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PREVIEWING
Classical Greece,
2000 B.C.-300
'1
Section
Section
5 The Spread of Hellenistic Culture
Section
Section
B.C.
THE CHAPTER
Cultures of the Mountains and the Sea 111 r
115
Warring City-States
120
Democracy and Greece's Golden Age
128
Alexander-Empire Builder
'I
2
3
4
Section
II
ower and Authority
Egypt, Persia, and China,
ders had claimed their
Irthly power as a divine
Jht. In the Greek city-state
, Athens, a new form of
)Vernment
developed-
?mocracy-in
which
tizens had the authority
:ercise power.
to
the philosopher Socrates spoke
efore his death. A jury found him
ng the gods and of teaching
oung people. His sentence was
,on. Socrates stated that he
cause "no evil can befall a good
Jeath." Jacques Louis David
I Socrates' end in 1787.
ultural Interaction
Ie Minoans
troduced
)uthwest
of Crete had
Egyptian and
Asian cultural
eas to Greek-speaking
peoes. In turn, the conqueror
exander the Great spread
reek culture throughout
uch of Asia. Greek and
;ian cultures then blended
create Hellenistic culture.
mpire Building
Irlier conquerors,
such as the
'rsians, had created empires
at contained many diverse
·oples. Alexander conquered
e Persian Empire to create a
st new empire of his own.
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132
Interact
\7\I'
with
History
l
hat is when
the first
mind
youthing
thinkthat
of comes
ancient to
Greece? You can learn much ahout what a
UllJat {lid
culture valnes (i'OJ11
its works of alt, literature,
and fJ'OJ11
the statements of its leaders and
tlJe (;reells
phiJosophers. Look at these f~lInousworks of
/'
);:.
VatUe!
1
g)
art fi'OJ11Greece and read the quotations .
\j;.''I
(f;"J
. \I \
SETTING THE STAGE In ancient times, Greece was uot a united conntrv. It was a
collection of separate lands where Greek-speaking peoplc lived, By 200() B.C., thc
Minoans Jived on the largc Greek ishmd of Crete. The Minoans created an elegant
civilization that had grcat power in the Mediterranean world. At the same time, Iudo.European peoples migrated from the plains along the Black Sea and Anato1ia, The
Indo-Europeans settled in mainland Greece. Seaborne commercial networks spread
as well as resources throughout the eastern Mediterranean.
hheriver-god:
.. Achelous took
. the form of a bulband attacked
'1
him fiercely. , . but Hercules'.
conquered
hiin and broke off
one of his horns,"
Edith
Hamilton,
in
)
i
i
j
i
Mythology
Geography Shapes Greek Life
,j
)
(from Apollodorus)
Ancient Greece consisted mainly of a mountainous peninsula jutting out into the
Mediterranean Sea. It also included approxim<ltely I,4()() islands in the Aegean
This Greek vase depicts the mythological hero
Hercules. noted for his strength and courage.
battling Acbelnus.
(ih.JEE.nhn) and Ionian (eye.OH.nee.ulm) seas. Lands on the western coast of
AnatoJia were also part of ancient Greece. (See the map on page 112,) The region's
Il' ~\t
I
This stone relief panel
~f Democracy
Athens was placed in the marketplace,
citizens could see it daily.
"Our 'constitution
The Sea The sea shaped Greek chilization just as livers shaped the ,mcient civilizations
of Egy1)t, the Fertile Crescent, India, and China. In one sense, the Greeks did not live ""
a land but arollnd a sea. Greeks rarely traveled more than 85 miles to reach the coastline,
\
! 1;i \\'\,
The Aegean Sea, the Ionian Sea, and the neighboring Black Sea were important
transportation routes for the Greek people. These liquid highways
linked IllOst parts of Greece. As the Greeks became skilled sailors,
sea travel also connected Greece \\ith other societies. Sea travel
and trade were also important because Greece itself was poor
in natural resources. Greece lacked timber, precions metals,
and usable fann]and.
Jit
./ .'It\
crowning
t
where
The Greeks often used scul
is called a
graceful
democracy because power is
in the hands not of a minority
but of the whole people."
maidens,
called c
as building support column
"For we are lovers
beautiful, yet sim
our tastes. ","
Pericles, an Athenian statesman
Thucydides,
EXAMINING
• What does the relief panel suggest about
the role of democracy in Greek society?
• What special qualities
athletes possess?
I
physical geography directly shaped Greek traditions amI customs.
cia heroes
and
• Why \/\/ould the Greeks carve a statue of
a lovely \MOman onto a building column
or decorate their pottery with a heroic
scene?
tlJe
The Land Hugged mountains covered
of ancient Greece. Mountaius ,livided
ber o[ different regions. The mountain
from northwest to southeast along the
a historial
They significantly inHuenced Greek political life. Unlil,e the
Eg)1)tians or the Chinese, it was dilhenlt to nnite the ancicllt
Greeks under a single govennnenl. Greece devc]oped small, inde-
ISSUES
Break into small groups amI talk about what
commou elemeuts you see in these artworks.
Also discuss what the quotes tell you abont
Greek culture and ideals. In what ways doyou
thiuk Greek values still inHuence us today?
TORY
"
nus
As you read abont ancient Greece-its
history, culture, and forms of govenunent-uote
what roles these ideals played in Greek society
eve!-
~iety?
pendent com1l1unities within each little valley and its snrrounding
mOllntains. Most Greeks gave their loyalty to these local c01l1l11unities.
In ancient times, the uneveu terrain also made Jalld trausportation
dimenlt. Early Greek roads were little l110re than dirt paths. For example, the city-state of Sparta was only about 60 miles from Olympia, the
site of the OlympiC Games. Yet it took Spartans almost seven days
to travel that distance.
Milch of the land itself was stony and only a small part of itapproximately 20 percent-was
110
about three-fourths
the Jand into a mllnchains ran mainly
Balkau peninsllia.
Chapter ,5
~,"
·.'1
t
.(
arable, or suitable [or fanning.
Nestled at the base
of a mountain
range, this coasta1
Greek city has a
rugged shoreline.
!
vcenae, a warrior-king ruled the surrounding villages and farms. Similar Mvcenaean
alace-folts dotted the southem part of Greece. Influential and militaristic n;lers conoiled the Mycenaean commuuities in towns such as Tiryns and Athens. These kings
aminated Greece hom about 1600 to 1200 B.C.
ulture
~_.
.
~!
Mediterranean
EOGRAPHY
SKlllBUllDER:
Interpreting
Maps
Movement Based on the map, how did Greek traders conduct most of their trade?
Human-Environment Interaction How might the topography or surface features of
Greece have affected communications among early Greek settlements?
Tiny but fertile valleys covered about one-fourth of Greece. The
small streams that watered these valleys were not suitable for
large-scale inigation projects.
\Vith so little fertile farmland or fresh water for irrigation,
Greece was never able to support a large population. It is estimated that no more than a few million people lived in ancient
Greece at any given time. Even this small population couldn't expect the land to support a life of luxUlY. As a result, the Greeks based their diet on basic staple crops such
as grains, grapes, and olives. A desire for more living space, grassland for raising livestock, and adequate farmland may have been Elctors that motivated the Greeks to
seek new sites for colonies.
The Climate Clinwte was the third important environmental inflllellce on Greek
civilizatioll, Greece has a varied climate with temperatures averaging 48 degrees
Fahrcnheit in the winter and so (legrees Fahrenheit in the slimmer. In ancient
times, these moderate temperatures supported an outdoor life I()r mauy Greek citizens. Meu spent much of their leisme time at outdoor public events, They met often
to discuss public issues, exchange news, amI take an active part in civic life.
Mycenaean Civilization Develops
As Chapter 3 explained, a largc wave of Indo- Emopeans migrated hom the Eurasian
steppes to Enrope, India, and Southwest Asia, Some of these people who settled on the
Greek mainland aronnd 2000 B.C. were later kno,,"l as Mycenaeans, The name came
Ii'om their leading city, Mycenae (my-SEE.nee).
Mycenae was located on a steep, rocky ridge and surrounded by a protcctive wall up
to 20 feet thick. The fOltified city of Mycenae could withstand almost any attack. From
:hapter 5
and Trade
The nobles who lived within the I())tresses enjoyed a life of sur-
rising splendor. They feasted ill great halls ,35 feet wide and 50 feet long. During banuets, the firelight from a huge circular hearth glittered on a dazzling variety of gold
,itchers and silver cups. When the royal Mycenaeans died, they were bmied ,,~th their
richest treasures. \Vanior-kings won their enormous wealth by controlling local production and commercial trade. They also led their armies in search of plunder. However,
few other Mycenaeaus had the wealth of the warTior-kings. \Vealthy lungs of the Bronze
Age (2000-1100 B.C.) wielded bronzc weapons and drank from cups of gold. The comIlion pcople us cd tools madc limn less cxpcnsive materials such as stonc and wood.
Most werc farmers, but others worked as weavers, goat herders, or stoncmasons.
The wanior-kiugs of Mycenae also invaded Crete. The Minoan ch~lization had flourished on Crete for GOO years. The civilization ended ablllptly and mysteliously in 1400
B.C. The Mycenaean invasions prevented the Minoans from rebuilding. However, the
Mycenaeans preserved elements of Minoan culture by making it part of their m'~l lives.
From their contact with the Minoans, the l'vlycenaeans saw the value of seaborne
trade. Mycenaean traders sailed to islands in the Aegean, coastal towns of Allatolia, and
to cities in S)~ia, Egypt, Italy, and Crete. The Minoans influenced Mycenaean culture in
other ways as well. The Mycenaeans adapted the Minoan wliting system to the Greek
language and decorated vases with Minoan designs. Their legacy survived in the form of
legends. These legends later formed the core of Greek religious practice, mt, politics, and
literature. 'Vestern civilization has roots in these early Greek chilizations.
Greek stories tell of
their army's capture
of the legendary
city o!Troy. Some
scholars think that
the hollow wooden
horse of Western
literature
may
actually have been
a gigantic siege
engine or battering
ram.
The Trojan War About 1200 B.C. the Mycenaean kings
fought a ten-year war against Troy, an independent trading
city located in Anatolia. According to legend, a Greek army
besieged and destroyed Troy because a Trojan youth had kidnapped Helen, the beautiful ,,~fe of a Greek king.
For many years, histOlians thought that the legendary stories
told of tile Tm,jan War were totally fictional. Then around 1870,
a German archaeologist, Heinrich Schliemann, began excavating
a hill in nOlthwcstern Turkey. He found the remains of nine layers of city life, oue of which may date from this time perind. His
discoveries suggest that the stolies of the Trojan \Var may have
been bascd on real cities, people, and events.
In 1988, another German histOlian, Manfred Korfinann,
excavated an ancient mmitime cemetery near the hill believed to
be the site of ancient Troy. AJthough some scholars disagree,
Korfmann believes the Trojan \Var was a struggle for control of a
crucial waterway in the Aegean Sea. In any event, the attack on
Troy was probably one of the last campaigns of the Mycenaeans.
