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Early Greece
The
tale roughly translates, the god Poseidon sent a perfect
Minoanwhite
Civilization
bull to King Minos (meant as a sacrifice). However, King
Minos tried to switch bulls and keep the perfect bull for himself.
Poseidon,
angered
by this, made King
Minos’ wife
fall inon
love
Sir Arthur
Evans
discovered
ancient
ruins
with the bull. She then gave birth to what was the Minotaur,
the island
of Minos
Crete
in 1878.
and King
enlisted
the help of Daedalus to create the
Every year seven Athenian men and women would
He Labyrinth.
named
the
civilization after the legendary tale
be sacrificed to the Minotaur. One year Theseus (prince of
of King
Minos
and the
Athens)
volunteered
to goMinotaur.
to Crete and kill the minotaur. As he
left Athens he told his father King Aegeaus that he would
switch the sails on his ship from black to white to indicate the
success of the mission. When Theseus arrived in Crete he soon
The Minoans
were advanced in many ways,
fell in love with Ariande (King Minos’ daughter). When it came
time for Theseus
defeat
Minotaur,plumbing.
Ariande gave Theseus
one included
the touse
oftheindoor
a ball of string so he could find his way out of the labyrinth.
Theseus killed the Minotaur, and returned to Athens only to
forget to switch the color of his sails. His father seeing the
black sails threw himself into the sea believing his son was
dead. Thus where we get the name Aegean Sea.
Minoans Cont.
On the island of Crete the palace of
Knossos, there is a palace with frescoes
depicting:
Sailing
Fishing
Trade
Bull Jumping
Women Priests
Minoan Language
Linear A was the language the Minoans used;
however, scholars cannot translate it.
This is the reason why the Minoan Civilization still
remains a great mystery to historians and
archeologists.
Michael Ventris deciphered Linear B, and it is
the earliest form of Greek.
Linear B is associated with the Mycenaean
Civilization.
A Mysterious Disappearance
After 1628 BC, much of the Minoan Civilization is
reduced to ruins.
On the island of Thera/Santorini, a volcano
erupted causing world wide upheaval.
According to scientists, the volcano ranked at
a VEI-6 or 7.
• The destruction at Akrotiri may be the
origins of Atlantis.
• There also may be a connection to the
Biblical Exodus in Egypt.
The civilization lingered until about 1400-1250
BC, until the Mycenaeans conquered what was
left of the Minoan civilization.
Mycenaeans Civilization
“Historians consider the Mycenaeans the first
Greeks, because they spoke a form of the
Greek language.”
While the Mycenaeans copied many aspects
of the Minoans they were sharply different.
They were more war-like
• Trojan War in Homer’s Iliad (Trojan
Horse)
Powerful Kings dominated city-states
Built monuments like the Lion’s Gate
Downfall to Dark Ages
Many theories exist on why the Mycenaeans
failed, but some include:
Drought and Famine
Invasion by the “Sea Peoples”
Collapse of Trade
The Greek Dark Ages (1200 – 800 BC)
Decrease in population
Towns and cities were abandoned
Writing and Trade ceased
The Emergence of Greek City-States
Geography of Greece
Greece is mountainous!
Greek communities
often times developed
independently because
of the mountains, thus
they were diverse
As a result, they had
their own government,
laws, and customs.
Greek Polis
Around 800 BC, Greece stabilized!
Polis- City State
• Each polis was unique, and developed
separately.
Acropolis- a walled “high area” containing
fortifications and temples and located in the
center of a polis
Agora- an open area that served as a meeting
place & market in early Greek city-states
• Agoraphobia- fear of open spaces.
The two major city-states were Athens and
Sparta.
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.
Greek Military: Phalanx
Soldiers get in a tight
box. They each have a
large shield and a 9 foot
long spear.
Was used in the Battle
of Marathon in 490 BC.
The Athenians defeated
the Persians with this
tactic.
Greeks were Polytheistic!
The Golden Age of Greece
A Revolt leads to War!
Persia wants all of
Greece in their
possession.
