Download Classical Greece

Classical Greece
500 B.C.E. to 300 B.C.E.
WHAT DO ALL THESE IMAGES HAVE IN
COMMON?
Ancient Greece
Minoans originally built a
brilliant civilization on the island
of Crete from around 200 BC1400 BC. The civilization
reached its height between
1750 BC and 1500 BC.
The Minoans were traders and
traded all through the middle
east. From Egypt to
Mesopotamia.
By about 1400 BC the Minoan
society disappeared. Possibly
from natural disaster, but
almost certainly from outside
invaders.
Mycenaean Civilization
The Mycenaean, like the
Aryans, were Indo-European.
They conquered Greece and
dominated the Aegean Sea
area from about 1400 BC –
1200 BC.
They are best known for their
part in the Trojan War, which
took place around 1250 BC.
The Trojan War was a rivalry
between the Mycenaean and
Troy, a rich trading city located
in present day Turkey. The two
sides battled for 10 years
before the Mycenaean
captured Troy and burned it to
the ground.
Mycenaean Civilization
• Guarded by protective
wall 20 feet thick.
• Warrior-king ruled the
surrounding villages and
farmers.
• Strong rulers controlled
the areas around other
Mycenaean cities.
• These kings dominated
Greece from 1600 to
1000 B.C.E.
Contact with Minoans
• 1500 B.C.E.
• Mycenaeans came into
contact with Minoan
civilization through trade
or war.
• Mycenaean traders
soon sailed throughout
the eastern
Mediterranean.
Contact with Minoans
• Minoans influenced
Mycenaeans:
– Mycenaeans adapted
Minoan writing system to
Greek language.
– Decorated vases with
Minoan designs.
– Greek religious practice
– Art
– Politics
– Literature
Trojan War: Fact or Fiction?
Heinrich Schliemann
The Rise of Greek City-States
• How did geography influence the Greek
way of life and their interaction with other
people?
• What kinds of government did the Greek
city-states develop?
• How did Athens and Sparta differ?
• What forces unified the Greek city-states?
Geography and the Greek City-States
Greece is part of the Balkan peninsula.
Mountains divide the peninsula into
isolated valleys. Off the Greek
mainland are hundreds of small islands.
The geography of the region prevented
the Greeks from creating a large, united
empire. Instead, they built many small
city-states, which they called the polis,
cut off from one another by mountains
or water.
The seas linked the Greeks to the
outside world. The Greeks became
skilled sailors, traveling and trading all
over the Mediterranean.
Greek City-States
• Polis (city-state): a city
and its surrounding
countryside, including
villages.
• 50-500 square miles of
territory
• 10,000 residents or less
• Acropolis – place on a
fortified hilltop where
citizens gathered to
discuss city
government.
The acropolis at Athens
Greek Political Structures
• Monarchy government: ruled by a king; rule is
hereditary; some rulers claimed divine right.
(Mycenae, 2000 B.C.E.)
• Aristocracy: state ruled by nobility, rule is
hereditary based on family ties, social rank, and
wealth (Athens prior to 594 B.C.E.)
• Oligarchy: state ruled by a small group of citizens;
rule is based on wealth or ability; ruling controls
military (Sparta, 500 B.C.E.)
• Direct Democracy: state ruled by its citizens; rule
based on citizenship; majority rule decides vote
(Athens after 500 B.C.E.)
Athens Builds a Democracy
• In 621 B.C.E. Draco,
developed a legal code: “all
Athenians were equal.”
• In 594 B.C.E. Solon outlawed
debt slavery
• Solon organized all Athenians
into four social classes based
on wealth.
• Top three classes could hold
public office, but anyone could
participate in assembly.
Age of Pericles (461-429 B.C.E.
• Direct Democracy –
citizens rule directly and
not through
representatives
• Male citizens who
served in the assembly
establish all the
important government
policies that affected the
polis.
Athenian Education
• Sons of wealthy families
received formal
education—poetry,
history, math, logic,
public speaking,
athletics, military school
• Girls were educated at
home by their mothers,
i.e. child-rearing, weaving
cloth, preparing meals.
• A few women were able
to learn to read and write.
Sparta
Sparta’s Government
• Assembly composed of
Spartan citizens who
elected officials and
voted on issues.
• Council of Elders – 30
older citizens proposed
laws
• Five elected officials
carried out laws.
• Two kings ruled over
military forces.
Sparta’s Social Structure
• Citizens descended from
original inhabitants –
ruling families who
owned the land.
• Non-citizens who were
free worked in commerce
and industry.
• Helots – worked in the
fields or as house
servants
Sparta’s Society
• Sparta had the most
powerful army in Greece.
• Individual expression
was discouraged.
• Did not value the arts,
literature, intellectual
pursuits.
• Did value duty, strength,
and discipline.
Gender Roles in Sparta
• Boys served in the
military until age of 60.
• Boys’ lives centered on
military training.
• Spartan girls received
some military training;
they also wrestled and
played sports.
• Spartan women had
considerable freedom.
Athens and Sparta
ATHENS
SPARTA
Society grew into a limited
democracy, or government by the
people.
Rulers were two kings and a
council of elders.
Male citizens over age 30 were
members of the assembly.
Conquered people were turned into
slaves, called helots.
Rulers encouraged trade with other
city-states.
Only men were allowed to be
citizens, women were not allowed
to be citizens although they had the
right to own and inherit property.
Women were considered inferior
and therefore were not allowed to
vote.
Boys received education in many
areas, not just military training.
Rulers formed a military society.
All males received military training.
Girls were raised to produce
healthy sons for the army.