Greek Culture Declines Under the Dorians
Not long after the Trojan 'Var; Mycenaearl civ~lization collapsed. Around 1200 B.C., sea
raiders attacked and burned palace after palace. At Mycenae, a layer of ashes from a
tenible fire covered the entire palace site. According to traditiou, a new group of people, the Dodans (DAWR;ee.uhllZ), Jlloved into this war-torn couutryside. The DOlians
spoke a dialect of Greek and were distant relatives of the Bronze Age Greeks.
The Dorians were far less advanced than the Mycenaean Greeks. The centralized
economy collapsed and trade eventually came to a standstill vvith their an'ival. Most
Classical Greece
113
THINK
important to historians, Greeks appear to have temporarily f()rgotten the mt of wliting
during the DOJian Age. No written record exists from the 400-year period belween
1 LSO and 7.50 B.C. v\lithout written records, little is known about this period of decline.
THROUGH
B. l\1aking
Inf~rences
was
HISTO~Y
Why
the oral tradition
during the Dorian
Epics of Homer Lacking writing, the Greeks of this time learned ahout the Trojan
\Var through the spokeu word. Their greatest st(JI)teller, according to Greek tradition,
was a hlindman named Homer. Little is known of his personal life. Some historians
Age
important to later
historians?
believe Homer composed his epics, narrative poems celebrating heroic deeds,
betweeu 750 and 700 B.C. The Trojan \Var forms the backdrop for Homer's two great
epic poems, Tile Iliad amI Tile Odyssey.
The heroes of The Wad are waniors: the fierce Greek, Achilles (uh·KIHL·eez),
and
the courageous and nohle Hector of Troy. lu the ()lIowing drlllnatic excerpt, Hedor's
wife begs him not to fight Achilles:
I marble
·e of
mus, a
,or onemster, in
; The
A VOICE FROM THE PAST
"0 Hector, your courage will be your destruction; and you have no pity on your little
son or on me, who will soon be your widow ... if I lose you, it would be better for me
to die .... "
Then tall Hector ... answered, "Wife, I too have thought upon all this, But I would
feel deep shame if like a coward I stayed away from battle. All my life I have learned
to be brave and to fight always in the front ranks of the Trojans, winning glory for
myself .... "
HOMER,
The Iliad
v.
Hedor's response to his wife gives insight into the Greek heroic ideal of
"rete (ar.uh.TAY), meaning virtue and excellence. A Greek could display this
'\ ideal on the battlefield, in combat, or in athletic contests.
Homer's other epic, Tile Ocilrssey, concerns the adventures of Odysseus
(oh.DIH.see.uhs). Odysseus uses his wits and trickery to defeat the
--x:
Trojans. Much of this epic is set after the war. It concenls his ten-year
joumey home and the strange and mysterious lands Odysseus visits along
the way.
Greeks
Create
Myths
The Greeks developed a rich set of myths, or tradi-
tional stories, about their gods. Through these myths, the Greeks sought to
understand the mysteJies of nature and the power of human passions. Myths
explained the changing of the seasous, for example.
Greeks attJibuted human qualities, such as love, hate, and jealousy, to their
gods. The gods quarreled and competed \\~th each other constantly. However,
unlike humans, the gods lived forever. Zeus, the ruler of the gods, lived on Mount
Olympus with his \\~fe, Hera. lIera was often jealous of Zeus' relationships with other
wOlllen. Athena, goddess of wisdom, was Zeus' daughter and Ids [\Vorite chi],], The
Greeks thonght of Athena as the gnardian of cities, especially of Athens, which was
named in her honor. You \\~Il learn about Athens and other eities in Section 2.
Section
oRMS & NAMES
entify
V1ycenaeans
TrojanWar
Dorians
Homer
epics
sea
myths
0
3. DRAWING CONCLUSIONS
2. TAI<ING NOTES
Re-create the graph below on
your paper and fillin examplesof
how geographyaffected early
Greekcivilization.
Geographic
land
climate
Feature
Assessment
Effects
Why didthe lack of writing
represent a setback to the
developmentof Greekcivilization?
Cultural Interaction Whyd(
you thinkthat early Greekepics
and mythsare so weii knownan
studied in today's society?
THINK ABOUT
• Minoanand Mycenaean
accomplishments
• uses of writing
• other forms of communication
. Chapter ,5
4. ANALYZING THEMES
THINK ABOUT
• arete
• Greekideals compared to idea
in today's world
• early Greeks' purpose of
storytelling
SETTING THE STAGE After the sea peoples invaded mainland Greeee around
]200 ILC., the Dorians 1Il00TrIinto thC' area. Greek civilization experienced a period
of dedine during thC' Dorian perioc!. After many centuries, Dorians and Mvcenac':ms
alike identified less with the eultun' of' their ancestors and more with th,>ir loeal
city-statC', By 7,50
B.C.
the Gre"'"
saw the rise of powerful city-states.
Rule and Order in Greek City-States
By 1,50 B.C., the city-state, or polis, was the fundamental political unit iu aneieut
Grcece. A polis was made up of a city and its sUITolnHling eouutryside, which
included numerous villa?:es. Most eit)'-states eoutrolled betweC'n ,50 and -SOO square
miles of territmy. The)' were often home to fewer than 20,000 residC'nt'. At the agora
(the public center). or on a !')J'tified hiJItop called an aeropolis (uh-KHAHI'·ull'lihs),
l11alecitizens gathered to conduct business.
Greek Political Structures
There were many ways to rule a
Greek polis. In some citY-stales, much like Ji\'cr-valley ci\ilizations.
kin?:s or monarchs ruled in 'J government callcd a momU'chy. In
timC', some city-states adopted an aristoeracy (,\H,"h,STAHKmh·see), a government ruled bv a small group of nohle, land-OIming bmilies. These Vel)' )ich families often gained political power
after working in a kin?:" militmy cavahy.
LatCJ; as trade expanded, a new dass of wealthy merchants and
artisans cmergeel in some cities. '\lhen these gronps became elissatisfied \\ith mistocratic rule, they sometimes took power or
shared it with the nobiJity They I(mned an oligarchy, a go"ernment mleel by a few powerfllipeople. The idea of representati\'e
go"ernment also began to take root ill many city-states. Re?:arelless of its political stmclure, cach polis enjoyed a dose-knit commnnity. !vIost Greeks looked tlown on all non-Creek 1()J'('i?:m,rs,
whom tbey consick-red barharians.
A New l<ind of Army Emerges
DlII'ing the Dorian Age, on Iv the rich cOllld an())'(1
hronze spears, sbielels, breastplates, alld ~hariots. Iron l::ter rel;Iaced bronzc in tbe
1llal111f~lctllreof weapons. Harder than bronze, iron \\'as lnon' com mOil and therefore
eheaper. Soon, ordinary citizens cOllld aff()!'(l to ann and defend tlwl)lsclVl's.
The shift frolll bronze to iron weapons maele possible a new kil](1 of army COIlIposeel of Jlwrcbants, artisans, anel smailialldowners.
Citizens were expccted to
defend the polis. Foot soldiers, called hoplitcs, stood side by side, holding a spear iJl
one hand and a shield in the othe!'. Tbis fearsome formation, or phalanx (F'AY·lanks),
was the most powerful fighting {()rce ill the ancient world.
Armed with spears,
shields, and
protective headgear,
Greek foot soldiers
marched into battle.
Artists often recreated scenes like
the one pictured
above on Greek
pottery.
Tyrants Seize Power No ruler eoultl ignore the power of the citizcr.-soldiers. In mallY
city-states, unemployed bnncrs anel debt-)ielden artisans joined in rev· lIt against the
Classical Greece
115
I
II
nobles. Powerfi,l indi\iduals. called lyranls,
gaim·d control oj' till' go""nuncnt
bvappeal-
IIII·················~·····....
1
-Athens I Builds
ing to the poor and the discont<'nted [,)r snpport.
The rule of some dty-statcs passed from one tV!"antto tlw m,xt as c01npetiug gronps
took po\ver. Other cities, however, {(HllId new ways of govcrning. AlIlCmg these city-states
were two of tl"" most powerful. Sparta and Athens.
Located in thl' southern part of Gn'ece known as the Peloponnesns (l'I':III ..llh.p"h.1\' EEsns). Sparta was nearly cnt 01'1'fi'01n the n'st oj' Greece by thc Gulf of Coriuth. (S['e the
map ou pag" 112.) Unlike other city-states. Spmia bnilt a lnilitarv state.
'TLIGRrON :'.~.
>
•.•••••
' ••
'.
urior-Women
s of an armyoffierce
nen calledAmazonshave
lers forcenturies.Legend
,e Amazonsfoughtand
Ihiletheir husbands
cleaned. Skilledarchers
Dominates
Messenians
While oth"r city-states J()Ilmled
Political Developments
in Athens Like other city-states, Athens
went through a power struggle between lich awl poor. However,
Athenians avoided civil war by making timely reforms. Athenian
reformers tried to create democracy, rule by the people. In Athens,
citizens participated directly in political decision making.
Not everyone in Athens had a part in this new I,mn of
political participation. Only hee adult males counted as eitizens. \Vomeu, slaves, and foreigners living in Athens were
excluded from citizenship and had few rights. Slaves
f'Jrlned about one-third of the Athenian population. They
worked in mines, farmed fields, and did housework.
coloni"s abroad. Sparta conquered neighborlng Messenia around 72.S
B.C. and took over the laud. The Mcssenians became helols (HEll L·
uhts), peasants {,)rced to slay ou the land they worked. Each yeal; the
Spartans demanded half of thee helots' yearly crop. Around 600 B.C ..
the Messenial1S, who outnnmbered thl' Spartans eight to one. revolted.
The Spartans jnst barely pnt dm\1J the revolt, amI then declieated
themselves to the creation of a strong city-state.
women, Amazons were
Sparta's
killbeforemarrying.
uries historiansdismissed
Amazonsas fantasy.
vever,Russianand
rchaeologistsunearthed
idence.In Pokrovka.
, they dug up44burial
;idethey foundthe
f womenburiedwith
iron daggers.
ts thinkthese ancient
/ have inspiredGreek
·se findshave also cast
1the roles ofwomen
longago.
An assembly, composed of all free adult males, elected ot1kials lUlcl
voted on major issues. The seeoml gronp was the Conncil of Elders.
It proposed laws on which the assembly voted. Five ele<:ted off1cials
called ephors carried out the laws the council passed. These men
controlled edueation amI prosecnted court cases. In addition, two
kings ruled over Sparta's militmy.
Like its political structure, Sparta's population was diverse and
consisted of several social groups. The first were citizellS descended
from the original inhabitants of the region. This group included the
ruling families who owned the laml. A second group, noncitizens hut
free, worked in commerce and inclnsl1y. The helots, near the hottom
Government
and Society
Two groups gm'erued Sparta.
In general, Atbenian women focused their attention on
child reming, weaving cloth, preparing meals, anel managing
the household. In this excerpt, a Greek histOlian describes
what a husband expected from his wife:
Background
The kings of Sparta
were not monarchs
in
the traditional
sense
but hereditary
military
A VOICE FROM
THE PAST
You will need to stay indoors .... The greatest joy of all will
be to prove yourself ... a better helpmate to myself and to
the children, a better guardian of our home, so will your
honor increase ....
