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Early Greece
Preview
• Starting Points Map: The Early Greeks
• Main Idea / Reading Focus
• Minoans and Mycenaeans
• Greek City-States
• Gods and Heroes
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Main Idea
Early Greece
The earliest cultures in Greece, the Minoans and the
Mycenaeans, were trading societies, but both disappeared and
were replaced by Greek city-states.
Reading Focus
• What were Minoan and Mycenaean cultures like?
• What were the common characteristics of Greek city-states?
• What role did stories of gods and heroes play in Greek
culture?
Minoans
and
Mycenaeans
Many parts of early Greek history are still a mystery, but we do know
that two distinct cultures developed in early Greece.
The Minoans of Crete
• Minoan civilization developed
as early as 3000 BC
Excavations at Knossos
• Much of Minoan life revealed
by excavations
• Lasted nearly 2,000 years
– Solidly constructed buildings
• Minoan ships sailed over
Aegean Sea, possibly farther
– Private rooms
• Colonies established on
dozens of Aegean islands
– Brightly colored artwork
• Ships filled with trade goods
sailed back and forth between
Crete and her colonies
– Basic plumbing
– Artwork shows life tied to sea,
women as priests, dangerous
games
Speculation
• Much history of Minoan civilization result of guesswork, speculation
– Historians cannot read Minoans’ writing, Linear A.
– Does not appear to be related to languages of mainland Greece
• Until writing deciphered, most knowledge will come from art, objects
Rapid Decline
• Minoan civilization fell apart rather suddenly, possibly from disaster.
– Large eruption of volcanic island near Crete may have affected
worldwide weather patterns.
– Damage to Minoan ports, crops may have weakened society
• Minoans conquered by warlike Mycenaeans
Mycenaeans
The Mycenaean States
First Greeks
• Mycenaeans built small
kingdoms, often fought with
each other
• Mycenaeans considered first
Greeks, spoke form of Greek
language
• Name comes from fortress,
Mycenae
• Earliest kingdoms owed much
to Minoans
Minoan Influences
• Mycenaeans traded with
Minoans, copied writing
Mycenaean Differences
• Became great traders
• Society dominated by intense
competition, frequent warfare,
powerful kings
• Trade increased after they
conquered Crete
• Kings taxed trade, farming to
build palaces, high walls
Mycenaean
Strengths
and
Mycenaean Strength
• To show off strength, Mycenaeans
built great monuments like Lion’s Gate
Downfall
• Kings’ constant quest for power, glory inspired legends
• Most famous, story of Trojan War
Trojan War
• War supposedly involved early Greeks, led by Mycenae, who fought powerful
city called Troy, in what is now Turkey
• War may not have happened, but ruins of city believed to be Troy found
Downfall
• War played part in end of Mycenaean civilization, as did drought, famine
• By end of 1100s BC, Mycenaean cities mostly in ruins; dark age followed
• Greek civilization almost disappeared
Compare and Contrast
How were Minoan and Mycenaean cultures
similar? How were they different?
Answer(s): similar—both were trading states;
different—Mycenaean writing has been translated;
Mycenaeans had frequent wars
Greek
City-States
A new type of society emerged in Greece in the 800s BC. The society
was centered on the polis, or city-state. Each polis developed
independently, with its own form of government, laws and customs.
Life in the Polis
• Polis, center of
daily life, culture
• Greeks fiercely
loyal to their polis
• Did not think of
selves as Greeks,
but as residents of
their particular citystate
Infrastructure
• Polis built around
high area, called
acropolis
• Acropolis used as
fortification
• Included temples,
ceremonial spaces
• Agora, public
marketplace, below
Other Attributes
• Shops, houses,
temples near agora
• Gymnasium,
athletes’ training
grounds, public
bath
• Sturdy wall for
defense
surrounded polis
Political Systems of Greek
Each major polis
had a different political
City-States
system that developed over time.
•
Corinth, an oligarchy, ruled by a few individuals
•
Athens, birthplace of democracy
•
Sparta, one of mightiest city-states, but least typical
The Might of Sparta
Beginnings
• Sparta located on Peloponnesus, large peninsula of southern Greece
• First surrounded by smaller towns; over time Sparta seized control of towns
• After conquering town of Messenia, Spartans made Messenians into helots
Helots
• Helots were state slaves given to Spartan citizens to work on farms so
citizens did not have to perform manual labor.
