Download File - Sixth Grade!

Chapter Nine Notes
Ancient Greece
The Geography of Greece
Lesson 1
• Located on southern tip of Balkan Peninsula
• Surrounded by Aegean Sea, Mediterranean Sea, and
Ionian Sea
• Being close to seas helped Greeks become great traders
and sailors.
The Geography of Greece
Lesson 1
• Physical features include mountains, long coastline,
deep valleys, and rugged highlands
• Mountains divided the people
• Greece=small, independent communities
• Trade=way to interact with other people and cultures
Early Greek Civilizations
Lesson 1
• People of Crete developed written language
• Minoans=first people to settle on the Aegean Sea
• Wealth came from trade
• Earthquakes may have destroyed the Minoan cities
Early Greek Civilizations
Lesson 1
• Mycenae=greatest early city-state
• Replaced Crete as center of eastern Mediterranean
civilization
• Very powerful with twenty-foot thick walls surrounding
the city.
Greek Myths and Legends
Lesson 2
• Trojan War-fought between Greeks and people of Troy
• Story is mix of legend and myth
• Legend=about heroes and their great deeds
• Myth=stories that include gods and goddesses and try to
explain events in nature
The Gods of Mount Olympus
Lesson 2
• Greeks believed that gods and goddesses lived on Mount
Olympus and behaved much like humans.
• Gods were immortal=able to live forever
• Olympic Games-held every four years to honor Zeus, the
king of the gods
Democracy in Greece
Lesson 2
• Aristocracy=rule by a few wealthy people
• Democracy=government by the people
• Limited only to citizens (all men born in Athens)
Athens and Sparta
Lesson 2
• Athens=citizens had major responsibilities
Served on juries, participated in debates
• Sparta=lived in a strictly ruled military state
Life centered on the army
Forced people to become helots (slaves)
The Golden Age of Athens
Lesson 3
• Battle of Salamis
• Athenian ships destroyed the Persian fleet
• Athens and Sparta worked together
• Golden Age
• Greeks excelled at the arts, architecture, philosophy, and
medicine
• Athens=most powerful city-state
The Golden Age of Athens
Lesson 3
• Delian League
• Alliance of Greek city-states formed by Athens
• Sparta
• Leader of city-states opposed to Athens
• Destroyed homes and farms around Athens
Alexander the Great
Lesson 4
• Alexander=creative military mind, courageous, and confident
• Rose to power in the Greek empire
• Defeated the Persian Empire
• Conquered Syria and Phoenicia
• Became pharaoh of Egypt
• Created a vast empire in Europe, Asia, and Africa
The Hellenistic Age
Lesson 4
• Blend of Greek and Asian cultures
• New civilization developed
• Alexandria=greatest center of trade and learning
• Hellenistic culture
• Founding of new Greek cities
• International trade
• Young people reading works of Greek writers
Discovery and Invention
Lesson 4
• Discoveries:
• Hippocrates=understanding of how the human body works
• Archimedes=how levers worked
• Pythagoras=theories about numbers and music
• Euclid=system of plane geometry