[By being dutiful] you will enjoy your
food, grow vigorous in health, and your complexion will in
very truth be lovelier.
leaders.
of Spartan society, were a little higher than slaves. Smne also served
as household servants or worked for the citizen hoplite warriors.
XENOPHON,
Spartan
Education
rlll army in Greece, bnt they paid a high price for that position. All
forms of individual expression were discouraged. As a reslllt, Spartans
did not value the arts and had practically no time 1'01' artistic expression. Spartans valned duty, strength, and discipline over individllality, beauty, and freedom.
)te1' 5
Oeconomicus
For men, daily life centered around military training. Traiuiug
was rigorous. At the age of seven, hoys left home and moved into army barracks.
'Vearing no shoes, they marched in light tllllieS dnriug the clay and slept on hard
benches at night. Trainees glllped down meager meals or coarse blaek porridge. Such
schooling prodllced tough soldiers.
Spartan girls also led hanly lives. Although they did not reeeive military training, they ran, wrestled. amI played sports. Like the hoys, they
also learned to pllt serviee to Sparta above even love or ramily. As
adults, women managed the ramily estates while their husbands serVl'd
the polis. Althougb Spartall womell did 1I0t have the right to vote.
their roles ill Spartall sodety smprisecl meu frolll other Greek citystates. This was particlilarly trlle in Athl'ns, where dtizens
expc'cted womell to remain ont of sight alld qllietly raise children.
From aronud600 ulltil :371 B.C., the Spartaus had the most power-
'I'
In adelition to baving no part in government,
tle to do with the dty's intellectual life.
women had very lit-
.i
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! •••••• ,~
_
~"_
Located on a rocky hill in eastern Greece, Athens lay to the north of Sparta. (See the
Illap on page 112.) In outlook and valnes, Athens contrasted 5ha'1)ly with Spluia. An
amhassador Ii'om the city-state of Corinth once compared the Spartans to the
Athenians in a speech to the Spartan assembly. He told the Spartans that though they
had the strongest army in Greece, they were too cautions. lIe also said that the
Spartans lacked imagination and cmiosity. Athenians, he said, were always eager to
learn new ideas because they had been erlncated to think and act as
Fornl!i"ofGovernment
fi'ee people.
,
t:
'
'
Sparta Builds a Military State
Sparta
a Limited Democracy
:1
.. - ..
'
,
..
."",
'
..
.....
' ..
, .,'
,'.',
••• ·-....iI'
.
.
_ •. :,>,,' .....
I i ,f;,'; ,r ~~~"-~'
·)t"iM
..
~"\. ~t~,
'''..:... ,
• State ruled bynobility
• Ruleis hereditary and based on
land own'"rship
• Socialstatus and wealth support
rulers' authority
• Practiced in Athens (594 B.C.)
. ~ . ~
.'
•
'J
•
" ,.~~~\~t~1!~A.~~11mt~')I
D~~
• State ruled bya smallgroup of
citizens
• Ruleis based on wealth
• Rulinggroup controls military
• Practiced in Sparta (800-600 B.C.)
• State ruled byits citizens
• Ruleis based on citizenship
• Majorityrule decides vote
• Practiced in Athens 1461 B.c.1
SKlllBUllDER:
Interpreting Charts
1. Which forms of government
Spartan women,
such as the runner
below, took part in
athletic contests.
I
1
~
.
• State ruled by a king
• Ruleis hereditary
• Some rulers claimdivineright
• Practiced in Mycenae (1450 B.C.)
Solon's Political and Economic Reforms
Hepeated clashes
feature rule based on wealth
occurred between the mistocrats who governed Athens and the COII'or property ownership?
mon people. A gronp of peasants ('oiled an attempt by an Athenian
2. In which form of government
do citizens have the most
nobleman namecl Cylon (SI.lullll) to establish a tyranny. In return,
power?
they demanded a Wlitten code of laws. In 621 B.C., the Greek ]awmaker Draco wrote the first legal code, dealing mainly with contra<:ts
and propeliy ownership. Draeo's code inclnded snch nnfair practices
as debt slavelY, in wbich small Iilnners worked as slaves to repay their debts. As a result,
conflicts between the aristocrats' and the poor continued. To prevent civil war, in 594
B.C. the aristocrats chose a trusted statesman named Solon (SO·luhn) to head the government. Athenians gave him full power to reform the law.
Solon ontlawed debt slavel)'. He allowed all eitizens to participate and debate policies in the Athenian assembly. In another politieallIlove, Solon introduced the legal
concept that any citizen could bring charges against wrongdoers. In addition, his economic reforms benefited many. For example, by encouraging the export of grapes and
olives, Solon initiated a profitable C)verseas trade and demand for these products.
Although Solon initiated political and economic changes, he neglected land reforms.
At the end of his rule, fighting erupted benveen wealthy landowners amI the poor
Classical Greece 117
hlrlners. Around .546
B.C.,
a nobleman and militlll)' leader named Pisistratns (py-SIS.
truh.tuhs) seized power and hecame one of Athens' first tyrants. Sceking power at the
expense of the nohles, hc provided fnnds to help peasants buy hmn erl'tipment. He
financed this ref()]"Jnby a t'l' 011 agricultnral prodnction. Pisistratus also lanncheel a tllassive hnilding program that gave jobs to the poor anel earned hinl their sLlpport.
Spartans' valiant sacJifice-ali were
killed-lllade a great itnprcssio]1 on
all Greeks.
Meanwhile, in Athens, the citizens
Re"forms of Cleisthenes
Beginning in .50S B.C., thc Athenian leader Clcisthenes
(KLYS.thuh.NICI>:Z)
intr()(lucecl (in-ther refartlls. He workeel to make Athens a hIll
debated how best to dek,ml the city.
Themistoclps, an Athenian statesman,
convinced Athenians to evacuate the
democracy by reorganizing the assembly to break up the power of the nobility. IIe
also increaseel the power of the assembly hy al10wing al1 citizens to snhmit laws f()!'
dehate and passage. Cleisthcnes then created the Conneil of Five Ilrmdred. This
hody proposcd laws and counseled the assemhly. Conncilmemhers
were chosen
hy lot, or at random. \Vhile these re!(JI"lnsallowed Athenian citizens to participate
in a limiled democracy, only one-fifth of Athenian resilients were
IINECTtoTODAY actualcitiwns.
:'·,·j·\""",·;"_a
.iI
a secret path around the elil1s. Fearing
defeat, the Spartans held the pass while
the other Greek {(m:es retreated. The
1
THIlIK
IHROUGH
HIS10RY
B. Contrasting
would
How
you comp;:He
the ideals of Spartan
and Athenian
city and fight at sea. He positioned the
Greek fleet in a narrow chmmd near
the island of Salamis (SAL·uh·1IIihs),
a few miles southwest rl Athens. After
society?
setting fire to Alhens, Xerxes sent his
warships to block hoth ends or the
channel. lIoweveJ; the channel was too
•
Vlodern Marathons
The Persian Wars
the word marathon refers
Danger of a helot revolt led to Spmta hecoming a militmy state.
)t race of 26miles,385yards.
Danger of revolution among poveJty-stricken [,mners led to Athens
the largest and best knownis
stan Marathon.The historyof
becoming a democracy. Thc greatest danger of all-invasion hy
Jelingrace dates back to the
Persian annies-moved
Sparta and Athens alike to their greatest glory.
1 Wars and Pheidippides'run
larathonto Athens.
Battle at Marathon
The Pel'sian Wars, he tween Greece and the
" runningat top speed
Persian Empire, began in Ionia on the coast of Anatolia. Greeks had
lroximately25miles,
long been settled there, but around .520 B.C., the Persians conquered
'pides arrivedin Athens.He
the area. \Vhen Ionian Greeks revolted, Athens sent ships anel soldiers
I "Rejoice,we conquer,"and
Iydied.Hisheroic run
to their ail!. The Persian king Dmius defeated the rebels and then
d officialsat the 1896Olympic vowed to destroy Athens in revenge ..
in Athensto add a 26·mile
In 490 B.C., a Persian (leet canie,l 2.5,000 men across the Aegean
Ion to their competition.
Sea and landed northeast of Athens on a plain called Marathon. There,
908,officialsin London
lengthenedthe race. King
10,000 Athenians, neatly arranged in phalanxes, waited {'orthem. Vastly
d VIIdecided he wanted it to
outnumbered, the Greek soldiers charged. The Persians, who wore
Jt WindsorCastle-385 yards
light armor and lacked training in this land of land comhat, were no
Ie city's OlympicStadium.The
match f()]' the disciplined Greek phalanx. After several hours, the
belowshows LameckAquita
Persians fled the battlefi,'ld. The casualties repOlte'Uy mnnbered
ya, who won the 1997Boston
10nwith a time of 2 hours, 10
6AOOPersians and only 192 Athenians.
·s, 34seconds.
Though the Athenians won the land battle, their city IIOWstood
defensc!ess. According to tradition, army leaders chose a young runner
naJucclPheiclippides (f)'.DIP.uh.DE:Ez) to race back to Athens. lIe hrought
news of the Persiau defeat so that Athenians would not give up the city without
Thebes.
¥
Mara~:u)
narrow to permit the Persian Aeet to
maneuver well. Greek ships drove their
hatteling rams stmight into the wooden
hulls, punching holes in the Persian warships. Xerxes watched in horror as Inure
than one-third of his Aeet sank The
Sa'r~~i~
• Athens
N
o
I
A
100
Miles
Srrrollic
....J._,
Culf
200 Kilometers
o
3,1"!'J
Spartans defeated the rest of the Persian
army at a third hattle on the plain of
Plataea (pluh.TEE.uh) in 479 B.C.
..
.
.
..
.
t By wh a t rou tes d'dI th e p'erSlans
Greece?Explain why.
Consequences
of the PersIan Wars
With the Persian threat ended, all the
1. M ovemen
.
Ch Dose
_
t 0 a tt ac k
i
Greek city-states felt a new sense of
2. location Where did most of the battles of the Persian Wars
confidence amI freedom. Athens, in
occur? How mIghtSKILLBUILDER:
their CItIzensbe affected?
Interpreting
Maps
particnlar, basked in the glOJ)' of the
.-------.----------------.----.----.-.--------.
Persian defeat. After the war, Athens became the leader of an alliance of 140 citystates called the Dclian (DEE·lee·nhn) Leagne. The league drove the Persians from
the territories snrrounding Greece and ended the threat or future attacks. Soon thereafter, Athens began to use its powerfuluav)' to control the other league members. The
prestige of victorv and the wealth of the empire set the stage for a dazzling hurst or
creati,'ity in AtheJlS. The city was entering its brid~ golden age.
a fight. Splinting the distance from Marathon to Athens, Pheidippides
dc!ivered his message. collapsed, and dicd. The Greek army soon set
off rapidly aud were actually waiting in Atheus when the Persian ships
sailed into the harbor. The Persialls ljuickly sailed away in retreat.
Se!:tion
,IVIES
2. TAICING NOTES
rEOGRAPliY
0
Thermopylae
and Salamis Tc)] years later, in 4RO B.C., Darius the Great was
dead. lIis sou and successor Xerxes (ZUnK·seez) tried to crush Greece. Xerxes
assembled au euormous invasion I(Jrce of ship' aud ull'n. By tlwn, however. the
Greeks were hadly divided. Some city-states agreed to fight the Persiaus. Others
thought it wiser to let Xerxes ,]estroy Athens and retmn home. Some Greeks even
f()JJght on the Persian side. Consequently, Xerxes' army met no resistance as it
ularche,] down the eastern coast of Greece.
