Download Ancient Greece – Basic Vocabulary Ancient Greece is remembered

Ancient Greece – Basic Vocabulary
Ancient Greece is remembered for:
o democratic govt. in Athens
o great art and architecture
o great writing
o birth of philosophy
 polis - Greek city-state
 monarchy – govt. ruled by a king
 aristocracy/oligarchy – govt. ruled by landowning elites
 democracy – govt. where citizens make the decisions; in a direct
democracy, citizens take part in the day to day operations of the
government
 legislature - lawmaking body
 tyrant - people who gain power by force; now a term for a vicious
and brutal ruler
 philosophers – lovers of knowledge
 Socrates (470-399 BCE) - encouraged students to use reason to
find the truth; he was accused of corrupting the youth and forced
to drink poison.
 Plato – student of Socrates – wrote Dialogues (the teachings of
Socrates) and Republic (about the ideal govt. where philosopher
king rule).
 Aristotle – student of Plato and teacher of Alexander the Great –
created the system of reason known as logic – studied and wrote
about many subjects. His teachings were “rediscovered” in the
late Middle Ages and helped bring about the Renaissance.
 Pericles – ruler during the Golden Age of Athens (flourishing of
arts, literature, philosophy) who died during the Peloponnesian
War.
 Persian Wars (493-479 BCE) – Greek city-states defeated the
Persian Empire in a series of famous battles.
 Peloponnesian War (431 404 BCE) – Athens v. Sparta – Spartans
win and Athenian greatness ends.
 Writing
o Epic poems – Iliad (Trojan War) and Odyssey (20 year
journey home of Odysseus)
o Drama – tragedy and comedy
Ancient Greece I
Early Civilizations
Minoan Civilization - 2000-1400 BCE
 sea traders located on Crete
 huge palace at Knossos
Mycenaean Civilization - 1400-1200 BCE
 Greek-speaking sea traders dominated Aegean Sea
 created city-states
 learned skills such as writing from the Minoans
 influenced by Egyptians and Mesopotamians
Trojan War - 1250 BCE: Mycenaeans v. Troy
 story told by Homer - 750 BCE
 passed orally until being written down
Dorians - 1100-800 BCE - Dark Age
 Greek-speaking invaders brought cultural decline
 for centuries lived in small, isolated villages with little outside
contact
Classical Greece
Economy
 society of fishermen and traders
 trade with Egypt, Mesopotamia, Asia Minor
 exports - olive oil, wine, marble
 imports - grains, metals, ideas
Government
 750 BCE - colonization around the Mediterranean
 each polis had a small population, provided for military defense
 loyalty to city-states led to rivalry and frequent wars
 forms of govt. : monarchy, aristocracy/oligarchy, democracy
 shared a common culture : language, gods, heroes, festivals
Athens evolved into a limited democracy after a series of reforms
Limits of Athenian democracy
 only male citizens could participate
 citizenship was restricted
 slaves provided most of the labor
Ancient Greece II
Persian Wars: 499-479 BCE
 Greek city-states defeat Persian Empire after a series of famous
battles
 Greeks form the Delian League - dominated by Athens
Age of Pericles: Golden Age for Athens - 460-429 BCE
 economy thrived
 government became more democratic
 flourishing of arts, literature, and philosophy
 salaries paid to officeholders enabling poor men to serve in
govt.
Peloponnesian War - 431-404 BCE (27 years)
 Spartans and enemies of Athens form Peloponnesian League
 Athens and allies v. Sparta and allies
 Spartans are victorious
 Athenian greatness ended and democratic govt. suffered
Alexander the Great
 338 BCE - Philip II of Macedonia takes control of all Greece.
 335-323 - Alexander, son of Philip, conquers the Persian
Empire, western India, and Egypt.
 It was the largest empire up to that point.
 On his conquest, he brought along scientists and historians.
 After his death, the empire was divided among three generals.
Hellenistic civilization
 A blend of eastern and western cultures, including Persian,
Egyptian, Indian, and Greek.
 Great progress was made in the sciences; including medicine,
astronomy, geography, and math.
 Alexandria, Egypt was the center of Hellenistic civilization.
 The spread of Greek culture was Alexander’s greatest
achievement.
Roman Republic I
Two Social Classes
 patricians – members of the landholding upper class
 plebians – farmers, merchants, artisans, and traders who made up the
bulk of the Roman population and had little influence in government
Political Aspects
 500 BCE - abandoned monarchy and set up a republic – govt. where
officials are chosen by the people
 senate - 300 patricians - served for life and ran the govt.
 two consuls - elected for 1-year term by senate to supervise the govt.
and command the armies, could veto (block) each other’s decisions
 dictator - chosen during war, a ruler with complete control over the
govt. with emergency powers for six months
 plebians wanted equal rights and representation
 450 BCE - Laws of the Twelve Tables
 gradual reforms were enacted
 tribunes were elected by plebians to protect their interests
 Assembly of Tribes formed to initiate laws, pleb. majority
 by 250 BCE, plebians were eligible for all public offices
Military Aspects
 Brave and loyal soldiers, superior military organization, and shrewd
senatorial decisions led to military greatness.