• As result, Spartan citizens free to spend time training for war
War
• Spartan emphasis on war not due to fondness for fighting, but as way to
keep order in society
• Helots outnumbered Spartans seven to one, kept in check by strong army
Militaristic
State
To support their military lifestyle, the Spartans demanded strength and
toughness. All babies were examined after birth and unhealthy children
were left in the wild to die.
Combat School
• Boys taught physical, mental
toughness by mothers until age 7
• Entered combat school to toughen
for hardships of being soldier
• At age 20 boys became hoplites,
foot soldiers; remained in army 10
years before becoming citizens
Women in Society
• Unusual among Greek city-states
• Women played important role
• Trained in gymnastics for physical
fitness, to bear strong children
• Women had right to own property,
unlike women in most of Greece
Sparta was led by two kings who served as military commanders.
Decision-making was largely left to an elected council of elders.
Identify Cause and Effect
Why did Sparta’s political system develop?
Answer(s): Because of Sparta's emphasis on
war; it was led politically by two kings who served
as military commanders.
Gods and Heroes
Legends and Myths
The Gods of Olympus
• Much of what is known about
early Greece comes from
studying Greeks’ legends,
myths
• Ancient Greeks believed in
hundreds of gods, goddesses;
each governed one aspect of
nature, life
• Myths, stories told to explain
natural phenomena, events of
distant past
• Example: Apollo controlled
movement of sun; sister Artemis
did same for moon
• Greek myths explained where
they came from, how they
should live, cope with uncertain
world
• Greeks believed gods would
protect them, city-states in
exchange for proper rituals,
sacrifices
Mount
Olympus
• 12 gods, goddesses were particularly influential in Greek lives
• These 12 lived together on Mount Olympus, highest mountain in
Greece
• Olympian gods thought to have great power, though not perfect
• Myths say gods flawed, often unpredictable—loved, hated, argued,
made mistakes, got jealous, played tricks on each other
Worship
• Almost all Greeks worshipped
same gods
• Each polis claimed one god,
goddess as special protector
• Example: Athens sacred to Athena
• Some locations considered sacred
by all Greeks
Sacred Locations
• Delphi sacred to all Greeks—
priestesses of Apollo were thought
to receive visions of future
• Olympia—every four years Greeks
assembled there for Olympic
Games; athletes competed against
each other to honor gods
Myths about Heroes
Hercules and Theseus
• Greeks also told myths about
heroes, used to teach Greeks
where they came from, what
kind of people they should be
• Some heroes, like Hercules,
who had godlike strength,
renowned through all Greece
• Others, like Theseus, who killed
Minotaur of Crete, famous
chiefly in home cities
Lessons
• Heroes killed monsters, made
discoveries, founded cities,
talked with gods on equal terms
• Examples inspired individuals,
whole city-states, to achieve
great things
• Hubris, great pride, brought
many heroes to tragic ends
• Served as lessons not to
overstretch abilities
Describe
What role did mythology play in Greek
culture?
Answer(s): explained natural phenomena; taught
Greeks where they came from and how to act
The Classical Age
Preview
• Main Idea / Reading Focus
• Athenian Democracy
• The Persian Wars
• Map: Persian Wars
• The Golden Age of Athens
• Faces of History: Pericles
• The Peloponnesian War
• Map: Greece Before the Peloponnesian War
• Quick Facts: Causes and Effects of the Peloponnesian War
Main Idea
The Classical Age
The Classical Age of ancient Greece was marked by great
achievements, including the development of democracy, and by
ferocious wars.
Reading Focus
• What were the characteristics of Athenian democracy?
• How did the Greeks manage to win the Persian Wars?
• What advances were made in the golden age of Athens?
• What led to the outbreak of the Peloponnesian War?
Athenian
Democracy
The prosperity of Athens was due in large part to its stable and
effective government. That government was the world’s first
democracy, a form of government run by the people.