Unifying Forces
Local ties, independent spirit, and economic rivalries led to
fighting among the Greek city-states. Despite these
divisions, the Greeks shared a common culture.
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They honored the same ancient heroes.
They participated in common festivals.
They prayed to the same gods.
They shared the Greek language.
They felt superior to non-Greeks, whom they
called “barbaroi,” people who did not speak Greek.
©2012, TESCCC
Persian Wars
• Danger of helot revolt led
Sparta to become military
state.
• Struggles between rich
and poor led Athens to
become a democracy.
• Invasion by Persian
armies moved Sparta
and Athens to their
greatness.
Impact of Technology on Warfare
• Before 750 B.C.E., only
the rich could afford
bronze spears, shields,
breastplates and chariots.
• Iron later replaced bronze
in manufacture of
weapons.
• Because iron was
common and cheap,
ordinary citizens could
afford to arm and defend
themselves.
• The phalanx emerged.
Battle at Marathon
• In 546 B.C.E. Darius
conquered Greeks in Ionia.
• Athens helped Ionians and
Darius vowed revenge.
• In 490 B.C.E. Persian fleet
of 25,000 men landed in
Marathon.
• 10,000 Athenians easily
defeated the unprepared
Persians.
• Pheidippides raced 26 miles
from Marathon to Athens to
protect city.
The Persian Wars (490 to 479 B.C.E.)
• Persia and the Greek citystates battled for over 10
years.
• Persians were unsuccessful
in their efforts to conquer
Greek city-states.
• Greek city-states formed
alliance called Delian
League.
• League members eventually
were successful in driving
the Persians from the
territories surrounding
Greece.
Consequences of Persian Wars
• Athens emerged as a leader
of the Delian League which
had 200 city-states.
• Athens used power to
control other league
members.
• In time, city-states became
provinces of Athenian
empire.
• Prestige and wealth of
Athens set the stage for a
golden age.
The Parthenon
• 23,000 square feet
• In traditional style of Greek
temples
• Built to honor Athena,
goddess of wisdom and
protector of Athens
• Figures were graceful,
strong, and perfect.
• Set standards for classical
art.
The Hellenistic Age
• Age of Alexander and
his successors
• Greek culture
expanded influence
beyond Greece.
• They facilitated trade
and made is possible
for culture to spread
over large distances.
Alexander the Great’s Empire
• Phillipp II conquered Greece
in 338 B.C.E.
• His son Alexander took over
at age 20.
• Alexander conquered the
Persian Empire, including
Egypt in 332 B.C.E.
Alexandria was established
in his name.
• By 326 B.C.E. Alexander
and his army reached the
Indus Valley. After 11 years
of fighting his men wanted to
go home.
Alexander’s Empire
Alexander’s Legacy
• After Alexander’s death, his
generals fought among
themselves for control of the
empire.
• The empire was divided:
– Antigonus – king of Macedonia
and Greek city-states
– Ptolemy – pharaoh of Egypt
– Selecus – Persian empire
• These rulers and their
descendants ignored
democratic traditions.
Alexandria
• Wealthiest of
Hellenistic Empires
was Ptolemaic Egypt.
• Huge harbor of 1,200
ships
• Culturally diverse
• Famous Alexandrian
Museum –
philosophy, literature,
science
• Famous Alexandrian
Library of more than
700,000 works
Alexander’s Legacy
• Alexander adopted Persian
dress and customs and
married a Persian woman.
• Persians and people from
other lands made up his
army.
• In time, Greek settlers
throughout the empire
adopted new ways.
• A blend of Greek and
Eastern customs emerged.
Agriculture in Ancient Greece
• Mountainous, rocky terrain
• Depended upon maritime
trade.
• Cultivated olives, grapes,
olive oil, and wine
• Grain came from Egypt,
Sicily, and southern Russia
• Cities relied more on
commerce than agriculture.
Greek Society
• Patriarchal – women spent time
in the family home; could not
own property but sometimes
operated small businesses
• Literacy was common among
upper class Greek women; poet
Sappho was active.
• Slaves came from those who
couldn’t pay debts, conquests
and Africa (Egypt)
Socrates (470-399 BCE)
• Posed questions that reflected
on human issues, i.e. ethics and
morality.
• Honor was more important than
wealth or fame.
• “The unexamined life is not
worth living.”
• Condemned to death for
“immorality and corruption of
Athenian youth” who joined him
to discuss moral and ethical
issues.
The Death of Socrates by Jacques-Louis David (1787)
Plato
• Socrates’ student or follower
• Presented thought in dialogue
between Socrates and a student
• The Republic:
• Disturbed that intellectual control
over the world was not possible
because world is constantly in a
state of flux.
• Advocated intellectual
aristocracy; philosophical elite
rules while less intelligent
classes work.
Aristotle
• Believed philosophers could rely
on their senses to provide
accurate information about the
world, and
• Use reason to sort out its
mysteries.
• Wrote on biology, physics,
astronomy, psychology, politics,
ethics, and literature.
• Christian and Islamic theologians
tried to harmonize religious
convictions with the philosophical
views of Plato and Aristotle.
Popular Religion
• Most Greeks of classical era
did not have advanced
education.
• Polytheistic
• Constructed myths related
to stories of the gods.
• Myths sough to explain the
world and its forces.
• Women were the most
prominent devotees of
Dionysus, god of wine.
• Euripides’ play The
Bacchae.
Philosophy: The Stoics
• Taught individuals they had the duty to aid
others and lead virtuous lives.
• Focused on reason and nature.
• Sought ways to bring individuals to a state
of inner peace and tranquility.