 Unpaid citizen soldiers evolved into army of paid professionals.
 Conquered people had to acknowledge Roman leadership, pay taxes,
and supply soldiers. They could keep their own customs, religion,
money, and local government. Some gained citizenship.
Three Punic Wars : 264-146 BCE : Rome v. Carthage
 Phoenician trading empire in present day Tunisia (North Africa).
 Fought over control of the western Mediterranean.
 Carthage was ultimately destroyed.
Final Conquest
 gained control of Greece, Asia Minor, and Egypt
 control of trade routes brought wealth from loot, taxes, and commerce
Roman Republic II
Social Deterioration
 wealthy landowners used slave labor, which hurt small farmers who
were forced to sell their land and move to Rome
 gap between rich and poor widened - political corruption increased
 angry mobs rioted - rival generals competed for power
 100 years of civil wars and slave uprisings
Julius Caesar
 general who brought Gaul under control after 9 years of fighting
 ordered to disband his army and return to Rome
 defied the order by crossing the Rubicon and lead his troops to Rome
 crushed resistance in Rome and rebellions around the Mediterranean
 “Veni, Vidi, vici” - “I came, I saw, I conquered.”
 returned to Rome in 46 BCE and made dictator for life by the senate
 enacted reforms between 48-44 BCE to aid the lower class
 fearing he wanted to be king of Rome, enemies in the senate had him
stabbed to death on the Ides of March, 44 BCE in the Senate House
 civil war broke out - Mark Antony and Octavian united to hunt down
the leaders of the conspiracy and later shared rule of Roman world
 after a power struggle Octavian was victorious
 senate proclaimed him Augustus - the Exalted One
 Augustus had absolute power during his rule from 31 BCE to 14 CE,
and he chose his successor.
 27 BCE marked the end of the Roman Republic and beginning of the
Roman Empire
Cleopatra Connection
 Cleopatra VII was at war with her brother/husband Ptolemy XIII.
 She allied with Julius Caesar who was in Egypt.
 She bore him a son, Caesarion, and returned to Rome with him.
 After Caesar’s assassination, she hooked up with Mark Antony, who
was ruling the eastern part of the Roman world from Alexandria.
 They had three children.
 Fearful of their power, Octavian declared war against Egypt and
defeated Mark Antony.
 Antony and Cleopatra committed suicide.
Rise of Christianity
 Jesus was a Jew born circa 4 BCE in Bethlehem.
 He followed Jewish law and worked as a carpenter.
 He began preaching and there were stories of miracles.
 His message of spiritual salvation and eternal life was not wellreceived by all.
 Jewish priests (rabbis) felt he was challenging their authority.
 Roman authorities saw him as a dangerous revolutionary.
 He was arrested and crucified.
 According to his disciples (followers), he rose from the dead and
later ascended to heaven.
 Apostles went around preaching his message to Jews.
 The first Christians were Jews in Palestine.
 Christianity became a sect (small group) within Judaism.
 Paul spread the teachings of Jesus to gentiles (non-Jews).
 Christianity attracted new converts.
 The Greek and Roman gods had lost their appeal.
 The message of equality and eternal life was comforting to the poor
and oppressed.
 Unity of Roman Empire and excellent system of roads helped.
 1st C. - Christians seen as dangerous subversives - religion outlawed.
 There were thousands of martyrs – people who suffer and die for
their beliefs.
 Christian Church developed into a hierarchy modeled after the
administration of the Roman government.
 Priest - conducted worship services in a local parish.
 Bishop - administered churches or parishes in a territory known as a
see or diocese.
 Archbishop - oversaw a province, group of several dioceses.
 Pope - “Father of the Church” - head of the Roman Catholic
Church. Archbishop of Rome assumed full authority.
 Gospels (first 4 books of the New Test.) discuss the life of Jesus.
 313 CE - Edict of Milan - emperor Constantine granted freedom of religion,
which ended persecution of Christians.
 392 CE - Theodosius made Christianity official religion of the empire.
 Heresies – beliefs contrary to official Church teachings were eliminated.
 When the Roman Empire collapsed, the church took over as the central
institution of western civilization for the next 1,000 years.