Beginnings
• Athens, birthplace
of democracy
• Not always
democratic city
• First ruled by kings
• Later ruled by
aristocrats who had
money and power
Reform
• Most Athenians
poor, had little
power over lives
• Gap between rich,
poor led to conflict
• Official named
Draco reformed
laws
Draconian Laws
• Draco thought way
to end unrest was
through harsh
punishment
• Belief reflected in
Draco’s laws
• Harshness of laws
worsened dispute
between classes
Solon
and
Peisistratus
Revision of Draconian Laws
Peisistratus
• 590s BC, lawmaker Solon
revised laws again, overturned
Draco’s harshest laws
• Outlawed debt slavery; tried to
reduce poverty by encouraging
trade
• Allowed all Athenian men to
take part in assembly that
governed city, serve on juries
• Only wealthy men could run for,
hold political office
• Solon’s laws relieved tension
for a time, did not resolve it
• Tensions flared again after a
few decades
• 541 BC, politician Peisistratus
took advantage of conflict,
seized power
• Peisistratus a tyrant
• Claimed to rule for good of
people
• Violent but popular
• People liked fact that he pushed
aristocrats out, increased trade
Cleisthenes
Cleisthenes took over Athens after Peisistratus
• Reforms set stage for Athenian democracy
• Cleisthenes broke up power of noble families
– Divided Athens into 10 tribes based on where people lived
– Made tribes, not families, social groups, basis for elections
– Each tribe elected 50 men to serve on Council of 500, proposed
laws
– Each tribe elected one general to lead Athenian army
The Nature of Athenian Democracy
• As democracy, Athens ruled by the people, but not all people able to
take part in government; only about 10 percent of total population
• Only free male Athenians over age 20 who had completed military
training allowed to vote
• Women, immigrants, children, slaves had no role in government
Athenian Government
• Those allowed to take part in government expected to:
–
Vote in all elections
–
Serve in office if elected
–
Serve on juries
–
Serve in military during war
Height of Democracy
Three Main Bodies
• Athenian democracy consisted
of three main bodies—
• Assembly
• Council of 500
• Courts
Council of 500
• Created by Cleisthenes
• Wrote laws to be voted on by
full assembly
Assembly
• Included everyone eligible to
serve in government
• All present voted on laws, all
important decisions
• Called direct democracy
Courts
• Complex series of courts
• Members could number up to
6,000
• Chosen from the assembly
• Heard trials, sentenced
criminals
Special Roles
Elected Officials
Archon
• Most governing done by
assembly
• The archon acted as head of
both assembly, Council of 500
• Some elected officials had
special roles
• Archons elected for term of one
year, but could be re-elected
many times
• Among elected officials,
generals who led city in war
• Another elected official, the
archon
• Public servant, could be
removed from office, punished if
failed to serve people well
Analyze
What were the key features of Athenian
democracy?
Answer(s): direct democracy; only certain men
could vote; consisted of assembly, Council of 500,
and court system
The
Persian
Wars
In the early 400s BC, the Greek city-states came into conflict with the
vast Persian Empire, a larger, stronger opponent.
Causes of the Conflict
• Roots of Persian Wars lay in
region of Ionia, in what is now
Turkey
• Ionian city-states founded as
Greek colonies, fell under
Persian rule, 500s BC
– Ionian Greeks unhappy with
Persian rule
– Wanted independence
– Rebelled, 499 BC
Revenge
• Ionian Greeks asked fellow
Greeks for help
• Athens sent aid, ships
• Persians put down revolt
– Revolt made Persian emperor
Darius angry enough to seek
revenge
– Planned to punish Ionians’
allies, especially Athens, by
attacking Greek mainland
First
Invasion
The First Persian Invasion
• 490 BC, Persians set out to fulfill Darius’s plans for revenge
• Fleet carrying tens of thousands of Persian troops set out for Greece
• Came ashore near town of Marathon, not far from Athens
Persian Retreat
• Warned in advance, Greeks arrived at Marathon, caught Persians unloading
ships, charged in phalanx, tight rectangle formation
• Persians counterattacked, more Greeks closed in, Persians retreated
Marathon
• Legend says Athenian messenger ran from Marathon to Athens after battle to
announce Greek victory; died from exhaustion after delivering message
• Legend inspired modern marathon, 26-mile race commemorating dedication,
athleticism
Preparations
for
a
Second
• Greek victory at Marathon shocked both Greeks, Persians
• Athenians could not believe
they had defeated stronger foe
Invasion
• Persians humiliated, furious
• Darius planned second invasion, but died before invasion launched
• Son Xerxes vowed revenge, continued to plan attack on Greece
Xerxes
Athenians
• 480 BC, 10 years after first
invasion, Xerxes set out for Greece
• Faced with invasion, Athenians
called on other Greek city-states to
help fight off Persians
• Hundreds of thousands of soldiers,
sailors, animals, weapons, supplies
• Greek accounts say Persian army
so huge took week to cross bridge
built into Greece
• Athens, bitter rival, agreed to help
• Had recently built large navy, took
charge of Greek fighting ships
• Sparta took charge of Greek armies
Second
Invasion
and
The Greeks worried that they would not have time to prepare their
troops for battle. To slow down the Persians, a group of Spartans and
Aftermath
their allies gathered in a mountain pass at Thermopylae, through which
the Persians would pass to get into Greece.