Certain Greek citystates in Ionia have
come under Persian
rule. Growing tensions
erupt into a revolt.
The revolt leads to a
war of epic
proportions between
Greece and Persia.
Where is Persia?
The Beginnings of the Persian War
(490 – 479 BC)
The cause of the Persian Wars started with
the Ionian Revolt in 499 BC. Athens sent
troops to support the cause!
The Persians put down the revolt easily, but
the actions of Athens angered King Darius.
It took several years to get the full Persian army
gathered, but he sent them to Greece in the year
of 490 BC.
The Major Battles of the Persian War
The First Invasion
Battle of Marathon (490 BC)– Persians landed on the
shores at Marathon, and the Greeks heard of this and
rushed to meet the Persians.
• Greeks used the military tactic, the phalanx.
• Victory for Greeks!
Significance of Marathon
• Greeks fight off a clearly more powerful enemy, and
after this Greece becomes a dominant power in the
ancient world.
Why does the phalanx work so well?
The Major Battles of the Persian
War cont…
The Second Invasion- In 486 BC Darius died but in 480 BC,
Xerxes (Darius’ son) sent more powerful force by land.
Battle of Thermopylae (480 BC) – Victory for Persians
• Delayed by Spartans
• Athens captured & burned
Battle of Salamis
• Themistocles tricks Xerxes into leading his ships into
the narrow straight of Salamis. Persian ships are too
big and are slow to maneuver.
• Persians defeated by Athenian navy
Battle of Plataea (479 BC) Persian army defeated at
Plataea
Aftermath of the Persian War
Persia wasn’t as much of a threat to the Greeks, but the
Delian League was created just as a safe-guard.
Delian League was a band of city-states that sought
to maintain defense against Persia.
• Treasury was on the Island of Delos
Athens starts growing more powerful because it was
the lead city-state in the league.
• Athens begins to conquer neighboring city-states
• Treasury money used to rebuild Athens, at the
other city-states displeasure.
30 years peace, agreement made by all Greek citystates. (This doesn’t last long!)
Makings of a Greek Civil War!
Athens oversteps its
bounds on numerous
occasions.
Built Long Walls
Used treasury money to
rebuild city
Forced Delian League
membership
Sparta headed the
Peloponnesian League, and
tension mounted once
again. Only this time the
Greeks were battling each
other.
The Peloponnesian War (431- 404 BC)
First Phase
Athenian advantage: Large Athenian Naval
Fleet
• Sea Battle Advantage
Spartan advantage: Honed warrior society
• Land Battle Advantage
Athenian Long Walls
The Plague Emerges in Athens
Pericles, a skilled politician came up
with the idea to retreat within the city
walls of Athens.
Unfortunately, sanitation problems grew in
the city and many people started showing
signs of illness.
• Pericles dies from this mysterious illness
Athens is crippled, and a truce was formed
in 421 BC.
The End of the Peloponnesian War
Second Phase: Athens strengthens and fights
Sparta at the naval Battle of Aegospotami.
Athens loses 90% of ships
Sparta cuts trade lines and Athens can’t recover
from this deadly blow
Significance
Athens never regains former glory of the Golden
Age.
Allows a Macedonian king to gain importance, and
Phillip II of Macedon will conquer all of Greece.
Part Two:
Greek Achievements
Sparta
Sparta was an oligarchy: rule by the few!
Sparta was ruled by two kings
Helots outnumbered Spartans 7 to 1! This was
the main reason for the strict war-like society…
• Breakdown of Spartan Social Structure
Spartiates
Perioeci (Perioikoi)
Helots
Sparta
Sparta was an isolated
city-state that was
culturally and politically
different from Athens.
Great military, army
feared by other nations.
Fighting Machines!
During the
Peloponnesian War
Sparta sacked Athens.