Roman Empire
Pax Romana - Roman Peace
 200-year span between Augustus and Marcus Aurelius
 Augustus : 31 BCE - 14 CE
 ended civil war and created a stable government
 Marcus Aurelius : 161-180
 Plato’s ideal of the philosopher-king
Period of Political Turmoil : 180-284
 Diocletian : 284-305
 divided empire into eastern and western parts - ruled in the east
 instituted economic reforms
 fixed prices for goods and services
 farmers working on latifundias had to remain on the land
 sons were required to follow their father’s occupations
 Constantine : 312-337
 granted freedom of religion - legalizing Christianity
Roman Society
 patriarchal family
 women gained greater public freedom : business, theater, baths
 achievements
 access to education : all classes and both sexes
 engineering : roads, bridges, aqueducts, harbors, and baths
 literature : Virgil’s Aeneid - epic poem glorifying Rome’s heroic
past, Ovid’s The Metamorphoses - tales of Greek/Roman gods
 law : principles later incorporated into U.S Bill of Rights
 bread and circuses : to feed and placate/entertain the masses
 chariot races, gladiator fights, mock naval battles, and public
executions
Problematic Neighbors
 Germanic tribes : Ostogoths, Visigoths, Vandals
 semi-nomadic invaders originally from Scandinavia
 Huns
 fierce nomads and superb riders and warriors from Central Asia
 drove more Germanic tribes into the Roman Empire
Causes of Decline of the Roman Empire
Political
 division of empire = less capable leaders in the west
 oppression and corruption = less popular support
 no official system of succession = internal power struggles and civil
wars between rival generals
Military
 poorly trained armies
 mercenaries (foreign soldiers who fight for pay) had no loyalty
 series of Germanic invasions
Economic
 increase in taxes to support army and bureaucracy
 reliance on slave labor - created unemployment
 indenture of farmers to wealthy landowners
 no more loot from newly conquered territories
Social
 decline in population from war and disease
 decline in patriotism, discipline and devotion to duty
 devotion of upper classes to luxury and self-interest
 Germanic rulers became as acceptable as Roman rulers
Fall
 476 CE - Odoacer, a minor German chief, captured Rome, forced the
emperor to give up the throne, and proclaimed himself King of Italy.
Greek and Roman Art
In the arts, the Romans emulated (copied) the Greek style.
However, there are differences. The Greeks depicted ideal beauty and
the Romans depicted reality. For example, the subjects of Greek statuary
are “drop-dead” gorgeous, whereas Roman statues show all the warts
and wrinkles. It is like comparing Hayden Panettiere or Zac Efron to
Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones, Steven Tyler of Aerosmith, or Elvis
during the “bad years.”
Similarly, in architecture the Greeks were also perfectionists.
Symmetry of lines, rectangular design, and splendid columns combined
“to convey a sense of perfect balance to reflect the harmony and order of
the universe.”1 And of course, only the finest materials were used.
Romans sacrificed quality for quantity and monumental size.
Bigger was better, and cheaper was cool too! They developed concrete
and veneer. Instead of using solid marble for their structures, the
Romans simply added a marble veneer to a base of concrete. Although it
was very clever and very utilitarian, to purists like the Greeks, it was
artistic sacrilege.
What artistic treasures of classical Greece and Rome have
survived? Paintings on vases and pottery exemplify the exquisite style of
Greek artisans. Many are done in the “red-figure” style, where a black
glaze creates a background on red clay. A wealth of statues, temples, and
palaces has remained from both cultures. Marble tends to have a very
enduring quality. Fortunately, many Roman mosaics and frescoes have
also survived. Mosaics involve combining tiny pieces of stone or glass to
create a picture or pattern. Frescoes are wall paintings created by
painting on wet plaster. The artistic style that began in Greece and
flourished in Rome set a standard of excellence that is held in the
highest regard to this very day.
1
Prentice Hall, World History: Connections To Today, (Simon & Schuster: Upper Saddle River, New
Jersey), 1999, pg.119.
Bread and Circus
A Roman poet once lamented that all the Roman people cared about was
bread and circuses. Bread was given out to feed and pacify the landless
peasants and unemployed soldiers in Rome.
 Circuses were a whole other matter. They were performed to entertain
and placate the masses.
 The events were quite different than the circus events that we are
used to seeing.
 Preferred events included chariot races, gladiator fights, mock naval
battles, and even public executions.
 It was generally slaves that performed in these exhibitions.
 The most famous arenas for these “blood-sport” events were the
Colosseum, which seated 50,000 people, and the Circus Maximus,
which was a 700 yard-long oval outdoor stadium that held ¼ million
spectators.
Chariot races
 Romans showed up early to place bets and get a good seat.
 Charioteers stood on frail two-wheeled chariots pulled by a team of
two to four horses.
 The reins went around their waists, and they held a whip in one hand
and a knife in the other hand to slash the reins off if the chariot
overturned.
 Three to twelve chariots competed in a race that was seven laps or
about five miles.
 The whole event took about 15 minutes.