The Second Persian Invasion
• Spartans held off entire Persian
army for several days
• Persians shown alternate path
through mountains; were able to
surround, kill Spartans
• Spartans’ sacrifice bought time for
Greeks’ defense
After Thermopylae
• Persians marched south to Athens,
attacked, burned city; needed fleet
to bring additional supplies
• Athenian commander lured fleet
into narrow strait
• Greek warships cut them to pieces
Persian army was no longer a match for the Greeks; and within a year
the Greeks had won the Persian Wars.
Sequence
What events led to the Greek victory in the
Persian Wars?
Answer(s): Athens and Sparta allied to fight the
Persians; Spartans held off the Persians at
Thermopylae, allowing Athens to prepare; Persian
supplies were cut off when the Greek fleet
destroyed their ships; Spartans led the Greek army
to defeat the Persians at Plataea
The
Golden
Age
of
Athens
As leaders in the Persian Wars, Athens and Sparta became the two
most powerful, influential city-states in Greece. After the wars, Athens
entered a golden age as the center of Greek culture and politics.
Alliance
• After Persian Wars
city-states banded
together to defend
each other, punish
Persia
• Largest, richest of
alliance members
was Athens
Delian League
Increased Influence
• Alliance’s treasury
kept on islands of
Delos
• Some members
resented Athenian
dominance
• Alliance known as
Delian League
• Members who tried
to quit attacked by
league fleet, forced
back into alliance
• Athens controlled
ships, money
• League grew in
membership, power
• League became
Athenian empire
Rebuilding
Athens
A City in Ruins
• People wanted to rebuild Athens after Persian Wars
• Some money for rebuilding came from within Athens
• Substantial amount came from treasury of Delian League
Collective Funds to Rebuild
• Other members of League not happy Athenians used collective funds to
rebuild city, but none powerful enough to stop Athens
• Rebuilding began at top, with acropolis, series of grand temples
Height of Culture
• Grandest temple, Parthenon, dedicated to goddess Athena
• Athenians expanded port, built new roads, constructed high walls around city
• Rebuilt Athens considered height of Greek culture, sophistication
The
Age
of
Pericles
Much of the rebuilding of Athens was due to one man—Pericles, a
skilled politician and gifted public speaker.
Pericles
• 460s, elected one of Athens’
generals, became Athens’
most influential politician
• Great champion of democracy
– Introduced payment for those
who served in public offices,
on juries
– Encouraged Athenians to
introduce democracy
elsewhere
Patron of the Arts
• Commissioned building
Parthenon, other monuments
– Hired artists, sculptors to
decorate them
• Wanted Athens to be most
glorious city in Greece
– Believed it had best
government, noblest people,
monuments to prove
superiority
Life in the Golden Age
Trade brought great wealth to Athens.
•
Merchants from other parts of world moved to city,
bringing own foods, customs
•
Athens very cosmopolitan as result
–
Grand festivals, public celebrations, events
–
Athletic games and city theaters
–
Athens was the heart of Greek culture
Draw Conclusions
What made the 400s a golden age in
Athens?