Sparta: A Warrior Society
From childhood a
Spartan prepared to
be part of a military
state
Officials examined
every newborn
At 7 boys began
training for military
life
At 20 a man could
marry
At 30 a man could
join the assembly
Sparta: A Warrior Society
Girls had a rigorous
upbringing too
Women were expected to
produce healthy sons for the
army
Had to exercise and strengthen
their own bodies
Had to obey fathers and
husbands
Women could inherit property
Could run families estate when
men were gone
Sparta: A Warrior Society
The Spartans isolated
themselves from the
other Greeks
Looked down on trade
and wealth
Wouldn’t let citizens
travel
“Spartans are willing
to die for their city
because they have no
reason to live”
Athens was the first democracy.
Democracy: type of government where people vote.
Athens was a direct democracy where people vote on
everything. However, only citizens could vote
Breakdown of Athenian Social Structure
Adult Male Citizens with political rights
Women, children with no political rights
Non-citizens, slaves, resident foreigners
Nature of Athenian Democracy
Three main bodies:
Assembly- all citizens eligible to take part in
government
The Council of 500- wrote the laws that would be
voted on by the Assembly
Complex Court Systems- 6,000 people from the
Assembly would hear trials and sentence criminals.
The Archon- served as chief of state (9 elected)
Head of both the Council of 500 and Assembly, elected
for one year term
Definition of Athenian Citizen
Only free men over the age of 30 who
completed military training.
Only about 10% of population could participate
in government affairs.
• Vote in all elections
• Serve in office if elected
• Serve on juries
• Serve in military during war
Overview of Athenian Democracy
Important Aristocrats (Noblemen)
Draco- reformed laws
• He believed that harsh punishment would solve
unrest. Rich/Poor gap grew!
Solon- revised Draco’s laws
• Overturn harshest laws:
– Debt Slavery abolished
– Allowed ALL men to participate in the Assembly,
not all can hold office.
Pisistratus
• Tyrant- seized power by force
Cleisthenes- created the Council of 500 to break up
aristocratic family power
Greek Philosophy
Three Greatest Greek Philosophers
•
Socrates
• Sought truths about broad concepts such as truth,
justice, and virtue
• used the Socratic Method –asking questions to teach
critical thinking
Plato
• Student of Socrates & how we know what we know about
him
• Most famous work is, the Republic.
Aristotle
• Used logic and reason to study the natural world.
– Reason- is clear and ordered thinking
– Logic- the process of making inferences
Taught Alexander the Great
Greek Art
Statues very lifelike
and active.
Greek Architecture
Parthenon
Dedicated to
Goddess Athena
Columns
Doric
Ionic
Corinthian
Greek Drama
Tragedies, plays that
told stories of human
suffering that usually
ended in disaster.
Aeschylus, Sophocles,
and Euripides
Comedies, humorous
plays that mocked
people or customs.
Aristophanes
History & Science
History
Herodotus “first historian” or “father of
history”
Thucydides showed the need to avoid bias.
Medicine
Hippocrates & the Hippocratic Oath – all
patients must be treated regardless of class
Horrible Histories
Historical Wife Swap: Athens and
Sparta
Alexander the Great
The Rise of Macedonia
After the Peloponnesian War between Athens and Sparta
the two city-states just tried to control each other.
While fighting continues amongst them a new empire
called Macedonia is on the rise.
• King Philip II begins to establish his power by
conquering Greece.
– Philip is an accomplished assassin and kills off
other competitors for the throne
– He is captured by the Thebans 369-367, and learns
Greek military tactics here.
King Philip II was the father of Alexander the Great.
Alexander’s mother Olympias dreams of a promising
future for her future child.
Greek World in 363 BC
Philip’s Death
After Philip’s death Alexander inherits the throne
at the age of 20.
He was taught military tactics by Aristotle.
Greece revolts! They no longer want to be ruled
by Macedonians.
Thebes was made example of:
•Alexander crushed its army, and sold the
people into slavery and burned the city to
the ground.
Beginnings of an Empire!
Alexander wanted all of
Persia, and started a
campaign after he dealt
with all Greek revolts.
He would find himself
at odds with Darius III
of Persia.
Alexander’s Army
Small
Well Trained
Fiercely Loyal to
Alexander
Persian Army
Large
Disorganized
No common
language
Alexander’s Major Battles
Battle of the Granicus River, 334 BC.