~tt!e._J
iiirstl
third
battle
=r::=
!
1I
Assessment
3. CONTRASTING
Create a time lineofthe major
battles ofthe Persian Wars in
Greece, using a chart such as the
one below.Foreach battle,
includethe victor.
,
Howwas livingin Athens different
from livingin Sparta?
THINK
ABOUT
• roles of citizens
• type/formof government
4. THEME ACIIViTY
Power and Authority Draw
a cartoon or write a political
monologueabout democracy from
an Athenianslave's pointof view.
• societal values
__L_
fourth
battle
Pretend that you are a newspaper
reporter in ancient Greece. Write
appropriate headlines for each
battle.
\Vheu Xerxes came to a narrow mouutain pass at Thennopylae (thnr.MAIIP·uh·lee),
7,000 Greeks, including 300 Spartans, hlocked his way. The Persian king underestimated their power. They (JUght for three days bc!(Jre a traitor told the Persians about
Classical
:;hapter .5
'l
t
C,'CCCC
119
T
zens who served in the assembly established all the important government policies
that
affected
In a speech
for the
killed in the
Athens.
Few the
otherpolis.
city-states
practiced
thisslain
stylesoldiers
of government.
In Athens, male citi- I
first year of the Peloponnesian \Var, Pericles expressed his great
HISTORYMAKEUS
pride in Athenian democracy:
t4~;\VOICE
FROM THE PAST
~oLr constitution is calle? a democracy because power is in the hands not
itbf,all1inority but of the whole people. When it is a question of settling
f;~~ivate disputes, everyone is equal before the law; when it is a question
~ 0f,putting one person before another in positions of public responsibil~ity,.yvhat counts is not mell1bership in a particular class, but the actual
r."aI.JHitY,which~heman possesses. No one, so long as he has it in him to
~\;~Sf service to the state, is kept in political obscurity because of poverty.
~t~~:~IClES;'
Funeral Oration
SETTING THE STAGE Dming Athens' golden agc, drama, sculptme, poetry, philosophy, architectme, and science all reachcd new heights. For 50 years (froln 4f>0to 430
B.C.), Athens experienced a growth in intellectual and artistic learning. The artistic amI
Athenian
Empire Pericles tried to enlarge the wealth alld power
of Athens. He used the money ham the Delian League's treasUl)' to
build Athens' 200-ship navy into the strongest in the Mediterranean.
litenu)' legacies of this time continue to iuspire and instruct people around the world.
A strong navy was important because it helped Athens strengthen
the safety of its empire. Athenian prospelity depended on gaining
access to its surrounding waterways. It needed overseas trade to
obtain supplies of grain and other raw materials.
Pericles' Three Goals for Athens
A \\~se and able statesman muned Perides led Athens during its golden age. Honcst
and fair, l'erides held outo popular support for 32 years. He was a skillful politician,
an inspiring speaker, aud a respected general. He so dominated the liIe of Athens
from 461 to 429 B.C. that this period often is called the Age of Perides. Hc had three
goals: (1) to strengthen Athenian democracy, (2) to hold and strengthen
amI (3) to glorify Athens.
Stronger
Democracy
Glorifying Athens Pericles also used money from the empire to
beautify Athens. \Vithout the Delian League's approval, he persuaded the Athenian assembly to vote huge sums of the league's
money to buy gold, ivory, and marble. Still more money went to a
small army of artisans who worked for 15 years (447-432 B.C.) to
build one of architecture's noblest works-the
Pmthenon.
the empire,
To strengthen democracy, Perides increased the nl1nlber of
paid public officials. Earlier, only wealthier citizens coukl afford to hold public omce
because most positious were unpaid. Peticles increased the munber of officials who were
paid salaties. Now even the poorest could serve if elected or chosen by lot. Consequently,
Athens had more citizens engaged in self~government than any other city-state. This
reform made Athens one of the most democratic governments in history However, political rights were still limited to those ,,~th citizcnship status.
The introduction of direct democracy, a form of government iu which citizens
rule directly and not through representatives,
• Juries varied
in size
• No attorneys; no appeals;
one-daytrials
SKlllBUllDER:
Interpreting
The Parthenon, a mastel1Jiece of craftsmanship and design, was not
novel in style. Rather, Greek artisans built the 23,OOO-scjuare-foot
building in the traditional style that had been used to create Greek
temples for 200 years. In ancient times, this temple built to honor
Athena contained examples of Greek mt that set standards I'lr future
generations of artists around the world.
was an important legacy of Peridean
• Citizens:male; 18 years old;
born of citizenparents
• Politicalpower exercised
• Lawsvoted on and proposed
bycitizens
directlyby assemblyof allcitizens • Threebranches of government
• Leader chosen by lot
• Legislativebranch
• Executivebranch composed
passes laws
of a council of 500 men
• Executivebranch
Greek Styles in Art
Greek Sculpture
\Vithin the Parthenon stood a giant statue of
Athena, the goddess of wisdom and the protector of Athens. Periclcs
entrusted much of the work on the temple, inclnding the statue of
• Citizens:bornin UnitedStates or
completedcitizenshipprocess
• Representatives
carries out laws
• Judicialbranch conducts
trialswith paidjurors
elected to
propose and vote on laws
• Electedpresident
• Executivebranch made up of
elected and appointed officials
• Juries composed of 12 jurors'
• Defendants and plaintiffshave
attorneys; long appeals process
Charts
1, What does this chart suggest to you about the origins of U. S. democracy?
Pericles
4947-429 B.C.
Pericles came from a rich and
high-rankingnoble family.His
aristocratic father had led the
Athenianassembly and fought
at the Battleof Salamis inthe
Persian Wars. Hismotherwas
the niece of Cleisthenes,an
influentialstatesman.
Wellknownfor his political
achievements as a leader of
Athens, some historianssay
Pericles the man was harder to
know.One historianwrote,
[Pericles]no doubt, was a
lonely man. Among the
politicians, including his
supporters, he had no friend.
He avoided all social activity ...
[and] he only went out [of his
home] for official business. _.
Athena, to the sculptor Phidias (FIDH·ee·uhs). The great statue of the goddess not
only contained precious materials snch as gold and ivory, it stood 38 f,eel tall!
Phidias and other sculptors during this golden age aimed to create figures that
were graceful, strong, and perfectly formed. Their /'Ices showed neither langhter nor
anger, only serenity. Greek sculptors also tried to capture the grace of the idealized
human body in motion. Their values of onlel; balance, and proportion hecame thc
standard of what is called classical aJ-t.
Classical works such as the Parthenon
and the statue of Athena showcased the
pride that Athenians had for their city. (See HistolY Through Art, page 122.)
Greek Drama
The Greeks invented drama and bnilt the first theaters in the west. Theatrical pro:luctions in Athens were both an expression of civic pride and a tribute to the gods.
2. What is the main difference between Athenian democracy and democracy in the United States?
Classical Greece
121
I
~
__
.1
!
Actors used color/ill costumes, masks, and sets to dramatizc stories a],outleadership,
justice, aud the duties owed to the gods. As part of their civic duty, wealthy citizens
bore the cost If)]' producing the plays. The Greeks wrote two kinds of drama-tragedy
and comedy.
cllitecture
d Sculpture
Tragedy A tmgedy waS a serions drama about conmlon themcs snch as lovc, hate, war,
or betrayaL Tbese dramas featnred a main character, or tragic hero, The hero usually was
an important person and ~Jften gifted with extraordimuy abilities, A tragic Haw-an error
in judgment or persomJity de((~ct-llsually caused the hero's downl,JL Often this flaw
was hllbJis, or excessive Plide.
In ancient times, Greece had three notable dramatists who wrote tragedies: Aeschylus
(EHS,knh,lnhs), Sophocles (SAlIF,uh,kleez), and Emipidcs (yoo,HIP,nh,J)lmz),
Aeschylus wrote more tJum SO plays, of which seven sUl'vive, His nlost Lunous work is thc
trilogy 11w Oresteia (ohr,cs,STEE,uh), Imscd on the El11111y
of Agamemnon, commander
theuon, the 11I0stmagnificent building
,cropohs, shows the classical Greek
,'balance amI proportion in art.
thenoll is so hannoniol1s \vith
it appears to grow c1irectly out
rock. Its architects knew
f: of the ~;reeks at Troy Sophocles wrote about 100 plays, including the tragedies Oedi/J/{s
rical principles and how to
them to please the cye. Its 4Ci
columns Ican slightly inward.
, painted scnlptnral friezes
,tivc rdiel' panels) and statues
d the rectangular bnilding.
statues
form, Inside
a huge
statue
holding
theater
B.C.
Hundreds
during
performances
were
during
sponsored
01 theaters
their
gods
the marhle
01 Athena,
stood
40 leet
in lull battle
high figure
01 the original
the lifth century
in idealized
temple
nearly
the goddess
a six-foot
is a copy
Theater at Delphi
depicted
human
It portrayed
statue,
high.
armor,
01 victory.
This
which
vanished
Comedy In contrast to Greek tragedies, a comcdy contained scenes filled witb slapstick sitnations and crude humor, Many Greek comedies were satires, or works that
poked fun at a subject Playwrights often made fuu of customs, politics, respected
Spartans and Athenians Go to War
Tensions between Athens and Sparta had been building for years.
Hostilities became especially stiong as Athens evolved from a limited
city-state to a vast naval empire. Many people in both cities thought
war was inevitable. Instead of tl)ing to avoid conIlict, leaders in both
Athens and Sparta pressed f()r a war to begin, as both groups of leaders believed their own city had the advantage.
A.O.
the lifth
by the state.
were
built, such
as
this one preserved
at Delphi in central
Greece.
Notice how this theater
is set
directly
, hillside.
,\
~
~
t
Greek
century
the
King and
Antigone,in his
Emipides,
portrayals
of women
plays, anthor of the play Medea, olh~n featured sympathetic
~. people, or ideas of the time, Aristophanes (AH·ih·STAHF.uh.neez) wrote the first great
comedies of the stage, including The Birds an,1 Lysistrafa. For example, Lysistrata,
named for its female lead, portrayed the women of Athens forcing their husbauds to
end the Peloponnesian War. The fact tlmt Athenians could listen to criticism of themselves showed the heedom and openness of public discussion that existed in demoIi cratic Athens.
~,
Athena in the Parthenon
Public
I·
~
into the natural
The masks
setting
used
01 the
by the actors
in tragedies and comedies became
lavorite
subjects
In Greek
art ..
Summarizing
What
are the main
things you associate
with classi,
cal Greek art? Give examples
from
buildings
and sculpture
shown
on
this page.
Connect to Today
Researching
local
Look around
community
and artworks
your
to find buildings
that show
Greek
inlluences.
Work in small groupS
to develop
a guidebook
to these
treasures.
~iN.i~~~~g_EE-NN-fci:fiQ[1
Peloponnesian
War Sparta declared war against Athens in 4,31 B.C.