Answer(s): trade brought great wealth;
cosmopolitan city; city rebuilt; center of Greek
culture and politics
The
Peloponnesian
War
As the leader of the Delian League, Athens was the richest, mightiest
polis in Greece. Being rich and mighty brought many powerful rivals,
the greatest of which was Sparta, which wanted to end its dominance.
Peloponnesian
League
• Sparta head of
Peloponnesian
League, allied citystates
• Formed 500s BC,
to provide
protection, security
for members
Tension Built
• Tensions built
between Delian,
Peloponnesian
Leagues
• Mutual fear led to
war between
Athens, Sparta
War
• Athens feared
military might of
another league
• Sparta feared loss
of trading
• 431 BC, the two
declared war
• Lasted many years
The
Course
of
War
War in Greece
• Initially neither side gained much advantage
• Sparta, allies dominated land; Athens, allies dominated sea
• Athenians avoided land battles; neither side won more than minor victories
Plague and Peace
• 430, 429 BC, plague struck Athens, changed course of war
• Pericles, Athens’ leader through beginning of war, among dead
• After plague, fighting heated up until truce in 421 BC
Sparta’s Victory
• 415 BC, war broke out again; Sparta took to sea as well as land, destroyed
Athenian fleet; Athens surrendered 404 BC
• Peloponnesian War almost destroyed Athens; Sparta also exhausted by war
Cycle of Warfare
After victory, Sparta’s army tried to act as Greece’s
dominant power
• Sparta’s wealth, resources badly strained, power worn down
• Spartans could not keep control of Greece
• City-state of Thebes defeated Sparta, could not maintain control
either
• Struggle for power led to long cycle of warfare that left all Greece
vulnerable to attack
• 340s BC, Macedonia, Greek-speaking kingdom to north, swept in,
took control of all Greece
Identify Cause and Effect
What caused the Peloponnesian War?
Answer(s): mutual fear; Sparta feared Athens
would stop it from trading, Athens feared the
military might of the Peloponnesian League
Greek Achievements
Preview
• Main Idea / Reading Focus
• Greek Philosophy
• Quick Facts: Greek Philosophy
• Greek Literature
• Greek Architecture and Art
Main Idea
Greek Achievements
The ancient Greeks made great achievements in philosophy,
literature, art, and architecture that influenced the development
of later cultures and ideas.
Reading Focus
• How did Greek philosophy influence later thinking?
• What types of literature did the Greeks create?
• What were the aims of Greek art and architecture?
Greek
Philosophy
Despite their condemnation of Socrates, the people of ancient Greece
were great believers in philosophy. The word philosophy itself comes
from the Greek word philosophia, meaning “the love of wisdom.”
Background
Socrates
Broad Concepts
• Earliest philosophy
traced to 500s BC
• First great Athenian
philosopher
• Reached height in
Athens during
400s, 300s BC
• Little known of his
personal life
• Writings give clear
picture of
Socrates’s thoughts
and how he taught
• Inspired by greatest
philosophers—
Socrates, Plato,
Aristotle
• Students’ writings,
including Plato’s,
put forth his ideas
• Socrates interested
in broad concepts
of human life—
truth, justice, virtue
Philosophy of Socrates
Asking Questions
Socratic Method
• Socrates believed philosophers
could learn what made good
people, societies by asking
questions
• By working through series of
questions, Socrates thought
people could discover basic
nature of life
• Started with basic questions,
like “What is truth?”
• Method of learning through
questions called the Socratic
method
• Socrates followed up with more
questions
Plato
• One of Socrates’ students, became great philosopher in own right
• Left behind great number of writings that record ideas on wide variety
of topics, from nature of truth to ideal form of government
• The Republic argues that government should be led by philosophers
Theory of Government
• Philosophers most qualified to make good decisions
• Did not support Athenian democracy in which all men could take part
• Plato wanted to make philosopher’s education more formal
• Founded the Academy, which in Plato’s lifetime became most
important site for Greek philosophers to do their work
The Third Philosopher
Aristotle
• Aristotle was among students who studied at the Academy
• More concerned with nature of world that surrounded him
• Tried to apply philosophical principles to every kind of knowledge
Emphasis on Reason and Logic
• Emphasis on reason, logic
• Reason, clear and ordered thinking; use reason to learn about world
• Observe carefully, think rationally about what one has seen
Inferring New Facts
• Aristotle also helped develop field of logic, process of making inferences
• Example: birds have feathers, lay eggs; owls have feathers, lay eggs;
therefore, owl must be a type of bird
Identify
Who were the greatest philosophers of
ancient Greece?
