Download Chapter 4: Ancient Greece

Chapter 4:
Ancient Greece
Focus: What enduring traditions and
institutions did Greek culture extend to
most of the Western world?
Chapter 4- Ancient Greece
 1750 B.C. – 133 B.C.
 4.1- Early People of the Aegean
 4.2- Rise of Greek City States
 4.3- Conflict in the Greek World
 4.4- The Glory That Was Greece
 4.5- Alexander and the Hellenistic Age
4.1- Early People of the Aegean
Focus: How did the Minoans and Mycenaeans shape early
Greek Civilization?
 The Greek culture is
believed to have had its
earliest beginnings on
the Island of Crete
 Crete was influenced by
many other area’s
surrounding the
Mediterranean: Egypt,
Mesopotamia, Phoenicia
(Cultural Diffusion)
4.1- Early People of the Aegean
 Crete was home to a civilization
known as the Minoans
 The name Minoan comes from the
name of the Island nations greatest
king: Minos.
 King Minos along with other rulers
lived in a palace at Knossos* Knossos was covered with
frescoes*-watercolor paintings
4.1- Early People of the Aegean
 Minoans replaced by Mycenaeans
 Conquer Greek mainland and Crete
 Known as excellent sailors and traders
4.1- Early People of the Aegean
 Mycenaeans* (Greeks) are best remembered for their part
in:
 The Trojan War
 Fought against Trojans (Troy)

*Trojan Horse
 Greeks finally seize Troy and burn it to the ground
4.1- Early People of the Aegean
 Much of Early Greek
History comes from the
 Epic Poems:
 The Iliad and The Odyssey
 Epic Poems written by
Homer
 Show the values of ancient
Greece: honor, courage
4.2 Rise of the Greek City State
Focus: How did government & culture develop as Greek citystates grew?
4.2 – The Rise of Greek City-States
 Geography




Mountains & water divide valley’s
into isolated valleys- develop citystates- including a city and its
surrounding country side
Rivalry led to frequent war
between states
¼ of land is farmable
Easy access to the sea –
powerful traders & sailors
 Adopt Phoenician alphabetbecame basis for all Western
alphabets
Greece - Geography
4.2 – Governing the City-States
 Polis – independent Greek city-states- made up of
a major city or town, and the surrounding countryside
 Acropolis – highest point of the city (hilltop)
 Temples dedicated to the gods
4.2 – Governing the City-States
 Citizens* –free residents
Men spent time outdoors
debating issues that affected
their lives
 Rights of citizens unequal –
male landowners hold all
political power

4.2 – Governing the City-States
 Different forms of government
 Monarchy* – hereditary ruler has central power- early
city-states
 Aristocracy – rule by landholding elite- nobles
eventually won power for themselves from the king
 Oligarchy – power by small group- wealthy elite
(merchants, artisans, farmers) or middle class
4.2 – Greek Warfare- Tactics
 Cheaper iron weapons, replacing bronze, allowed for
more people to afford them, increasing the power of
the middle class
 Phalanx* - tactical formation of armed foot soldierscitizen soldiers had a strong sense of loyality
4.2 Greek City States
 Sparta: The Dorians
 Turned the conquered people into state-owned
slaves called helots, and made them work the
land
 Government:
-2 Kings and a council
- an assembly made up of all citizens approved
major decisions
Military Society: Children trained to fight early,
boys taken at 7 to live in camps sickly and weak
were discarded in the mountains
Women*: Trained for military service (wrestling)
protect home when men leave. Led to more rights
4.2 Greek City States
 Athens:
 Government: moved slowly to a democracy or
rule by the people
 Solon reforms government, outlaws debt slavery,
and changed the economy by exporting oil and
wine
 Tyrants rose when the ordinary citizens
demanded power
 They proposed reforms to help farmers and the
poor
 Cleisthenes proposed a legislature*- law
making body- all male citizens were expected to
participate
 Only citizens could vote, meaning men with
land- merchants and foreigners were
excluded
 Women: rarely seen in public, stayed home to
work
 Performed religious rituals
 Education: Knowledge very important (boys
only)
4.2 – Forces of Unity
 The Greeks were united through common:
 Language
 Saw people who couldn’t
speak Greek as less
superior- barbaroi
4.2 – Forces of Unity
 Religion- Polytheistic- Greek Gods
 The Gods Home was Mount Olympus
Greek Gods
 Zeus –over affairs of gods & humans
Greek Gods
 Ares – god of war
Greek Gods
 Aphrodite – goddess of love
Greek Gods
 Athena – goddess of wisdom
4.2 – Forces of Unity
 Oracles – priests or priestesses through
which the gods speak
4.3 Conflict in the Greek World
Focus: How did war with invaders and conflict among
Greeks affect the city-states?
4.3 – Conflict in the Greek World
Focus: How did war with invaders and conflict among
Greeks affect the city-states?
 The Persian Wars –
 Greece vs. Persian Empire

499 B.C. – Ionian Greeks
rebel against Persian rule
 Athens helps Greek citystates (unity)
 Darius I becomes
furious with this and
sent forces to punish
Athens for its
interference
490 B.C. – Battle of Marathon


Greeks defeat Darius
Temporary win- Athens urged for help from other Greek
city-states and ships
480 B.C. – Thermopylae



