
deformed are left to die
on mountainsides
Roles of men and women in Sparta
WOMEN
 Have sons
 Participate in
government
MEN
 Go to war
 Have sons
 Train sons
 Participate in
government
Athens

Athenians were
tough but were
encouraged to
engage in
activities like art,
philosophy,
music.
Role of men and women in Athens
WOMEN
 Get an education
 Household chores
 Honor their
husband
MEN
 Participate in
government
 Get an education
Golden Age of Athens

Pericles—leader of
Athens (461-429
BCE)
 3 Goals
– Strengthen Athenian
democracy
– Hold and strengthen
the empire
– Glorify Athens
Glorifying Athens



Wealth was used to
beautify Athens.
The Parthenon –
built to honor
Athena, goddess
of wisdom & protector
of Athens
Sculptures- “serenity” &
“grace.” Classical art
Glorifying Athens
Classical Art – sculptors wanted
to portray ideal beauty, not
realism.
 Drama – the tragedy & the
comedy.
– Tragedy: pain and suffering of
human life
• Tragic flaw (hero)
• Love, hate, betrayal, or
war
– Comedies
• Important ideas
• Some were critical
– Free and open society

Philosophy

Greek philosophers, or "lovers of wisdom,"
used observation and reason to study the
world around them.
Herodotus—Father of History
objectivity –
eliminating bias or
favoritism
 reported on GrecoPersian Wars
 Gather multiple
sources and write a
narrative
