Download Global 10 Greece

Aim: How was Ancient
Greece Shaped by its
Geography?
Do Now:
1. Based on the DBQ work
from yesterday how
does Ancient Greek
Geography differ from
the Geography of the
civilizations we have
previously studied?
2. In your opinion what are
three key features of
Ancient Greek
geography?
–
Explain your reasoning.
Geography
 Located in Southeastern Europe
 Composed of many mountains, isolated
valleys, and small islands
 Prevented a large Empire
 Aegean and Mediterranean were a valuable
link to the rest of the world
 Became skilled sea traders
 Exchanged goods, ideas, and technology
Early Civilizations
 Minoans built the first civilization on the
island of Crete
 Traded with Egypt, and Mesopotamia
 Gained new Ideas and Technology
 Mycenaeans conquered Crete around 1400
B.C.
 Learned writing and other skills from the
Minoans
Rise of City-States
 Divided into mountains by isolated valleys
 Hundreds of scattered islands exist off of its
coast
 Polis: Greek city state
The Polis
 Made up of two parts
 Hilltop acropolis with Marble temples
 Flatter ground held the main city with a wall
Governments in the City-States
 Kings at first
 Overtime landowning nobles gained power
 Created an Aristocracy or a government
ruled by the landholding elite
 Most Powerful were Sparta and Athens
 Ways of life in these two City-States varied
greatly
Sparta
 Family life was sacrificed to the Polis
 At 12 they were enrolled in separate
companies with other boys their age
 Slept outside and underwent heavy military
training until the age of 24
 After that they became frontline soldiers
 Kept prepared for battle for entire life
 Older men expected to models for the
younger
Military and Training
Slept outside on reed mats
Expected to stand and die rather
than retreat
Women
 Prohibited from wearing jewelry or ornate
clothes
 Exercised rigorously to give birth to healthy
children
 Hardly oppressed
 Saw it as a privilege to be a daughter or
mother to a brave warrior
Athens
 Developed from a monarchy into an
Aristocracy
 Nobles controlled most aspects of
government
 Merchants and soldiers resented their power
 Felt service entitled them to more rights
 Athenian law prevented foreign citizens from
becoming Athenian citizens
Solon
 Leader (archon) given free hand to make
reforms
 Outlawed debt slavery
 Opened high offices to more citizens
 Granted citizenship to some foreign citizens
 Citizenship remained limited and led to
tyrants
 Tyrants: People who gained power by force
More Reform
 Eventually nobles lost a great deal of power
in Greece, and the aristocracy was
weakened
 Poor citizens given a greater voice
 Made all male citizens over 30 a governing
body that debated laws
Rights Overall
 Very limited
 Only male citizens could participate in
government
 Tens of thousands were slaves without
political rights, and freedoms
Women
Viewed as unable to reason and
think as well as men
Had no share in public life
Religious Beliefs
 Polytheistic
 Believed Gods Lived on Mount Olympus in
Northern Greece
 Honored Their Gods with Temples and
Festivals.
 Consulted Priests , Priestesses , and Oracles
to Discover the will of the Gods
 Religion was important but not as much as in
other civilizations
 Some felt universe was regulated by natural
laws not the Gods
The Gods
A quick overview
ZEUS
 Most Powerful of the
Gods
 Known as God of the
Sky and Ruler of
Olympus
 Weakness was the
charms of women
 Ruled over affairs of
Humans and other
Gods
Hera
 Wife of Zeus
 Goddess of
Marriage
Aphrodite
 Daughter of Zeus
 Goddess of Love
Athena
 Daughter of Zeus
 Goddess of Wisdom
 Gave Athens its Name
Dionysus
 Primarily a Fertility
God
 Presided over
Vineyards Grapes and
Wine
 Was one of the 12
Great Gods
Apollo
 God of Sun
 Considered Bright and
Rational
 Associated with Arts of
Music and Medicine
Poseidon
 God of the Sea
Hades
 God of the Underworld
 First Ruled underworld
alone
 Later ruled with wife
Persephone, Queen of
the Underworld