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Ancient Greece
The earliest records of ancient Greece
geography were maintained by
Herodotus, the 'Father of History',
Thucydides and Xenophon.
Geography
Greece is a
peninsula about
the size of
Louisiana in the
Mediterranean
Sea.
 It’s very close to:

– Egypt
– Persian Empire
– Rome
Greek geography




Greece is mountainous
Greek communities
often times developed
independently because
of the mountains
They were diverse
communities
independent of each
other (City-States)
As a result, they tended
to go to war to settle
differences
Terracing saves water and soil in
mountainous environments
The Man, the Myth, the Legend

What were legends?
 How are they
important for
studying the past?
 Where do we see
legends in society?
Marathon: Phidippides
Sports
Entertainment
Star Wars
Legends

A legend is a semitrue story, which has
been passed on
from person-toperson and has
important meaning
or symbolism for the
culture in which it
originates.
A legend usually includes an element of
truth, or is based on historic facts, but
with 'mythical qualities’
 Legends usually involve heroic
characters or fantastic places and often
spiritual beliefs of the culture in which
they originate.

Myths

A myth is a story
based on tradition or
legend, which has a
deep symbolic
meaning.
 A myth 'conveys a
truth' to those who
tell it and hear it,
rather than
necessarily
recording a true
event.
However…

myths can be
 Myths are often
accounts of actual
used to explain
events, they have
universal and local
become transformed
beginnings and
by symbolic
involve supernatural
meaning or shifted
beings.
over time or place.
Myths live on

The great power of
the meaning of
these stories, to the
culture in which they
developed, is a
major reason why
they survive as long
as they do sometimes for
thousands of years.
Technology results from necessity

Since Greek coastal cities were
sandwiched between the ocean
and the sea, they developed a
powerful navy for trading and
fighting.
Technology results from scarcity

All cities need fresh
water. This is a
Greek aqueduct,
basically a brick
water pipe.
 The first aqueduct
was Assyrian, but
most ancient
societies had them.
The Greeks were the original
Olympiads.
Their scientists studied the best
way to perform sports
Greek Invention

The Greeks
invented the crane.
Greek Architecture

Greeks invented
arches and
columns.
 This obviously took
advanced
mathematics.
More Greek Architecture
The Polis: Aristotle

“Every State is a community of some kind,
and every community is established with a
view to some good; for mankind always act in
order to obtain that which they think good.
But, if all communities aim at some good, the
state or political community, which is the
highest of all, and which embraces all the
rest, aims at good in a greater degree than
any other, and at the highest good.”
The Polis

Unique version of city-states called the
Polis.
– Typically built on two levels.
• Top Level: The acropolis: great for defense of
the city
– Temples to the gods or goddesses
• Lower Level: Main City
– Market Place, Theater, Public Buildings, Homes
Early Government

First ruler of the Polis was a king.
– Government with a king or queen at the
center is a monarchy.
 Slowly this power shifted to the noble land
owners.
 Warriors or military defenders gain power as
well.
– Through this developed an aristocracy.
 Middle Classes also emerged and formed an
Oligarchy.
Changes in Warfare
– In about 650 B.C.E. iron weapons and
tools replaced bronze.
• Because iron was cheaper ordinary citizens
could afford helmets, shields, and swords.
– New methods of fighting emerged.
• The phalanx was a massive formation of
heavily armed foot soldiers.
– A New type of warfare began.
Greek Military

This is a phalanx.
 Soldiers get in a
tight formation.
 They each have a
large shield and a 9
foot long spear.
Greek Military

This is a hoplite, a
Greek infantry
soldier.
 Hoplites were
middle-class
freemen who had to
pay for their own
weapon and shield.
Athens vs. Sparta
What made the city-states unique?
 Let us find out….
 Ladies : examine what life was like in
Athens
 Gentlemen: jump into the life of the
Spartans

Political: Athens was the first
democracy.
Democracy: type of government where
people vote.
 Athens was a direct democracy where
people voted on everything.


Direct participation
was the key to
Athenian
democracy.
 In the Assembly,
every male citizen
was not only entitled
to attend as often as
he pleased but…
But…..

also had the right to debate, offer
amendments, and vote on proposals.
Every man had a say in whether to
declare war or stay in peace. Basically
any thing that required a government
decision, all male citizens were allowed
to participate in.
Political terms
All of Greece wasn’t
a democracy.
 Most of Greece was
a monarchy a type of
government ruled by
a king or queen.
 At right is Pericles, a
good king of Athens.

