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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
b.
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.
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.
Mycenaean society - mainland - 1900-1100BC
Social and political hierarchy
a.
City state monarchies: Big tombs, powerful kings
b.
Priests had significant power
c.
Bureaucracy
d.
Dominated by large landowners
e.
Thetes - landless laborers, much of population
Religion
a.
Polytheistic
b.
Use of animal sacrifice
c.
Many familiar Greek gods already appeared
War and conflict common
a.
Cities 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)
Step backwards for civilization
Less developed cities
Homer and history
a.
Iliad and the Odyssey - poems written down in 700s BC
b.
Touchstones for Greek civilization
c.
Values portrayed
•
Physical prowess
•
Courage
•
Defense of family and property
•
Personal honor -- individual contests
d.
EMPHASIS ON INDIVIDUALS (normal people not
kings)
Independence gained again but with new heros.
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 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.
Social organization
a.
Citizens--men, with political rights
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
Oracle at Delphi preached moderation, self-control
D.
1.
2.
Spartan society
Based on military
Boys raised by the state to be warriors
a.
military training 7-20
b.
Enlist in army at 20-30 (live on barracks)
c.
Homosexual behavior encouraged
d.
30-60, ate meals at barracks (marry and produce
kids)
e.
Imperfect male children exposed to die at birth
f.
"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
Girls and mothers in the home – valued for
ability to produce children
5.
Little contact with the outside
Spartan Politics
1.
Military kept control of population
2.
Two monarchs on top
3.
Council (28 elders over 60)
4.
Males citizens over 30 could vote, yes or no,
on issues
4.
E.
F.
Athenian society - 150,000 at its height
1.
Aristocratically based
2.
Less rigid
3.
Gap between rich and poor brought
revolutionary pressures
4.
Many enslaved for debt
G.
1.
2.
Growth democracy
Solon - 594BC
a.
Cancelled debts, freed many slaves
b.
Promoted trade - economic opportunities
c.
Broadened voting rights - limited democracy
d.
Established council
Cleisthenes - 508BC
a.
Defeats aristocratic restoration
b.
Democracy - expanded
c.
Council of 500 - assembly of all citizens
d.
Ekklesia - all male citizens had final authority
•
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.
Athens vs. Sparta
B.
Period of greatest intellectual and artistic
achievement
C.
Persian world dominance threatens Greece
1.
Darius, Xerxes
D.
Sparta
1.
Pass of Thermopylae - 300
2.
Persia wins
D.
Athenian age
1.
Athens leads an alliance to beat Persia
2.
Inventive: alliance and inventions (small
ramming ships)
3.
Athenian dominance - Delian League
4.
Advances democracy
5.
Victory over Persians gave Greeks (Athens)
enormous self-confidence
6.
Sparta???
E.
F.
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.
Democracy turned into mob rule
2.
3.
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