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Ancient Greece
section 1
GEOGRAPHY
• Mountainous peninsula
• Rugged terrain, limited farming
• Communication & transportation difficult
• Hard to unite cities, cut-off from each other
• Local rivalries, resisted outsiders
• Herders, farmers, fishermen, and traders.
• Had olive oil & wine. Needed wheat & grain
• Led to frequent wars between cities
• Traders and sailors borrowed ideas from other cultures
Earlier societies in the Aegean Sea
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Minoan civilization
Crete 2000 – 1400 BC
Major trading power
Named for legendary King
Minos
Temple at Knossos – no
defensive walls; frescoes
Destroyed by invaders
from Greece, then
forgotten
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Achean civilization
borrowed from the
Minoans
Invade Greece from the
north
By 1400 BC in control of
Aegean Sea
Unite under king of
Mycenae to attack Troy.
The Iliad and Odyssey
written by Homer ca. 750
BC
In a famous episode of Homer's Odyssey, the hero Odysseus encounters
the Cyclops Polyphemus, the son of Poseidon and Thoosa .
Acheans downfall
• Greece is invaded by the Dorians who have
iron weapons.
• A ”Dark Age” in Greek history where writing
and artistic skills are largely forgotten.
• Poverty, backwardness but not total collapse.
• Many Greeks emigrate to Asia Minor. Establish
Greek colonies. Spread of Greek language,
culture, ideas and goods.
The Greek City-States
• During the Dark Ages some villages prospered,
grew into towns and then became
independent city-states. Much rivalry!
• Athens and Sparta become leading city-states.
Polis: fortified hilltop with surrounding
fields
people
acropolis.
Acropolis: fortress on this hilltop,where
gathered. Life revolved around the
Forms of government
• Monarchy (Dark Ages) - a king rules the polis.
Power comes through leadership in war.
• Aristocracy (800 BC) – wealthy noble families
use their power as landowners to challenge the
monarch. Wealth also comes from trade with
Greek colonies. Oligarchy = power rests within
small, dominant group.
• Trade prospers and money economy gives rise
to strong merchant class.
Aristocracy is challenged by:
• Citizen-soldiers, wealthy merchants – resent
exclusion from power.
• Lower-classes - Revolts break out against debtslavery.
• Tyranny (500 BC) government by an individual
(tyrant) who seizes power by force. Not
necessarily negative. Popular leaders.
• Democracy – government by the citizens. Athens
is first. Every free-born man over age 20 has right
to vote in Athenian assembly.
Strong common identity
• All Greeks used the name Hellenes to describe
themselves. (barbaroi = outsiders)
• Worshipped the same gods and celebrated
same festivals, such as the Olympic games.
Shrines, like the Oracle of Apollo at delphi, were
protected by neighboring city-states.
Athens becomes the leading city-state
A) Beginning 490 BC:
• King Darius (son of Cyrus) leads the Persian forces in an attack on Athens.
• Battle of Marathon: Despite being outnumbered the Athenians win the battle.
According to legend a runner is sent 26 miles (42 km) to Athens to deliver the
news of victory.
• Athens begins to build a strong navy to defend itself against further Persian
attacks, but also to dominate trade
• Several Greek city-states form an alliance and choose Sparta to lead against
another Persian invasion.
B) 480 BC Battle of Salamis
Persians under King Xerxes (son of Darius) land in Greece and expect easy victory, but
the Athenian navy destroy most of the Persian fleet. Remaining Persian forces are
defeated a year later.
C) Result of Persian Wars
1. Persian army retreats to Asia Minor, never to invade Greece again.
2. Victory for Greeks due to Athenian navy. Athens emerges as leading city-state in
Greece.
Golden Age of Athens
461-429 BC
• Delian League – defensive alliance between Greek city-states. Athens is
the leader and dictate policy, command navy and collect tribute. Athens
prospers and establishes its empire.
Under the leadership of Pericles Greek culture blooms!
Beautifies the city, exhibits its glory.
Parthenon atop the Acropolis (temple to Athena)
Athenians enjoy greatest political freedom ever.
This attracts philosophers, poets and artists.
Athens becomes the “school of Greece”.
It is a time of great intellectual and artistic achievement.
Democracy is at its peak, but it is not perfect! Citizens are a minority.
Athenian democracy
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Citizen = free, native born Athenian
men who at age 18 swear an oath to
defend Athens and then complete 2
years of military training.
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Women, foreigners and slaves are
excluded.
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A citizen could attend Assembly and
vote and hold any political office.
However most offices were held by
aristocrats.
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Athens had a direct democracy.
Compare to our representational
democracy.
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Athenian democracy became an
inspiring model for other Greek citystates, as well as other future
democratic governments with the
ideas:
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That the state exists for the good of
the citizens
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Every citizen is expected to serve and
to vote
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That “the people” were “the
government”
Peloponnesian Wars and Downfall of
Athenian Empire
• Resentment of other Greek city-states toward Athens.
These other city-states form an alliance called the
Peloponnesian League. It is headed by Sparta.
• 431 BC: Open conflict between Athens and Corinth
(member of Peloponnesian league) which spreads to
all of Greece and goes on for 27 years.
• Result: Athens surrenders. Sparta with help of Persian
navy is the victor. 404 BC - End of Athenian political
dominance but remains cultural center of Greece.