Sparta

Sparta was an isolated
city-state that was
culturally and politically
different from Athens.
 Sparta was an
oligarchy, government
ruled by a few. They
had 2 kings.
 During the
Peloponnesian Sparta
sacked Athens.
Sparta

Spartan society was
obsessed with war.
 Boys were sent to
military school at a
young age.
 Boys who are born
deformed are left to
die on
mountainsides
Athens

Athenians were
tough but were
encouraged to
engage in
activities like art,
philosophy,
music.
Persian Invasion: Section 3
Yes Greek city-states had their
differences but in times of difficulty and
emergency they united as Greeks.
Their Greek culture in times of need
united them above all.
Victory at Marathon: 1st Persian
Invasion

Persian emperor Darius the Great sent a
huge force across the Aegean to punish
Athens for its interference.
 The Persians outnumbered the Athenians 2
to 1.
 Overwhelmed by the furious attacks the
Persians retreated to their ships.
 Pheidippides, the fastest Athenian runner,
was sent to carry the news home to Athens.
He ran 26.2 miles and said “Rejoice, we
conquer.” Then he dropped dead.
Persian Invasion Background
500 B.C.E Athens emerged at the
wealthiest Greek city-state.
 Persians controlled the Greek city-state
of Ionia.

– In 499 B.C.E. the Ionian Greeks rebelled
against the Persians. Athens sent ships to
support the Ionian rebellion.
Fact vs. Fiction ??

How can we determine and analyze
popular culture vs. historical accuracy?
Fact vs. Fiction
In his comic book, he depicts the
Persians as effeminate, and presents
them as religious devotees.
 The traitor is a hunchback.
 The Spartans are physically perfect.
 It is white versus black, man versus
woman, mysticism versus rationalism,
healthy versus sick.

Persian Empire at the Time of Xerxes
Second Persian Invasion
480–479 BC
King Xerxes I of Persia sought to
conquer all of Greece.
 The invasion was a direct response to
the defeat of the first Persian invasion of
Greece(492–490 BC) at the Battle of
Marathon which ended Darius the
First’s attempts to conquer Greece.

After Darius's death, his son Xerxes
spent several years planning for the
second invasion, mustering an
enormous army and navy.
 The Athenians and Spartans led the
Greek resistance, with some 70 citystates joining the 'Allied' effort.
However, most of the Greek cities
remained neutral or submitted to
Xerxes.

The Bridge Over the Hellespont
The invasion began in spring 480 BC,
when the Persian army crossed the
Hellespont
 http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&om=
1&z=14&ll=40.368782,23.919811&spn=
0.037209,0.069351&t=k

Persian Advance
The Persian advance was blocked at
the pass of Thermopylae by a small
Allied force under King Leonidas I of
Sparta
 Persian fleet was blocked by an Allied
fleet at the straits of Artemisium.

Results
Battle of Thermopylae: Allied army held
back the Persian army for seven days,
before they were outflanked by a
mountain path : annihilated
 The Allied fleet had also withstood two
days of Persian attacks at the Battle of
Artemisium, but when news reached
them of the disaster at Thermopylae,
they withdrew to Salamis.

Victory in the Persian Wars increased
the Greek sense of uniqueness.
 Athens emerged from the war as the
most powerful Greek city-state.

Athens in the Age of Pericles
Pericles was a statesman that pushed
the Athenian city-state to thrive
economically and allowed the
government to become more
democratic.
 Direct Democracy- a large number of
male citizens took part in the day-to-day
affairs of government.

Greek v. Greek
Peloponnesian Wars

Peloponnesian wars pitted city states of
Athens and Sparta against each other
– Sparta and other enemies of Athens
formed the Peloponnesian League.
– Sparta supported an oligarchy and Athens
supported democracy.
Alexander the Great

Alexander was not
from Athens, but
Macedonia.
 Alexander was a
brilliant military
strategist.
 His favorite book
was Homer’s Iliad
Alexander conquered the Persian
empire and controlled the largest
empire the world has ever seen.
What happens when
cultures collide?
Alexander spread Hellenistic
culture throughout Asia.

Hellenistic is a fancy
word for Greek.
 Alexander spread
Greek technology
and ideas
throughout his
empire
The Roman Coliseum has a
strong Hellenistic influence.
What buildings in the USA have
a Hellenistic influence?