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Greek Civilization -- From the
Minoans to Alexander
I.
Introduction
A.
Importance of studying the Greeks
1.
Basis for western culture
a.
Art
b.
Literature
c.
Drama
d.
Architecture
e.
Language
2.
Basis for western philosophy
a.
Importance of the individual man
b.
Importance of making choices (free will)
3.
Unifying force in the ancient world
a.
Took Greek culture around the known world
b.
Imported ancient cultures into Greek culture
B.
Importance of geography
1.
Location near the sea: Sea Based Traders
2.
Greece small, mountainous, rocky
a.
Not a lot of crops
b.
Not a lot of people
3.
Individual city states: VERY INDEPENDENT
II.
Early Greeks
A.
Minoan civilization (2000-1400BC)
1.
Minoa based on Crete, island in
Mediterranean until 1400 or so
a.
Cnossus - capital
b.
Government: Monarchical bureaucracy
(mythical king Mynos)
c.
Cities built without defensive walls
d.
Minotaur and the Labyrinth - bull figures
prominently in religion
e.
Brought down by volcano, Mycenaean
invasion 1450-1400 BC
B.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Mycenaean society - mainland - 1900-1100BC
Social and political hierarchy
a.
City state monarchies: Big tombs, powerful kings
b.
Priests had significant power
c.
Bureaucracy for efficient administration
d.
Society dominated by large landowners
e.
Thetes - landless laborers, much of population
Greek speakers - arrive in area 1900 BC
Religion
a.
Polytheistic
b.
Use of animal sacrifice
c.
Many familiar Greek gods already appeared
War and conflict common
a.
Cities clearly built for defense
b.
War with Troy 1250 BC gives rise to stories of Iliad and
Odyssey
c.
Weakened by collapse of Hittite Empire and loss of trade
d.
Brought down by invasion
C.
1.
2.
3.
4.
The Dark Ages "lights out" (1100-750)
Relative step backwards for civilization
Less developed cities
Period of expansion into Aegean to Turkish coast
Homer and history
a.
Iliad and the Odyssey - poems written down in 700s BC
b.
Historical documents based on folk tales
c.
Became touchstones for all Greek civilization
d.
Values portrayed became important to Greek culture
•
Physical prowess
•
Courage
•
Defense of family and property
•
Personal honor -- many battles settled as individual
contests
e.
Shows a world of aristocratic heroes--male, warriors,
interested in honor
f.
EMPHASIS ON INDIVIDUALS (normal people not
kings)
5.
New social structure emerges
a.
Landowners
b.
Non Landowners
III.
Age of Expansion (750-500BC) - also called Archaic Age
A.
Based on new economies
1.
Colonization outside of Greece itself due to
population pressures
a.
Led to more food production
b.
More people / power
c.
More money
2.
Invested power and money into more trade
3.
Trade was possible all over the Mediterranean world
a.
Italy to France, Malta, Cyprus, Spain, Western
Africa, almost to Egypt
4.
Olive oil central to trade -- death sentence for killing
a tree
B.
Organization of Greek city-states: the Polis
(Poleis)
1.
"Small but autonomous political unit"
a.
As many as 200 poleis
b.
Two most important: Sparta and Athens
c.
Often centered on an acropolis (high
point)
d.
Lives lived in streets - everyone knows
everyone
e.
All met in the agora (marketplace)
f.
Became the center for religion, trade, art,
politics
g.
Creates rivalry between cities
2.
C.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Social organization
a.
Citizens--men, with political rights (supposedly
from a common ancestor)
b.
Citizens--women, no political rights
c.
Non-citizens--foreigners, slaves
Religion
Multiple deities led by Zeus
Resided on Olympus
Gods very human in behavior
Each city had a guardian deity
Rituals involved small sacrifices, gifts to gods
Oracle at Delphi preached moderation, self-control
D.
1.
2.
Spartan society
Based on military might, conquest
Boys raised by the state (if they were allowed to
live) to be warriors
a.
Taken for military training at age 7
b.
Enlist in army at 20
c.
Lived in barracks till 30, visited wife
infrequently
d.
Homosexual behavior encouraged to reinforce
bonds within the military
e.
After 30, ate meals at barracks
f.
Retired from army at 60
g.
Imperfect male children exposed to die at birth
h.
"It is a noble thing for a good man to die
fighting for his fatherland. Make life your
enemy, and the black spirits of death dear as the
rays of the sun." --Trytaios, 520 BC
Only girls and mothers left in the home women valued primarily for ability to
produce children
5.
Little contact with the outside
Spartan Politics
1.
Mix of models
2.
Military kept control of population
3.
Two monarchs on top, made most decisions
in military affairs
4.
Council (28 elders over 60) served as judges,
decided issues for vote by the citizens
5.
Males citizens over 30 could vote, yes or no,
on issues of magnitude
4.
E.
F.
Athenian society - 150,000 at its height
1.
Aristocratically based
2.
Grew to be the second major power in
ancient Greece
3.
Less rigid
4.
Tension between the aristocracy and
citizenry
5.
Disparity between rich and poor brought
revolutionary pressures
6.
Many enslaved for debt
G.
1.
2.
Growth of Athenian democracy
Solon (639-554 BC) - rises to power 594BC
a.
Cancelled debts, freed many slaves
b.
Promoted trade to increase economic opportunities
c.
Broadened voting rights, creating a limited democracy
d.
Established council
Cleisthenes - 508BC
a.
Defeats attempt at aristocratic restoration
b.
Democracy - expanded
c.
Council of 500 presented legislation to assembly of all
citizens
d.
Ekklesia - assembly of all male citizens that had final
authority
•
Carved out a hillside where as many as 6000 could
gather
•
Met every ten days
•
Any male citizen could speak, introduce legislation
e.
1/3 of population slaves (no rights)
f.
Women had few rights
g.
Society of THINKERS
IV.
Classical Greece (500-338)
A.
Beginning of what we think of as Greece today:
Athens and Sparta
B.
Period of greatest intellectual and artistic
achievement (Mainly Athens)
1.
Athens, mix of rationalism and magic
2.
Began rationalist study of nature: studied
planets as physical bodies, not gods
3.
Magic also important - used magic curses
against opponents
C.
Athenian age
1.
Athens was leading an alliance to beat Persia
by 479
2.
Depended on fleet of small, swift ramming
ships (and democratic patriotism)
3.
Athenian dominance shown through
alliances (Delian League)
4.
Athens brings together Greek empire
through its sea power
5.
Also advances democracy
6.
Eventual victory over Persians gave Greeks
(Athens) enormous self-confidence
D.
E.
Problems between Athens and Sparta
1.
Different views of society, politics, and
empire
2.
Both wanted power over Greece
Peloponnesian wars (main period of fighting
460-404 BC)
1.
Period of struggle between Sparta, Athens
2.
In Athens, democracy turned into mob rule
3.
4.
No clear winners, both clear losers Sparta "wins," but both left exhausted
Weakened both sides, possibility of invasion
V.
Invasion by the Macedonians, 338
A.
Philip beat the Greeks, but died 336 BC
B.
Son, Alexander (356-323 BC), created the empire
C.
Completely militaristic
1.
Entire reign based on the expansion of Greek
(Macedonian, Hellenistic) Empire
2.
Expansion of Greece at all costs, including himself
D.
Beat back all major empires in the Mediterranean
1.
Persians
2.
Egyptians
3.
India
4.
Present day Pakistan
5.
Broke down into Hellenistic Kingdoms after his
death
E.
Importance
1.
Linked Greece to the rest of the (non
Chinese) civilized world
2.
Set the stage for the growth of Roman
Empire, Christianity, the West