Mountain pass guarded by Spartans – led be
Leonidas
Xerxes, Darius’ son defeats Greece (300)
Bought time for Athenians and other Greeks
(Athens burned)- Athenians had escaped
480 B.C. – Battle of Salamis
Greeks defeat Xerxes on the sea with the
ships that Athenians had been urged to
build
 Greek ships (powered by rowers) sank the
Persian navy with underwater battering
rams
 Army defeated a year later

Battle of Marathon
Thermopylae
4.3 – Conflict in the Greek World
 Athens becomes most powerful city-state in
Greece
 Delian League*- Formed as a result of Persian
Wars
 To defend against future attacks
 Athenians began stealing money to rebuild
their city
 An *Alliance – formal agreement between
two or more nations or powers to cooperate
and come to one another’s defense- was
created between the city-states
4.3 – Pericles & Direct Democracy in Athens
460 B.C. – 429 B.C.
 Pericles – an able statesman that led Athens into a golden age



Forms Direct Democracy*- citizens take part directly in
government affairs
Stipend – fixed salary – paid government participantsenabled poor men to participate in gov.
Jury – panel of citizens with authority to make the final
judgment in a trial (possibly in the 100’s or 1000’s)



Over 30 years old
Serve one year
Ostracism* – to banish or send away a public figure who
threatened democracy

10 years outside of city
4.3 – Peloponnesian War (431 B.C. – 404 B.C.)
 Athens v. Sparta- lasted 27 years
 Peloponnesian League – Sparta & enemies
of Athens- resented Athenian dominance
 Sparta – inland, had a powerful army
 Athens could not use its powerful navy
 Allows all Athenians inside city walls
 Overcrowding leads to plague
 Sparta defeats Athens with the aid of the
Persians, who were the enemy of all Greeks
Peloponnesian War
4.4 – The Glory That Was Greece
Focus: How did Greek thinkers, artists, and writers explore
the nature of the universe and people’s place in it?
4.4 – The Glory That Was Greece
 Philosophers: Lovers of Wisdom



Philosopher – thinker; seeks to
understand and explain life – threat to
Greek traditions
Logic – rational thinking
 Reason and observation
Rhetoric – art of skillful speaking
 Sophists believed in success was
more important than moral truth
 Used words to advance their careersaccused of undermining values
4.4 – The Glory That Was Greece
 Socrates – “The unexamined life is
not worth living.”
 Athenian philosopher
 Questioned others about their
beliefs and traditions- tried to help
them seek truth and knowledge
 Seen as a threat by many,
sentenced to death for corrupting
the youth
 Drank hemlock, a poison to kill
himself
4.4 – The Glory That Was Greece
 Plato
 A Student of Socrates
Wrote The Republic
 Emphasized reason
 Believed smart women should be educated to help
rule
 Ideal Society- the state should regulate every
aspect of citizens’ lives
 Workers – produce necessities
 Soldiers – to defend
 Philosophers – rule, trained to ensure order and
justice

4.4 – The Glory That Was Greece
 Aristotle-
student of Plato
 Set up the Lyceum school
 Favored by a strong single leader
 Influenced Alexander the Great
4.4 – The Glory That Was Greece
 Idealism in Architecture and
Art


Parthenon
 Temple to the goddess
Athena
 *Balance, order, and
beauty
Sculptures
 Lifelike
 Idealize the human body –
perfect, graceful
4.4 – The Glory That Was Greece
 Greek Literature




Large outdoor theatres
Based on myths and
legends
Tragedy – told stories of
human suffering that
usually ended in disaster
Comedy – humorous plays
that mocked people or
customs
 Used to criticized society
4.4 – The Glory That Was Greece
 Greek History Herodotus- father of modern history
 Went beyond listing names- told
stories
 Wrote with bias
 Greek term historie- mean inquire
 Set standards for future historians
4.5- Alexander and the Hellenistic Age
Focus: How did Alexander the Great expand the empire and spread Greek
culture throughout the realm?
4.5 Alexander the Great
 From Macedonian
 Son of Phillip II
Conquered Greece
 Wanted to capture Persia
 Was assassinated before he could do so

4.5 Alexander Great
 Alexander becomes
Emperor at 20.
 Shares his fathers goals
 Great Military Leader
 Conquers Persian Empire
(Egypt to India)
 Extends his empire as far
east as India*
 Dies suddenly at 32Empire falls apart
4.5 Alexander Great
 Legacy:
 Combined Cultures:
People assimilated* Greek ideas
 A blending of eastern and western
cultures

 HELLENISTIC

Alexandria, Egypt- cultural capital
Lighthouse, Museum
 Center of learning



Extended the Rights of Women
Learned to read and write

Enabled Cleopatra
4.5- Hellenistic Culture:
 The culture left behind from Alexander’s
Empire became known as : Hellenistic
 Advances in:
 Philosophy Math and Astronomy
 Medicine
4.5 Hellenistic Culture





 Philosophy:
Political turmoil creates new ideas
Zeno- urges to accept life’s
challenges
Developed Stoicism
All people are morally equal- power
of reasoning
Influenced Roman and Christian
thinkers
4.5 Hellenistic Culture
 Math and Astronomy:
 Pythagoras- Pythagorean
Theorem- relationship between
the sides of a right triangle
 Aristarchus- proposes
Heliocentric* universe
- earth rotates on an axis and
revolves around the sun
 Archimedes*- applied physics to
make practical inventions :lever
and pulley
4.5 Hellenistic Culture
 Medicine
 Hippocrates:
 Studies
Illness and looked for
cures
 Hippocratic Oath- set ethical
standards for doctors
 Doctors: swear to help injured
and sick according to their
ability with only good intentions