 Many drivers were trampled to death.
 The most successful charioteers received much attention and even
amassed a fortune. They were the superstar athletes of their time.
Gladiator fights
 Hand to hand combat fought to the death.
 Before the battles, the gladiators would shout together to the
emperor, “We who are about to die salute you.” And the fighting
would begin.
 On the occasion that one was only wounded, he could ask the
emperor for mercy. The emperor would listen to the pleas of the
crowd and then signal the victim’s fate. Thumbs up - he lived or
thumbs down - he died.
Mock naval battles
 The Colosseum was constructed in such a way that it could be filled
with water to reenact famous Roman victories.
 Thousands of slaves would die in these events.
Public executions
 … were also a popular attraction.
 Held at the Colosseum, unarmed criminals were thrown out to test
their wits against lions and bears.
 During the reigns of Nero, Domitian, and Diocletian, Christians were
also persecuted in this manner.
These gruesome forms of entertainment were an important way that
Roman emperors controlled the populace by satisfying their lust for
action and bloodshed.
The Persian Wars
Greek cities in Ionia (Asia Minor) revolted against Persia (499-493 BCE)
 Revolt was led by the city of Miletus in 499 BC.
 Athens sent 20 ships to aid the Ionians in Miletus.
 The Greeks burned Sardis, the capital of Lydia.
 Nevertheless, the Persians crushed the rebellious Greek cities in 493,
 Darius was furious about the intervention of the Athenians and
ordered a servant to repeat daily, “Master, remember the Athenians.”
 In 492, Darius sent 600 ships to attack Greece, but a storm off the
Macedonian coast wrecked half his fleet.
 In 490, Darius sent another 600 ships.
Battle of Marathon (490 BCE)
 The Persians landed on the plain of Marathon about 25 miles from
Athens.
 The Athenians sent a runner to ask the Spartans for help, they
refused.
 The Athenian force of 10,000 confronted the Persian force of 20,000.
 General Miltiades divided his force into three units, with the smallest
unit in the center and two in the wings out of the sight of the
Persians. While his center was driven back by bows and arrows, his
wings united behind the enemy and attacked with stout spears.
 The Persians rushed back to their ships in terror.
 There were 6,400 dead Persians and 200 dead Athenians.
 Herodotus declared, “Free men fight better than slaves.”
 The Greeks sent their best runner, Pheidippides, to carry the news of
the victory back to Athens. He ran 26 miles, gasped “rejoice, we
conquer,” and died of a heart attack.
 This is considered one of the greatest battles of all time.
 The Athenians realized that the Persians would return seeking
revenge, so on the advice of their leader, Themistocles, they built up
their navy.
 Darius died in 486, but his son Xerxes planned another attack.
The Battle of Thermopylae (480 BCE)
 Xerxes prepared for a huge invasion, but first sent envoys to demand
the surrender of Greek cities. Many submitted, but the rest formed an
alliance and chose Sparta as their leader.
 Persian rulers used bribery and intrigue to foster disunity among the
city-states.
 On the way to Athens, Xerxes’s 150,000 troops found a small force of
2,000 Greek soldiers and 300 Spartans holding the narrow pass of
Thermophylae, blocking the way to central Greece.
 For two days, the Greeks held back the Persians. Then a Greek traitor
told the Persians of an alternate route through the mountains. The
Persians attacked from the rear. All 300 Spartans fought to the death,
and 700 Athenians also died.
 The inhabitants of Athens took refuge on the island of Salamis and
watched as the Persians looted their homes and temples and set fire
to Athens with flaming arrows.
The Battle of Salamis (480 BC)
 Themistocles tricked Xerxes into sending his fleet of 350 ships into
the narrow straits of Salamis.
 Xerxes’s ships outnumbered the Athenian ships three to one, so
Xerxes expected an easy victory and had a throne brought to the cliffs
so he could watch the battle.
 However, the smaller Greek ships could maneuver better in the
narrow strait.
 The Greeks sank over 200 Persian ships and captured many more.
 Xerxes escaped with the remaining ships back to Persia, abandoning
his army.
The Battle of Plataea (479 BCE)
 In 479, the Greeks led by the Spartans defeated what remained of the
Persian army.
 The same year, Xerxes’s fleet was defeated at Mycale.
 A treaty was not signed for 30 years, but the threat of Persian
domination ended.
Effects
 Greek confidence increased.
 Athens became the most powerful city-state and created an alliance
with the other Greek states to create an empire of sorts - the Delian
League.
 Golden Age of Athens began under the leadership of Pericles (461-429
BCE).
 Sparta’s jealousy of Athens led to the Peloponnesian War: Athens V.
Sparta : (431-404 BCE).
 Philip of Macedonia conquered the warring Greek city-states (338
BCE).