Darius III didn’t take Alexander seriously, and sent a
general in his stead.
• Alexander came very close to dying in battle, but he
overcame his injuries to be victorious.
Battle of Issus, 333 BC.
Darius III now is angered and will confront him at the
Battle of Issus. However, he still doesn’t take Alexander
seriously, and even brings his family to the battle site.
• Darius loses the battle and flees without his family.
Alexander captures them as prisoners of war, but
treats them very well.
Battle of Issus Map
Alexander’s Famous Conquests
Siege at Tyre
Alexander wanted to
sacrifice to the Gods for his
victories, but Tyrians refuse
to let him into the city.
• They feared he would take
over the city, so they would
not let him sacrifice an
offering at the temple.
• This angers him, and he
decides to conquer the island.
Alexander takes Persia
Alexander is able to take Persia, and
begin his empire.
Alexander burns Persepolis “Persian
capital” to the ground.
He pushes on into India where his
campaign turns sour.
His soldiers are starting to doubt
him.
Bucephalus
Alexander the Greats’
horse, and he tamed the
wild stallion himself.
As the story goes the
horse was afraid of its
own shadow, Alexander
realized this and made
blinders for the horse.
It died at the Battle of
Hydaspes, the last battle
Alexander would ever fight
in.
Alexandria – many cities
named after him (most
important in Egypt)
Army Revolts!
The soldiers are tired of fighting and want
to return home to see family and friends.
Alexander tries to persuade the army to
continue on, but the men are ready to return
to Macedonia.
Alexander becomes sick and dies!
Many have debated whether his death was
intentional or natural.
Poison is a possible answer because troops
were ready to return home.
Malaria is another possibility because of the
climate in India; mosquitoes are present in
high numbers.
No Successor for Alexander
The Breakup of Alexander’s Empire
Hellenistic Greece
Alexander’s Empire on the year of his death
What does it mean to be Hellenistic?
Hellenistic - The blending of Greek
cultures with those of Persia, Egypt, and
Central Asia following the conquests of
Alexander the Great.
Question to Consider: What is an empire?
Give the definition and explain how
Alexander the Greats’ conquests apply.
Best way
to encourage cultural exchange is
Blending
Cultures
through marriage.
Alexander married Roxana of Bactria and
Stateira of Persia.
He also did this to legitimize his claims to the
Persian Empire.
• Roxana bore Alexander a posthumous son
(child born after the death of a parent). She
named the child Alexander IV; unfortunately,
he never reaches adulthood because he was
murdered in a political plot.
Blending Cultures Cont…
Another great way to gain cultural exchange is
through trade and education.
When Egypt built the city of Alexandria the most
important achievement was the Library of Alexandria,
which contained information on:
•
•
•
•
•
Philosophy
Literature
History
Science
Medicine
Life in the Hellenistic World
What was the most
significant change in
Hellenistic society?
Recall: the main
political unit of Greece
was the city-state.
After Alexander
conquers much of the
known world the
political unit switches
to kingdoms.
City States
Kingdoms
Hellenistic Achievements
Philosophy
Cynicism- rejected the ideas of pleasure, wealth, and
social responsibility. Instead, they should live
according to nature. Withdrew from society.
• Many gave away possessions and became vagrants or
wanderers. They were like homeless people in today’s
society.
Epicureans- sought out pleasure, developed close
friendships with those that shared similar beliefs
• Pleasure- Good
• Pain- Bad or Evil
Stoicism- placed emphasis on reason, self-discipline,
emotional control, and personal morality.
Hellenistic Achievements cont…
Art and Literature
Art pieces conveyed
emotion and
movement.
• Nike of Samothrace
was carved in a flowing
style.
Literature focuses on
everyday lives.
Hellenistic Achievements cont…
Science and
Technology
Euclid “Father of
Geometry”
• Formulated many of the
ideas about geometry
that we still use today.
Eratosthenes
• Calculated the size of
the Earth
Archimedes
• Great Inventor:
compound pulley &
Mechanical screw for
drawing water