\Vhen the Peloponnesian
'Val' between th", tw,> tHy-states began,
Athens had the strongest sea powe. in Greece. Sparta had the advantage on land because the inland city could not easily be attacked by
sea. Pericles' strategy was to avoid land battles with the superior
Spartan army aud wait for an opportunity to strike Sparta's allies li'om
the sea.
Eventnally the Spartans marched into Athenian territOlY. They
swept over the countryside, bmning the Atheuiaus' local (f)()(1 supply.
Pelicles responded by 11linging residents (i'om the snrroumling countryside inside the safety of Athens' city walk The cily was safe Ii-om
hunger as long as ships could sail into port with [oDd from Athenian
colonies and other foreign slates.
Sparta Gains the Edge However, two events spelled disaster for
Athens. In the second year of the war, a li'ightful plague killed roughly
one-third to two-thirds of Athens' population, including Pericles. In
415 B.C., Athens snHered a second disaster. The Athenian assembly
sent a huge fleet ean)ing 27,000 solcliers to destroy the p01ls of
.' ' , SPCJTt.1GHT ON,
~"
I,. _.~.'
','
'
The Plague
An unidentified
disease
struck
Atbens during the height 01 the war.
The disease caused
a terrible
in 430
plague
B.C.
According
to Thucydides
(thoo·SIO·ih·DEEZI. the plague's
symptoms
included
high fever,
inflamed
eyes,
sore
throat,
coughing,
extreme thirst, vomiting,
and red blisters on the skin. As the
disease
their
spread,
eyes
some
Many thousands
The lollowing
Thucydides'
one
like sheep
men
lost
or toes.
is from
of the
Wars:
became
nursing
died.
excerpt
account
Peloponnesian
They
victims
or their fingers
infected
another
....
lay one
The temples
Bodies
upon
by
and
died
of dying
another
....
...
were
full of
corpses
of those
in them.
who
had
died
Classical Greece
123
f
Syracuse, one of Sparta's wealthiest
allies, The expedition
suffered an unmistakable
recalled: "They [the Atheuians]
defeat in 41,3 B.C. The Athenian histOlian Thueydides
were
destroyed
witb a total destruction-their
was not destroyed,
and few out of many returned
Atbens fended ofT Spartan
and its allies surrendered,
War
Brings
fleet, their army-there
Political
attacks
for another
Changes
Aftcr
home,"
a terribly
that
weakened
Finally, in 404 B,C" Athens
nine years,
27 years
!I.
was nothing
Somehow,
l'
y
of war, Athens
had lost its empire,
power, and wealth, In addition,
geueral confidence
in democratic
govcrnment
began
to Falter. One leader after another proved weak, corrnpt,
or traitorous,
The assembly
oftcn
changed
its decisions
and did not stick to a single
political
program,
Philosophers Search for Truth
Socrates
In this time of questioning
and uncertainty,
several great thinkers appeared.
They were
determined
to seek the truth, no matter where the search led them, The Greeks called
such tbinkers
philosophers,
their philosophy
put togetber
in an orderly
pIe can understand
One group
gods,
these laws through
and other
that there
is the measure
many of tbe citizens
These
Greek
(1) The uuiverse
to absolute
thinkers
and uncbanging
traditional
questioned
values,
powerful thinkers in history. He
encouraged
laws, and (2) peu-
questioning
the existence
was no universal
of all tbings,
people's
standard
, .. " These
unexmilined
were
Sopbists
of the traditional
of trnth,
radical
Greek
saying "Man
amI dangerous
[the
ideas to
of Atbens,
THIIIK
npeiian
lrom the
lurV A.D.
lUte to the
ther Plato
.mtheleft)
aches his
rs.
Socrates
Unlike
One of the strongest
the Sophists,
However,
character.
critics of the Sophists
he believed
that absolute
was Socrates
standards
(SAHK·ruh.TEEz).
did e:dst for truth
Inferences
and justice.
In :399 B.C., when
Socrates
was about
Socrates admired him deeply. The majority
this strange old man amI his ideas.
70 years old, he was bronght
rupting
the youth
of
to trial for "cor-
of Athens"
IIISTORY
and "neglect-
would
Born into a wealthy Athenian family,
Plato had careers as a wrestler and
a poet before he became a
philosopher. He studied with
Socrates. After his teacher died in
399 B.C., Plato left Greece and
traveled to North Africa and Italy.
He later returned to Athens and
founded a school called The
Academy in 387 B.C. The school
lasted for approximately 900 years.
ft was Plato who once stated,
"Philosophy begins in wonder."
Aristotle, the son of a physician,
was one of the brightest students
at Plato's academy. He came there
as a young man and stayed for
20 years until Plato's death. In
335 B.C., Aristotle opened his own
school in Athens called the
lyceum. The school eventually
rivaled the Academy. Aristotle
once argued, "He whD studies hDw
things Driginated and came intD
being ... will achieve the clearest
view of them."
Why
start questioning
ditional
particular
Athens'
insight
beliefs
traat this
ings dominated
from the mling
philosophic
class would
importance
were
Aristotle
The philosopher
Socrates
thought
in Europe
belieC thought,
np to his time.
applied
for Athens hecause they I()rced people to
think abont thcir values amI actions. The
Around
and his own pupil,
Aristotle
A student
of Socrates,
wrote
dOll11 the conversations
and knowledge.
He invented
his methocl
Aristotle
a method
to problems
One of Aristotle's
RCl'"lJlic.
a pcrfectly
democracy.
his most famous
work
for arguing
method
accepted
,MES
JCY
society.
2. TAKING
rnling class. The person
0
Using a diagram like the one
belDw, shDw Pericles' three gDals
for Athens, giving examples.
War
It was not a
groups:
and the
to rules oflogic.
physics,
His work
son of King Philip of Maccdonia.
to tntor
the 13-year-old
prince.
the ruler
of
Assessment
3. FORMING AND
SUPPORTING OPINIONS
Socrates believed in absDlute
standards for truth and justice.
SDphists believed that standards
Dftruth and justice are in the eye
Dfthe behDlder. What is your
DpiniDn? Support YDurDpiniDn
with reasons and examples.
THINK
Which gDal had the greatest
impact on the mDdern world?
Ill' later
and biology.
nsed today.
was Alexander,
NOTES
In his ideal society, all citizens
would fall naturally into three
fanners and artisans, waniors,
according
and of human
all the knowledge
status as a studcnt abrnptly ended in 336 B.r;., when hc became
Yon will learn about Alexander
the Great in Section 4.
In it, he set forth his vision or
governed
of the world
to summarizing
the king's imitation
Section
The
Plato's \\1it-
His only rivals in
(AR·ih·STAlIT·ulrl).
the nature
came dose
most bmo11S pupils
343 B.C., Aristotle
Alexander's
Macedonia,
"as a means of philosophical
investigatioll."
Sometime
between 38.5 and 380 B.C.,
Plato wrote
philosopher-hing.
1,500 years.
in the fields of l'sychoIogy,
the basis of the scientific
Plato
or Socrates
Aristotle
questioned
acting poison.
(PLAY·toh), was appro:dmately
28 years
old when his teacher died. Later. Plato
be chosen
for nearly
time in
history?
provides
jnry disagreed and condemned
him to
death. Later, he died after drinking a slow-
and intellect
philosophers
ing the city's gods." In his 0\\11 derense,
Socrates said that his teachings were good
Plato
Aristotle
384-322 B.C.
C. Making
he encouraged
Greeks to go further amI question themselves
and their moral
IIistorians believe that it was Socrates who once said, "The un examined life is
not worth living." Those who understood
citizens, however, could not understand
THROUGH
his students to examine
their beliefs. Socrates asked them a
series of leading questions to show
that people hold many contradictory
opinions. This method of teaching by
a question-and-answer approach is
known as the Socratic method. He
devoted his life to gaining selfknowledge and once said, "There is
only one good, knowledge; and one
evil, ignorance."
beliefs
One of the most Lunous
Plato
427-347 B.C.
B.C.
Socrates was one of the most
based
(land, sky, and sea) is
logic and reason,
tbe Sophists,
wbo took a position
lie also argued
individual]
"lovers of wisdom,"
way, and subject
of philosophers,
and ideas about justice,
was ProtagonLs,
meaning
on the f()llowing two assumptions:
469-399
ABOUT
4. ANALYZING
THEMES
Empire Building
HDwdoes
the cDncept of "hubris" from
Greek tragedy apply tD the
PelDpDnnesian War?
THINK ABOUT
• Spartans' and Athenians' DpiniDn
of themselves
• why "hubris" is a tragic flaw
• why the war started
• differences in values
• purpose of law
• circumstances
lIith the greatest
Classical Greece
125
"'I'
II'"
I'i
"!'1
I",
'il.1
Sports Through Tilne
Throughout
history, communities
worldwide
Iii!
Ii:
have valued athletes
"!
who
fl'l
IJ~!
possess great physical strength, agility, and balance. In andent times,
the Greeks believed that athletic competitions
were a way to please the
gods amI honor
the Olympic
dead heroes.
One of Greece's
Games-continues
OlympicS
began in 776 H.C. The Greeks
city-states
so that athletes
among
different
wars between
This love of sport lives ou
and cultures
throughout
Oiyrnpics
I~I
festivals-
to the god Zeus, the
even suspended
could compete.
people
llIany athletic
today. Dedicated
the world today.
in Gr~ec~
Every four years, some 40,aaO Greeks crowded into the
stadium built in Olympia to watch the competitions. The
earliest games featured l<)Otraces of abont 200 yards. Later,
athletes also competed in wrestling, boxing, jumping,
javelin-and discus-throwing events. Athletes were proud
of their bodies amI emphasized physical fitness. Myron's
famous marble sculpture of a discus thrower is dated about
4S0 B.C. The scnlpture snrvives in this Roman copy (left) of
the Greek bronze.
in
"
,
)ort thaI is lIati\{' to Japall. Origillally
I "HlIilks. it dalC's back to tlH' eighth
larily r('llmills strong and today is COll[)OIt of Japan. Dnrillg a nnltch, wrestlers
attic each other inside a 1..'5-f()olcircle.
\\'eigh mol''' thall :300 1'0llllds. All uS('
} to overpower au oppollellt.
:
:'~"
·,1"
·S
Soccer in Nigeria
soccer developed in England llurillg the 1.S0(Js.
Fcw items are ueeded to plav the game: a hall.
an opell field. amI players who are willing to
nlll. The Nigerian soccer player pictured
abm'e was a participant iu the 1.\19-1 \Vorld
Cup, an iuternational soccer competition. The
\Vorld Cup attracts all-star teams hom around
the work!.
n
Olympic chariot
racing began in the
seventh century B.C.
Prizes went to the
chariot's owner, not
the driver.
Olympians
received a crown
made of wild
olive leaves.
loser
OK
GREEK SPORTS
~~~2:JJf,
C(~Ui1·tS
~jnWj0X,~(;f}
,.
,
to the hippodrome to watch horse
, Olympic Games. This bronze statue
riding bareback at one of these
nts.
Compare/Contrast Choose two of
the sports or games illustrated on
this page, such as modern soccer
and the Mayan ball game. Then
compare and contrastthem.