Answer(s): Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle
Greek
Literature
Other Greek literature remains, with a great many works still popular
today. Greeks excelled in poetry—both epics and other forms—history,
and drama.
Homer’s Epics
• Most famous works are some of
earliest
• Epic poems of great events and
heroes
• The Iliad and the Odyssey,
attributed to poet Homer, tell
stories of Trojan War
Iliad and Odyssey
• Iliad tells story of last year of
war, two heroes—Achilles and
Hector
• Odyssey tells story of heroes
from the war, with Odysseus
who was forced to wander the
sea
These two works became basis for the Greek education system.
Other Forms of Poetry
Greeks wrote many types of poetry besides epics
• Hesiod wrote descriptive poetry about works of gods,
lives of peasants
• Greeks also created lyric poetry
– Named after the lyre, musical instrument often played to
accompany reading of poems
– Lyric poems do not tell stories, but deal with emotions, desires
• Lyric poets
– Sappho, one of few Greek women to gain fame as writer; dealt
with daily life, marriage, love
– Pindar, late 500s, early 400s; poems commemorated public
events, like Olympic Games
History
• Among fields for which Greeks best known
• Greek authors wrote about and analyzed own past
• First major Greek historian, Herodotus
• Lived in Greece during wars with Persia; described battles and public
debates in The Histories
Primary Sources
Describing Famous Men
• Thucydides lived during
Peloponnesian War, wrote about it
• Another early historian, Xenophon
fought in Persia after Persian Wars
• Included primary sources, like
speeches he heard delivered
• Concentrated less on sources,
debates, more on describing
famous men; had less critical style
• Looked at sources critically, ignored
unreliable, irrelevant ones
• Work has helped us learn what life
was like in 300s BC Greece
Drama
While the Greeks wrote histories to preserve the past, they created a
new form of writing for entertainment—drama, the art of playwriting.
Athenian Roots
Development
• Earliest dramas part of
festivals
• Dramas became more
complex
• Dionysus, god of wine and
celebration
• Individual actors took on roles
of specific characters in stories
• Group of actors called a chorus
• Two distinct forms of dramas
developed, tragedy and
comedy
• Recited stories
Distinct Forms
Tragedies
Comedies
• Focused on hardships faced
by Greek heroes
• Many comedies were satires,
plays written to expose flaws
of society
• Three great writers
– Aeschylus, Greek myths
– Sophocles, suffering
people brought on selves
– Euripides, tragedy
brought on by chance,
behavior
• Aristophanes greatest
Greek comedy writer
• Plays poke fun at aspects of
Athenian society, from
government to treatment of
women
Find the Main Idea
In what forms of writing did the Greeks
excel?
Answer(s): epics, history, poetry, drama
Greek Architecture and Art
Beauty
Architecture
• Athenians enjoyed beauty, both
written and visual
• Athenians wanted their city to
be most beautiful in Greece
• Expressed love of written
beauty through literature; visual
beauty through architecture, art
• Built magnificent temples,
theatres, public buildings
Enhancements
• To enhance appearance of
buildings, added fine works of
art, painted and sculpted
• Grandest buildings built on
acropolis, at city’s center
Parthenon
• Most magnificent on acropolis
• Massive temple to Athena
• Begun by Pericles, 447 BC
• Took 14 years to build
Greek Architecture and Art
Parthenon impressive not for sheer size, but for
proportion
• Designers careful not to make too tall, too wide
• Parthenon more than 200 feet long, 100 feet wide
– Had doors, no windows
– Surrounded by tall, graceful columns
– Above columns, slabs of marble carved with scenes from myths
– Ruins appear white today, but parts originally painted in vivid
hues
– Huge gold, ivory statue of Athena stood inside Parthenon
Human Forms
Sculpture
• Greek sculptors among finest world has ever known
• Particularly adept at sculpting human form; studied people at rest, moving
• Tried to re-create what they saw, paid particular attention to muscles
Lifelike, Not Realistic
• Greeks wanted statues to look lifelike, active, not necessarily realistic
• Portrayed subjects as physically perfect, without blemishes, imperfections
• Greek statues almost all depict figures of great beauty, grace
Roman Copies
• Few original works remain; most copies made a few hundred years later
• Roman artists made many copies of greatest Greek statues
• Many copies survived even after original statues destroyed
Painting
• Only a few original Greek paintings survive
• Best preserved are paintings on vases, plates, other vessels
• Scenes from everyday life, or from myths, legends
• Most use only red, black; still convey movement, depth
Larger Paintings
• Little evidence of larger works; written sources say Greeks created
murals in many public buildings
• Often included scenes from Iliad, Odyssey; showed aftermath of
battles, rather than battle itself
• Themes similar to tragic drama popular with Athenians
Make Generalizations
What were some characteristics of Greek
architecture and art?