SU: SI(llLL',!liUJfJl
HIlf.WF;[]()Y,
J.'fIljf!J9l
Connect
to Today
Analyzing Issues Consider the
ancient Greek practice of interrupting conflicts to allow athletes
to compete. Write a brief editorial
Iparagraphl discussing the role of
sports and games as a way to
promote world peace or reduce
hostile behavior.
Classical Greece 127
5 Chapter.5
,',
f
~~I
";}
~.0iI:",_,',"."
~':""
r
~
1~',_~1:",~'
~:~.~
~~~;y.;r-"r~
:1
Soccer is one of'the IllOst poplllar sports in the
\\'0 rl d. Knowll as footbaJi in some countries,
otograph or a site at Chich en Hza in I\le\ico shows a stOlJe
.yalls once llsed when playing all (lJ1denl game. During the
centmy. l\.Jayan athletes played a ball game on walled 1comts. Participants wore prolcctive padding aronnd their
1(1 on one knee. Thc ohject was to get a rnhber ball through
1(' ring withol1t touching it with tjl('ir hands. The ball eOlJ)'t
.ld close tics to IhE' Mayans' religiol1s beli('!s. \\'hik the exact
(' l1nkuown. the losers \\'ere l1sl1allysacrificed 10 the gods.
Victorious
,
'.'
,i'~~-~II,
rtt:,
~
iJ
'!i
flI
~;
Because of his accomplishments over the next 13 years, he became
known in history as Alexander the Great.
HISTORYMAKE~S
Alexander Defeats Persia
Althongh Alexander was only 20 years old when he became king in
3.36 B.C., he was well prepared to lead. Under Aristotle's teaching,
Alexander had learned science, geography, and literature. Alexander
especially enjoyed 1I0mer's description of the heroic deeds performed by Achilles during the Trojan War. To inspire himself, he
kept a copy of the Iliad under his pilJow.
As a young boy, Alexander learned to lide a horse, use weapons, and
command troops. Once he became king, AJexander promptly demonstrated that his military training had not been wasted. vVhen Thebes, a
city in central Greece, rebelled, he destroyed the city About 6,000 people were kilJed. The survivors were sold into slavery. Frightened by his
cruelty, the other Greek cities quickl)' gave up any idea of rebelJiou.
SETTING THE STAGE The Pe!oponnesian \Var severely weakened several Greek citystates. This caused a rapid decline in their military and eeonomic power. To nlllke
matters worse, in the 50 years after Sparta dd"eakd Athens in 404 B.C., thc two citystates had continucd to R~ht each other. In the nearhy kin~donl of rvlaccdonia, Kin~
Philip II took note. Philip ,lreallwd of Rrst taking control of Greece. Then Philip
planned to move against Persia amI seize its vast wealth. Philip also hoped to avenge
the Persian invasion of Greece in 480 B.C:.
V"
,
Philip Builds Macedonia's Power
Just north of Greece, the kingdom of Macedonia
had rough
mountains and a cold climate. The Macedonians were a tough peo-
Healizing that he was outnumbered, Alexander surprised his enemies. He ordered his finest troops to break through a weak point in
the Persian lines. The army tben charged straight at Darius. To avoid
capture, the frightened king Hed, I()llowed by bis panicked army.
This victOl)' gave Alexander control over Anatolia.
In 359 B.C., Philip II hecame king of Macedonia. Though only
23 years old, he 'Iuiekly proved to be a brilliant general and a ruthless politi, _
ciano Philip transformed
the rugged peasants under his command into a well-
~(:!
traineel
professional
army.Philip
He organized
troops
into phalanxes
l! men
across
and 16 deep.
used this his
heavy
phalanx
Jormation
"\,
\l
from
century
B.C.
)hilip's lead~
Macedonia
~ a major
in the Greek19 world.
Alexander
nine years
that none
could
was
only eight or
old, he tamed
a horse
of his father's
manage.
grooms
Alexander
had
noticed that the horse, Bucephalus,
acted wild because
he was afraid
of his shadow.
By speaking
to the
horse gently and turning him to
face the sun, Alexander
was able
to ride him. Seeing this, Philip told
his son, "You'lI have to find another
kingdom;
Macedonia
isn't going to
be big enough for you."
Alexander
took his father's
advice.
head
region
Riding Bucephalus
from Greece
Valley. When
what
named
at the
of an army, he conquered
the horse
died in
Alexander
the city of Bucephala
it. Maybe
a
to the Indus
is now Pakistan,
he was tired
Alexander's
Ambitions
Grow Shaken by his defeat, Darius tried
least a dozen cities
to negotiate a peaee settlement. He offered Alexander the western
third of his empire. Alexander's advisers urged him to accept.
However, the rapid eollapse of Persian resistance fired Alexander's ambition. lie
rejected Darius's offer and confidently announced his plan to conquer the entire
Persian Empire.
Then Alexander marched into Egypt, a Persian territory, in :3.32B.C. The Eg)1)tians
welcomed Alexander as a liberator. During his stay, he visited the temple of the god
Zeus-Ammon. Alexander was crowned pharaoh-a
title that Ptolemy used later to
begin the Ptolemic pharaoh line. Alexander also founded the city of Alexandria at the
mouth of tbe Nile.
that
were
armed
with16
IH-foot pikes to pave the way..{()rcavalrv strikes throu~h enemv" lines.
"
Conquest
of Greece The Atheuian orator DClIlosthcnes (dee·1\JAIIS·
thnh'NElcz) tried to warn the Greeks of the threat Philip amI his anu)' posed. lIe
I dales
When
after
of the name
Alexandria. He'd already
Once his phalanx had broken thron~h, Philip nscd the fast-movin~ cavalry to
, crnsh his disorganizt'd opponents. \Vhen he first used tht'se tactics against northern
opponcnts who had invaded Macedonia, Philip's powerful army proved unbeatable.
\Vithin a short time, he was preparing to invade Greece.
st of King
vVith Greece now secure, Alexander felt free to
Alexander's victOlY at Granicus alarmed the Persian king, Dadus
III. Vowing to crush the Macedonians, he raised a huge army of
between ,50,000-75,000 men to face the Macedonians near IssllS.
had nO great philosophers, sculptors, or writers. They did, however. have an important resource in their shrewd and fearless kings.
I\rmy
of Persia
eany out Philip's plan to invade Persia. In 334 B.C., he led3,s,000
soldiers across the Hellespont into Anatolia. Persian messengers
raced along the Hoyal Hoad to spread the alarm about the invasion.
'Vitbin a short time, a Persian army of about 40,000 men rushed to
defend Persia. The two forces met at the Granicus Hiver. Instead of
waiting for the Persians to make the first move, Alexander ordered
an eJite cavahy unit to attack. Leading his troops into battle,
Alexander smashedtbe Persian defenses.
ple who lived in mountain villages rather than city-states. The
Maeedonian language waS related to Greek. 1\·lost Maeedonian
nobles thought of themselves as Greeks. The Greeks, however,
looked down 011the Macedonians as nncivilizedl(Jreigners who
Philip's
Invasion
Alexander
356-323 B.C.
ur~cd them to unite a~ainst him. Ilowever, the Grcck cities could not agree on auy
siugle policy. Finally, in :3:3H13.<:., Athcns and Thehes-two
Greek city-states~ioined
I()l"(,esa~aiust Philip. By theu it was too late. The Macedonians soundly elef,:,ateeltbe
Gn'l,ks at the battle of Chaeronea (KAJl\·uh,NEE·uh). Philip:, H-year-old son Alexander
J
It,eIa sncccssfillca\'aliy char~c that helpcd win the battlt'. The dekat at Chaeronea
I'neled Greek fwed01u and independence. The city-states retained sej[~go\'ernnll'nt in
local alhirs. lIowe\'er, Greece itself remaine,l firmly under the control of a succession of
{"reign powers-the
first of which was Philip:' Macedonia.
Althongh Philip planncdto invade Persia next, he never got the chauce. At his daughter's wcdding in :3:36B.C., a {(mner guardsman stabbed him to death. \Vith the snpport of
the arm)'. Philip's son Alexander innnediately proclaimed himself king of Macedonia.
THINK
TIlROUGIIIIISTOR
A. Analyzing
Causes
How did Ih
Peloponnesian
War
pave the way for
Philip's conquest
Greece?
of
Conquering
the Persian Empire After leaving Egypt, Alexander moved cast into
Mesopotamia to confront Darius. The desperate Persiau king assembled an army of
2.50,000 men. The Persian chariots were armed with deadly scythes protruding
from the wheel hubs. The two armies collided at Gaugamela (GAw'guh,MEE-Iuh), a
small village near the ruins of ancient Nineveh. Alexander launched a massive phalanx att'lek followed by a cavalry charge. As the Persian Jines crumbled, Darins
again panicked and fled. Alexander's victory at Gaugamela ended Persia's power.
The Macedonian army now marched unopposed into Persia's wealthiest provinces.
named at
after himself!
Vocabularv
scythes:
razor-sharp
knives or blades.
Classical Greece
Chapt,'r .S
~,
129
332 B.C.
\Vithin a short time, Alexander's army occupied
the
capitals of BaLylon, Sl\Sa, and Persepolis. These cities
yielded a huge treasure, which Alexander distributed
among liis army. After a stay of sevemlmonths,
a flre
broke out in Persepolis, Persia's royal capital. Some his-
Alexander
1
'''~
7~~lex~n~~ia,
~~L~~~~~
tE
.
3.
Alexander's Other Conquests
Alexander now reigned as the unchallenged mler of southwest Asia. lIe was more interested in expamliug his empire
riding
near bottom)
e to face in
sian paint·
two rulers
,«ledthis
in real life.
Alexander
in India
In 327 B.C., Alexander amI his army reached and crossed into
the Indus Valley. At the IIydaspes Hh'er, a powerful Indian army that in eluded 200
elephants blocked their path. After winning a fierce battle, Alexander's soldiers
marched some 200 miles farther, but their morale was low. They had been fighting for
11 years and had marched more than 11,000 miles. They had endured both scorching
327 B.C.
soldiers across the
Hellespont or Dardanelles
into B.C.
Anatolia.
Alexander's
army reached
323 B.C.
Alexander caught fever
and died at age 32. His
the IndusValley. ,,,-~!!J!G"""!,%,!<"'i
generalsbegan
a power struggle.
323 B.C.
306 B.C.•
312 B.C.
Seleucus
took Persian
r
Antigonus I
became king
of Macedonia.
Ptolemy Empire.
seizedEgypt
and became
a pharaoh.
deserts and drenching monsoon rains. The exhausted soldiers yearncd to go homc.
Bitterly disappointed, Alexander agrecd to tnrn hack.
011 thei I' homeward jOllrney, Alexallder amI his troops crossed a brutally hot desert.
E\'eryolle was desperately thirsty Some 0[' the nlen collectcd water ill a helllletwhich they ofh,red to tlwir general. According to Arriall, Alexander saw an opportnnity to inspire his disconraged,"eu
by sharing tlwir hardship:
years later. Arrian explaius tliat the fire was set in revenge
for the Persian Lurning of Athens J50 years hefore. Bnt
others doubt that tlie fire was planned.
than in governiug it. lIe left the mined Persepolis to pursue Darius and conquer
Persia's remote Asian provinces. Darius's tmilled Alexander to a deserted spot south
of the Caspian Sea. There he found Darius already dead, nnmlered by one of his provincial governors. Hather than return to Babylon, Alexander continued east. During
the next three years, his army longlit its way aewss the desert wastes and mountains
of Central Asia. He pushed on, hoping to reach the farthest edge of tlie continent.