Answer(s): architecture—proportion, columns,
vivid colors; art—idealistic sculpture depicting the
human form; red and black vessels with scenes
conveying movement and depth; murals and wall
paintings
Alexander the Great and His Legacy
Preview
• Main Idea / Reading Focus
• Alexander the Great
• Map: Alexander’s Empire
• The Hellenistic World
• Hellenistic Achievements
• Visual Study Guide / Quick Facts
• Video: The Impact of the Greek Scholars
Alexander the Great and His
Main Idea
Legacy
Alexander the Great formed
a huge empire, spread Greek
culture into Egypt and many parts of Asia, and paved the way for
a new civilization to develop in those areas.
Reading Focus
• How did Alexander the Great rise to power?
• What was life like in the culture called the Hellenistic world that
developed after Alexander’s death?
• What were some significant Hellenistic achievements?
Alexander
the
Great
Macedonia rose to power and took control of Greece in the years that
followed the Peloponnesian War.
The Rise of Macedonia
• Most Greeks considered
Macedonians backward
– Lived in villages, not cities
– Spoke form of Greek
unintelligible to other Greeks
• 359 BC, Macedonia’s fortune
changed when Philip II took
throne
Army Reorganization
• One of Philip’s first actions as
king
• Adopted phalanx system, but
gave soldiers longer spears
• Included larger bodies of
cavalry and more archers
• Set out to conquer Greece
– Faced little opposition
– Quickly crushed armies
– Conquered all but Sparta
Alexander Becomes King
• Philip’s conquests might have continued, but he was assassinated
• Title, plans for conquests fell to son, Alexander the Great
• Alexander only 20, but had been trained to rule almost from birth
• Learned warfare and politics from father, mother, and Aristotle
Alexander’s Conquests
• Alexander faced almost immediately with revolts in Greece
• Set out to reestablish control
• Used harsh measures to show rebellion not tolerated
• Crushed Theban army and sold people into slavery, burned city
Empire Building
Empire
Campaigns
• With Greece under control,
Alexander decided to build
empire
• Within year Alexander’s army
had won victory against
Persians in Asia Minor
• 334 BC, led army into Asia to
take on Persians
• Moved south to Phoenicia,
Egypt; welcomed as liberator,
named new pharaoh
• Army relatively small, but well
trained, fiercely loyal
• Persian army huge,
disorganized
• Next destroyed Persian army
near Gaugamela, in what is
now Iraq; caused Emperor
Darius III to flee
Expanding the Empire
With defeat of Darius, Alexander the master of
Persian world
• Troops marched to Persepolis, a Persian capital,
burned it to ground as sign of victory
• But Alexander not satisfied with size of empire
– Led army deeper into Asia, winning more victories
– Led army to the Indus, perhaps to conquer India
– Soldiers had had enough, refused to proceed farther from home
– Alexander forced to turn back to west
End of the Empire
Death at Early Age
Power Struggle
• Alexander’s empire largest
world had ever seen
• Generals fought each other for
power
• Did not rule very long
• In the end, the empire was
divided among three most
powerful generals
• 323 BC, Alexander fell ill while
in Babylon
• Died a few days later at age 33
• Alexander died without naming
heir
• Called themselves kings
– Antigonus became king of
Macedonia and Greece
– Seleucus ruled Persian
Empire
– Ptolemy ruled Egypt
Summarize
Why did Alexander’s empire break apart
after his death?
Answer(s): He did not name an heir, so the
empire was divided among three powerful
generals.
The
Hellenistic
World
By bringing together a number of diverse peoples in his empire,
Alexander helped create a new type of culture. It was no longer purely
Greek, or Hellenic, but Hellenistic, or Greeklike.
Blending Cultures
New Cities
• Alexander made
conscious effort to
bring people, ideas
together
• Appointed officials
from various
cultures to help rule
• Married two
Persian princesses
• Encouraged
soldiers to marry
Persians as well
• Built dozens of new
cities, encouraged
Greek settlers to
move into them
• Most new cities
named Alexandria
Most Famous City
• Alexandria, Egypt
• Located at mouth
of Nile, where it
met Mediterranean
• Ideal location for
trade
• Harbor once
busiest in world
Alexandria
and
Beyond
Center of Culture
• With trade money, Alexandrians built great palaces, streets lined with
monuments; city was home to centers of culture, learning
• The Museum, temple to spirit of creativity, home to many works of art
Center of Learning
• Library of Alexandria contained works on philosophy, literature, history,
sciences
• Alexandria remained center of culture, learning long after Hellenistic period
Trading Centers
• Alexandria one of largest trading centers, but not only one in Hellenistic world
• Cities in Egypt, Persia, Central Asia trading centers for Africa, Arabia, India
• Traders brought back goods, new ideas like teachings of Judaism
Life in the Hellenistic World
Drastic Changes
Life for Women
• Shift from Hellenic Greece to
Hellenistic world brought drastic
changes to lives
• Lives of women also changed
significantly in Hellenistic
Period
• Most obvious change, how
people were governed
• Women had few rights in earlier
Greek city-states
• City-state no longer main
political unit, replaced by
kingdom
• Lives began to improve after
Alexander, though women still
not equal to men
• Traditional Greek democracy
gave way to monarchy
• Gained rights to receive
education, own property
Explain
How did society change in the Hellenistic
age?
Answer(s): different cultures blended;
government changed; women gained more rights
Hellenistic
Achievements
• Blending of cultures brought significant changes
• Exchange of ideas from different cultures
• New advances in philosophy, literature and science
Philosophy
• New schools of philosophy
developed in Alexander’s empire
• One called Cynicism; students
rejected pleasure, wealth, social
responsibility
• People live according to nature
Epicureans
• People should seek pleasure,
considered good; try to avoid pain,
considered evil
• To find pleasure, develop close
friendships with people who share
similar ideas
The most influential new school was Stoicism, with emphasis on reason, selfdiscipline, emotional control and personal morality. Stoics believed people
should find their proper role in society and fulfill it.
Art and Literature
Art and literature also changed during
Hellenistic Period
• Hellenistic artists learned to convey emotion,
movement in works, especially sculpture
• Women became much more common as subject of
art, literature
–
–
–
–
Most earlier Greek statues had depicted men
Love stories became popular form for first time
Earlier literature dealt with actions of gods
Hellenistic writings focused on common events in people’s
everyday lives
Science
and
Technology
• Tremendous advances in science, technology during this period
• Among great Egyptian scholars, Euclid formulated many ideas about
geometry we still learn about today
• Egypt also home of Eratosthenes, who calculated size of the world
• Other Hellenistic scientists studied the movement of the stars; the
makeup and inner workings of the human body
Inventors
Mechanics
• Archimedes, one of world’s
greatest inventors, used knowledge
of math, physics to create devices
• Other inventors not as ambitious as
Archimedes, but clever in own right
• Developed compound pulley to lift
heavy loads; also invented
mechanical screw to draw water
out of ship’s hold, out of deep well
• One built tiny steam engine, used
to power mechanical toys
• Such devices representative of
Hellenistic fascination with
mechanics, technology
Analyze
What advances did Hellenistic scholars
make in science and technology?
Answer(s): geometry; calculating the
circumference of the globe; study of the
movement of the stars; study of the human body;
new inventions
Video
The Impact of the Greek
Scholars
Click above to play the video.