""""'·'-r··
.
¢~~St..W~¥~
_,,-,.
~~.i/i,\~tH~~tY.f£'Jt~~r.!:'f,£~~:,:
__.
Alexanderled35,000
l334
torians say Alexander left the city in ashes to signal the
total destruction of the Persian Empire. The Greek historian Arrian wrote ahout Alexauder's expeditions ahout ,500
ler and
entered
Egyptandfoundedthe
A
THINK
THROUGH
HISTOR'
Analyzing
MotivesWhydid
B.
Alexander
continue
VOICE
ARRlAN,
his conquests
FROM
THE
PAST
He received it [the water]. and thanked those who had brought it; and ... poured it out
in the sight of all the troops; and at this ... the whole army was so much heartened that
you would have said that each and every man had drunk that water which Alexander
thus poured out.
after
Anabasis
Oarius was dead?
By the spring of :32:3B.C., Alexander amI his army had returned west to Babylon.
Restless as always, Alexander anuounced plans to organize amI 1mil)' bis enlpire. lIe
would construe! new cities, roads, amI harbors and conquer Arabia. However,
Alexander never carried ont his plans. One year after his return, be became serionsly
i1l with a fe\'er, Elewn clays later, Alexander died-a month short of his :33rcl birthday.
Ale),ander's I.egacy As he lay dying, Alexander correctly predicted that his empire
would go to the strongest general. His Macedoninn generals fought among themselws
uutil three ambitious generals won out. Autigonus (an,TI(;.uh.nus) became king of
Macedonia and took control of the Greek city-states. Ptolemy ('IAIlL,uh'\11ce) sf'ized
Eg:IJt, took the title of pharaoh, and established a dYl1l1sty.Seleucns (sih,LOO·kuhs) took
most of the old Persiau Empire, which became known as the Seleueid empire. IgnOling
the democratic traditions of the Greek polis, these rulers amI their descendants governed
with complete power o\'er their subjects.
Alexan11er's conquests ended the era of iudepcudent Greek eity-st'ttes. As he and his
ann\' marched through the Persian Empire, thousands of Greek artists, merchants, and
officials (]llowed, Alexander himself adopted Persian dress and customs amI married a
Persian won Jan. lIe inclnded Persians amI people li'om other lands in his army. As time
passed, Greek s~ttlers thronghont the empire also adopted IW\\' ways. A vibrant Ilew eullure emerged from tbe blend of Greek, Eg!1'tian, and EastC'l'1Icnstoms.
.••, .•••.""'t.~ •. iI
~"",..,;op
A. 1\1ES
l·t.;,p •••. _,~~ .•)U~~, __ .,~
~"<:"''"'''1'''f>I!i
3. IIYPOHIESIZING
2. TAI<II\IG NOTES
Usinga diagramlikethe one
below,label how far north, south,
east, and west Alexanderruled.
~ Great
0
c20
I:
IfAlexanderhad lived,do you
think he would have been as
successful in rulinghis empire
as he was in buildingit?
4. TtIEME ACTlI!ll Y
Empire Building In small
groups, create an illustratedtime
lineof Alexander'sconquests.
Includeat least fivemain events.
THINK ABOUT
-~
south)
Which conquests do youthink
was the most significant?Why?
• skillsneeded for military
leadership
• skillsneeded to govern an
empire
• Alexander'sdemonstrated
abilities
Gla.~sical Creece
131
f
galleries. a zoo, botanical gardens, and even a dini1lg hall. The Il1l1Sel11tl
was an institute or advanced study.
Teachers and students w,>re only a short distance fi'om the nearhy Akxan,lrian
Library. Its collection of half a million papvrus scrolls inclllded manv of the masfcrpieces' of ancient literature. As the first tn;e research lihrary in the ;vorld, it helpec]
pronlOfc the work of a gifted group of scholars. These scholars greatly respected the
earlier works of classical literature and learuil1g. They prodllced conlltlentaries that
explained these works.
Science and Technology
During the Hellenistic period, the center of scholarship gradnally shirtcd away from
Athens. Hellenistic scholars, particularly in Alesandria, succeedcd hrillianth' it] preSETTING THE STAGE Alexander the Creat's ambitions were cultural as well as mili-
serving Greek and Egy.ptian Icarniug in the scieuces. Uutilthe scic'ntific advances or
the 16th ami 17th centuries, scholars in Alexandria provided most of thc scieutific
tary and political. lIe started new cities as ontposts of Greek culture. These cities,
from E1011tian AlexaJl(lria in the south to the Asian Alexandrias in the east, adopted
many Greek patterns and customs. Alier AlexaJl(ler's death, trade, a shared Greek cu1ture, and the Greek language continued to link these cities togethcr. But each region
had its own traditional ways of Me, religion, and government that no rnler conld
afford to overlook. Alexander's successors gradually began dY1Jasties in each of these
lands. They encouraged local traditions while transp1anting Greek culture.
Ihstrati on
of
. Afire at
18 over
ilding
IS into
n harbor.
knowledge available to the \Vest.
Astronomy
Alexaudria's Itlusenm contained a s"lall ohservatory in whieh
astronomers could study the planets and stars. One astronoltler, Aristarchus
(AI\.ih.STAIIH.kuhs) of Samos, reached two siguificaut scientific conclusions. In (me
cOllclusion, he estimated that thc sun was at least 300 times larger than the earth.
After Alexander's death, a vibrant new culture emerged. Greek (Hellenic) culture
blended with Egyvtian, Persian, and Indian influences. This blending became known
as Hellenistic culture. Koine (koy,NAY), the popular spoken language used in
Hellenistic cities such as Alexandria, was the direct result of cultura1 blending. The
word Iwine came from the Greek word for common. The language was a dialect of
Greek. This language enabled educated people and traders from diverse backgrounds
to connlHmicate in cities throughout the Hellenistic world.
Trade and Cultural Diversity Among the many cities of the Hellenistic world, the
African city of AJcxandria became the foremost center of commerce and Hellenistic
eivilization. Alexandria occupied a strategic site on the western edge of the Nile
delta. Ships from aH around the Mediterranean docked in its spacious harbor. Its
warehouses bulged with wheat and other products from the Nile VaHey. Alexandria's
thriving commerce enabled it to grow and prosper. By the third century B.C., its
diverse population exceeded half a million people. Greek officials, Jewish merchants, and Ei,,')11tian priests mingled in crowded marketplaces with visitors
!i'om the rest of Africa, Persia, and India. A1exandria became an international
community, with a rich mixture of cUStOlllSand traditions from Egypt and
from the Aegean.
Alexandria's
Greatest
Attractions
Both residents amI visitors
adntired Alexandria's great bcauty. Broad awnues lined with statues of
Greek gods divided the city into hlocks. H.I1ers built magnificent royal
palaces overlooking the harbor. A llluch visited tomh contai1led
Alcxander's elaborate glass coffin. Soaring more than 400 reet over
the harbor stood all enormous stone lighthouse called the
Pharos. This lighthouse contained a polished bronze mirror
that reflected the Jight from a hlazing fire.
Alexandria's greatest attractions were its famous museum
and library. The museum was a temple dedicated to the
Muses, the Greek goddesses of arts and sciences. (The
word IIl1lSe1l11l comes from muse.) It contained art
of longitude and
latitude used on
maps and sky
charts. Here he
is
shown marking the
Ahhough he greatly undcrestimated
the sun's true size, Aristarchns disproved the
\\~dcly. held belief that the suu was smallcr than Greece. In another conclusion,
Aristarchus proposed that the earth and other planets revokc around
the sun. Unfortllnately for science, other astronomers refused to sup-
I-Iellenistic Culture in Alexandria
Hipparchus
invented the system
position
of a star.
port Aristarclms' theories. By the second century A.D., Alexaudria's
last renowned astronomer, Ptolemy, incorrectly placed the earth at the
center of the solar system. Astronomers accepted this view for the
next 14 centuries.
Earth
"!.)
THIIiK
THROUGH
HISTORY
A. Recognizing
Causes
Why was
the culture
of the
Hellenistic
period so
different
Irom that of
classical
Greece?
-24.860 miles
.DE R: Interpreting
Charts
of modern scientific thought were laid during the Hellenistic period.
Greek astronomers' ideas most incorrect compared with modern concepts?
ate is closest to modern measurements? How could the Hellenists be so accurate?
1S
\Vhile Ilellenistic astroJ\OlJ\ers debated the earth's position jn the solar system, a
scbolar named Eratosthenes (EllH·uh·TAIlS·lhuh·NEEz) closely calculated the earth:,
true size. Eratosthenes was the director of the Alc:xandrian Librarv. He was also a
highly regardcd astronomer, poet, historian, and mathcmatician. l'le skillfully used
geometry to compute the earth's circumference at 24,662 miles. Today. we compute
the earth's circumference at 24,860 mill'S. His estimate was within 1 percent of onr
modern ca1cu1ations.
Classical Gr"cce 133
Mathematics
and Physics
Both Eratosthenes
and Aristardlils
Epie\lJ'us (EJlP·l.lh.KYUH·uhs) I(nmded the school of thonght ealle,1 Epie\lJ'canism.
He taught that the universe was c0111posed of atoms and rnled by gods who had no
interest in humans. Epieurus helievc,1 that the only real objects were those that the
Bve scnses perceived. He taught that the grc,atest good and the highest pleasure cmne
from virtnous conduct ami the absence of pain. Epie\lJ'cans propost'd that the main
T
nsed a geometry text ':("npiled by Euclid (YOO·klihd). Enelid
was a highly reganle,lnJat!J('matician
who ope"ed a school of
geometry in Alexandria. His hesl-known hook. tbe F;/ell/{'I!(s.
contained 46,5 cardnlly presented geomdry propositions and proofs.
Mnslim and Emopean nni\'('rsities used the E/(,1/1I'1/18 IIntil well
into ti,e IgODs. It is someli mes said thai on Iv the Bih]e has heeen
more widdy nsed and studied.
goal 01'humans was to achieve Iwnnony of boely anelmind. Toelay, the wonl cpicurelln
means one devoted to pursning hnman pleasures. Howcver, during his lifetime,
Epicurus advocated moderation
Eudid's work is still the hasis fe,r
courses in geolllC'try.
ece,
A.D.
and :3~. ArehillJedes also explaiut'd the law or the levcr and
Pythagorean Theorem
invented tbe c()}npollnd plllley to lilt h,,,,,')' ohjects. Thee writer
netry students remember
PllItarch descrihed how ArehinJ('des demonstrated to an amlience
3goras for his theorem on the
gle but its principleswere
or curious onlookers how something heavy can he moved by a small
In earlier.Thisformulastates
rorce:
the square of a righttriangle's
tenuse equals the sum ofthe
A VOICE
FROM THE PAST
red lengths of the two
Archimedes took a ... ship ... which had just been dragged up on
,iningsides. Chinese
land with great labor and many men; in this he placed her usual comematicians knewthis theory
plement of men and cargo, and then sitting at some distance, without
aps as early as 1100 a.c.
any trouble, by gently pulling with his hand the end of a system of
tian surveyors put it to
pulleys, he dragged it towards him with as smooth and even a motion
tical use even earlier.
as if it were passing over the sea.
owever,the work ofthe school
PLUTARCH,
Parallel Lives: Marceffus
Jgoras founded caught the
3st of later mathematicians.
vnis Euclid'sproofin Greek
Gifted in both geometly and ph)'sics. Archimedes als() put his
I with a Chineseand an Arabic . genius to practical use. He invented the Archimedes screw, a device
lation.The Arabswho
that raised water from the ground, and a eatapu]t or missile-throwing
uered much ofAlexander's
maehine. Building on the knowledge of Archimedes, Hellenistic sdre spread Greekmathematical
ingto the West.Theformula
entists later built a force pump, pneumatic machines, aud even a
me knownas the Pythagorean
stemn engine.
'em throughoutthe world.
i
largest known Hellenistic statne was created on the is]anel or
Hhodes. Known as the Colossus or Rhodes, this
hronze statne stood nlore than 100 It,d high. The
colossal statne conld not have stooel with its feet
straddling the harbor entrance, as legend snggests.
One of the seven wondcrs or the ancient world,
the Colossus of Hhodes
1250
THINK
THROUGH
HISTOil
B. Surnmarizing
What
were
some ofJ
the main achieve·)
,
ments of the scien-j
tists
of the Hellenist;!
period?
t
Like earlier Greek philosophers, Hellenistic scholars helieved
that the uni\'erse followed rational prindplcs. The)' felt that philosophy offereel the hest way to understand these prindples.
The tcachings or Plato and Aristotle continucd to hc very inflnentia] in lIellenistie philosophy. Tn the third centur)' B.r:.. however, ncw schools of philosophy were eOlleerned with how
people should live their ]i\'('s. Two Jnajor philosophies de\'('lopt'l1
during the Hellenistic periocl-Stoicism
and Epic\lJ'eanism.
1\ Grcek philosopllcr nanwd Zeno (:3:3.5-26:3 B.C.)
Stoicism and Epicureanism
l,n 111
,lecl the school or philosop]'y called Stoicism (STOII·ih·slllz·ullln). Stoics I)('lielrd
in a divine power who controlled the universe. T]wv proposed that pcople shou]dli\'('
a virtnons lire in hannon)' with nat\lJ'allaw. Stoics also preached thai vlees snch as
human desires. pO\ver, and wcalth were dangerons distractions that should be controlled. StoiciSiu e'plaincd nat\lJ'C amll'rO\ided an dhical approach to lire. The philosophy also promoted socia] unit)' and t'lIco\lJ'aged its ["lIowers to f,)cns on things
the)' could control. Its ethical doctrine appcaled to pcop]e of many difterent races.
cultures, and cconomic hackgrounds.
Chapter ,5
W'LS
toppled hy an earth-
quake abont 22,5 H,C:. Later. the hronze was sold for
scrap. Another great Hellenistic statue was discovered
by archaeologists in ] 863, the j,nuons Winged Victory of
Sarnothrace. It conl1l1emoratt's a nav,J \ictory by the
Greeks against foes who woulel have enslaved them.
Hellenistic sculpture moved away from the harmonic balance and idealized femns of the classical
Philosophy and Art
, A.D.
in all things.
Realism in Sculpture
Like science, selllpture flourish eel eluring the Hellenistic age.
Hulers, wealthy nlerchants, and cities all purchased statues to honor the gorIs, commemorate heroes, and portray ordinmy pcople in everyday sitnations. The
Another iJnportant Hellenistic sdentist. Archimedes
(,111I\·knh.MEE-deez) of Syracllse, stndied at Alexandria. lie aeenrately cstimated the l'<\]lIC'01'pi (rr)-the
mtio or the cirellmfl'rem;c
of a eirelc to its dian)C'ter. l1e showed its value to he hetweell :3"7:,
800
y
age. Seu]ptors created more rea]istie and emotional
works. Instead of the serene face amI perrect boely
of an idealized man or woman, Hellenistic scnlptors
createel more natural works. They Ielt free to
eXl)lore new subjects, carving ordinaJ)' people sneh
as an ole!, wrinkled peasant woman.
By 1.50 B.C., the lTellenistie world was in
dedine. A new city, Home, was growing and gaining strt'ngth. Throngh Home, Greek-style drama,
architecture, sculpture, religion, and pbilosophy
were preserved and eventnally became tbe core
of \Vestern civilization.
Section
~AMES
2. TAKING NOTES
Usinga chart likethe one below,
list Hellenisticachievements in
each of the followingcategories.
Background
A stoic has come
meal1 someone
indifferent
fected
to ,
who
i
Category
Rhodes
I Achievements
astronomy
10 or unaf~
by pail!
geometry
philosophy
art
Select one category fromthe
chart and make a poster
highlightingHellenistic
achievements inthat area.
0
Winged Victory of
Samothrace is one
of the few surviving
examples of
Hellenistic art. The
dramatic statue is
now in the louvre
in Paris. It shows a
winged figure
standing on the
bow of a ship.
Notice how the
deep relief makes
the wind appear to
ripple through her
gown.
A55eSSment
3. SYNTHESIZING
Describe how the growth of
Alexander'sempire spread Greek
culture.
THINK
ABOUT
• publicvs. private art
• realistic vs. ideal
representations
• the decline ofthe polis
4. AIII.ALYZING THEMES
Cultural Interaction The
Hellenisticculture brought
together Egyptian,Greek,Persian,
and Indianinfluences.Howis
Americanculture a combinationof
differentinfluences? Give
examples of those influences.
THINK
ABOUT
• Americanimmigration
• geographic regions/influences
• your own culturalbackground
Classical Gmece
135
IVIS
&
NAMES
explain the importance of each of the following
;sical Greece.
6. Aristotle
ojan War
Jmer
7. Macedonia
)Iis
8. Alexander the Great
lalanx
9. Hellenistic
3ssical art
10. Archimedes
!
'1
t~l,l~iO(WASSessment
REVIEW QUESTIONS
tHINKING
SECTION1 (pages 111-114)
[MEN
Cultures of the Mountains and the Sea
11. Why was sea travel so important to early Greece?
CHAPTER ACTIVITIES
L
~ing that "the measure of man is what
1 power." Would you consider Alexander
l
!pericles a "better"
12. Why did the Greeks develop myths?
SECTION2 (pages 115-119)
man? Why?
GREEI{ INFLUENCES
Project
• Write an epic poem (about 2-3 pages) about a legendary battle or hero
that you read about in Chapter 5. Use Homer's The Iliad or The Odyssey as
a reference.
14. What were the consequences of the Persian Wars'
~
• Design a museum exhibit with the title POWERAND AUTHORITY IN
CLASSICAL GREECE.Include a sketch of the exhibit layout and a one-page
description of the exhibit.
{'..
• Create an imaginary television talk show about this topic: What makes a
leader successful? Guests should include people mentioned in this chapter.
Prepare a list of questions the host will ask. Videotape the show.
SECTION3 (pages 120-125)
te about how the values and heritage of
;e have influenced modern society.
SECTION4 (pages 128-131)
15. What were Pericles' three goals for Athens?
16. Who were the three renowned philosophers of the golden age?
Alexander-Empire
r
2. CONNECT
t
r
18. What was the full extent of Alexander's empire before his death?
SECTION5 (pages 132-135)
;~ BUILDINGI Thinking back to Pericles
er the Great, what qualifications or
~ do you think are needed for a leader
mpire? Why?
t
G PRIMARY
The Spread of Hellenistic Culture
SOURCES
I'·.
19. What four influences blended to form Hellenistic culture?
20. What did the Epicureans believe?
"
irig selection from Politics, Aristotle
~iews on where the power of the state
His conclusions reflect the idea that
t
5
the best path to civic virtue. Read
b and then answer the questions
~.
f~'~ROM
THE
PAS T
Ji)bhe sovereign power of the
side?' ... The state aims to consist as
iHi~of those who are alike and
[n,dition
chiefly class
among
thethe
!bri'.... found
The middle
is also
L~m:~nt, the least eager for change.
~r~o~et, like the poor the possesw~ts."llor do others covet thei rs, as
~vet those of the rich .... Tyranny
rg~gfrom an over-enthusiastic
zens bring charges of
mgdoing; trial by jury
'ansion of citizenship to all free
rlt males, except foreigners
~or'from an oligarchy, but much
~fr6m middle class constitutions ...
~',,;).:'
ristotle arguing here?
'Iy does this model of an ideal state
j to the
reality of Athenian democracy?
Tee with Aristotle'
• Disagreement
or earth at center of universe
• Accurate estimate of
circumference of earth
• Euclid's geometry textbook
• Development of lever,
pulley, pump
Learning
other facets of classical Greek
culture, the influence of classical Greek art and architecture spread
throughout the world, including the United States.
Create a "Then and Now" board showing examples of art and architecture
in the United States that were influenced by classical Greek styles.
.f~
~'
Support your
UsingJhe
and
then compare
Internet or
them
the with
library,
contemporary
find examples
buildings
from classical
and art.Greece
-
• Find examples from classical Greece. Sketch, photocopy, or otherwise
render them on a poster board.
• Find buildings or other art that show evidence of a classical Greek
influence. Photograph or render them on the poster-SOard.
• Label the board clearly. Include at least four examples.
3.
~..1';}~"::,
~ct democracy; citizens rule
llajority vote
,t1encode of laws
TO TODAY: Cooperative
••:I~I'II~
CULTURAL
INTERACTION
I Like many
IILDERS
Builder
17. Why was Greece so easily conquered by Macedonia?
:::hapter 5
Portfolio
~L INTERACTIONI Copy the web below
er. Fill in examples of how classical
hfluenced the United States.
Democracy and Greece's Golden Age
eek language
ilhology about gods
d goddesses
,mpic Games
ilosophers search for truth
HISTORY: Unit
POWERANDAUTHORITYl Your unit portfolio project focuses on how
people in history have gained power and authority. For Chapter 5, you might
use one of the following ideas.
13. What were the two most powerful city-states in early Greece?
Warring City-States
.ge 110, you drew certain conclusions about
qualities Greeks valued without knowing
Is about their history. Now that you have
the chapter, reexamine the artworks and
d the Greeks' words. Conduct a class
,!b.;(r{".&~~h~~f'~'.1
rpl~Yi'!lh;;,~~\'Jii'''''cWi!W.17;~
. ,{,._~-~~
LIVING
IJID~
INTERPRETING
A TIME LINE
Revisit the unit time line on page 106. Look at the Chapter 5 section of
the time line. Can you find evidence of how geography or a natural
phenomenon might have influenced an event? Explain your conclusion.
Notice the present-day boundaries
that appear on this map of
Alexander's empire.
block its unification and lead to
the formation of separate
nations?
• What modern nations were once
part of this empire?
Connect to History
Compare Greece's size to the area
• How did the physical
characteristics of the empire
it once controlled. How did it
Influence such a large area?