Download Chapter 4 Greece

Chapter 4
Greece
Section 1
The Impact of Geography
• Small, peninsula that is made up of small
plains and river valleys surrounded by
high mountains.
• Mountains separated the Greeks from
one another. They developed their own
ways of life and were involved in politics.
• Rivalry led to warfare.
• Sea influenced the Greeks. Long
seacoasts, many harbors, and islands.
• Seafarers- Aegean, Mediterranean, &
Black Sea.
The Minoan Civilization
• Flourished between 2000-1450 B.C.
on Crete.
• Named after legendary king of
Crete, Minos.
• The Minoans were traders, and their
ships took them to Egypt and
southern Greece.
• Believed to have been destroyed as
a result of an invasion by mainland
Greeks known as Mycenaeans.
The First Greek State: Mycenae
• Flourished between 1600-1100 B.C.
• Part of the Indo-European peoples who gained
control of Greece and developed a civilization.
• Made up of powerful individual monarchies who
were independent, but probably had a loose
alliance. Fortified palace.
• Mycenaeans were warriors, who took pride in
their heroic deeds. Had a trade network.
• Homer wrote poetry about the military
adventures of the Mycenaeans.
• 13th century- states fought one another, major
earthquakes caused widespread damage, and
invaders moved in from the north.
The Greeks in a Dark Age
• About 1100-750 B.C.
• Food production and population
declined.
• Few records kept to tell us about
this time.
• Left the mainland and sailed across
the Aegean Sea to various islands.
• They settled in Ionia, modern-day
Turkey.
• Aeolian Greeks settled the island of
Lesbos.
• Revival of trade. Iron replaced
bronze weapons and farming tools.
• 8th century adopted Phoenician
alphabet.
• Learning to read & write was
simpler.
• Homer wrote the Iliad & Odyssey,
epic poems- long poem that tells the
deeds of a great hero.
• Homer’s heroes became the ideal
for Greek males.
Section 2
The Polis: Center of Greek Life
• Villages expanded and became citystates.
• The polis became the center of Greek
life.
• Acropolis- hilltop fortress used during
attacks, sometimes religious center.
• Agora- open area market.
• Common identity and goals.
• 3 main groups: adult males (citizens with
political rights), women & children
(citizens with no political rights), and
slaves & foreigners (noncitizens).
• Citizens had rights and
responsibilities, especially loyalty
to their state.
• City-states were distrustful of one
another & often led to war.
• New military system based on
hoplites. Each carried a round
shield, a short sword, and a 9 foot
spear.
• Phalanx helped to protect the
hoplites.
Greek Colonies
• Between 750-550 B.C. many Greeks
moved away due to the growth of
trade and need for land.
• New colonies in southern Italy,
southern France, eastern Spain,
northern Africa, Thrace, and along the
shores of the Black Sea.
• Spread of Greek culture over the
Mediterranean and increased trade
and industry.
• Greece exported: pottery, wine, olive
oil.
• Imported: grains, metals, fish, timber,
wheat, and slave.
Tyranny in the City-States
• A new group of wealthy people in many
city-states wanted more political power,
but found it difficult because of the
aristocrats.
• Tyrants who gained power with the use
of hired soldiers over the aristocrats,
were supported by the new group of
wealthy and the poor peasants.
• Built new marketplaces, temples, &
walls.
• They fell out of favor but were important
in Greek history.
• They allowed more people to be
involved with the government.
• Led to democracy (rule by many)
and oligarchy (rule by few).
Sparta
• Needed more land and gained it through
conquering other Greeks: Laconians &
Messenians.
• Between 800-600 B.C. Spartan lives were
rigidly organized and tightly controlled.
• Males spent their childhood learning
military discipline. Entered military at 20
and stayed in until 60. Lived in barracks
until 30.
• Women lived at home. Expected to be fit
to bear & raise healthy children. Had
greater power in the household than
other Greeks.
• Women supported the strict Spartan
values and expected their husband/sons
to be brave in war.
• Spartan government was an oligarchy
headed by 2 kings. Led them in battle.
• Ephors- Group of 5 men responsible for
educating the youth and conduct of all
citizens.
• Council of elders (2 kings & 28 citizens)
decided on the issues that would be
presented to an assembly made up of
male citizens.
• Had little contact with outside
world. Didn’t travel abroad unless it
was for military reasons. Foreigners
discouraged from visiting.
• The only art of war was the only art
that was encouraged.
Athens
• Early on ruled by a king. Later, by an
oligarchy under the control of
aristocrats.
• An assembly of citizens had no power.
• Farmers who couldn’t pay their debts
were sold into slavery and there were
cries to cancel debt and give land to the
poor.
• Athens was on the verge of war.
• In 594 B.C., Solon is given control.
Cancels all debts, releases people from
slavery, but didn’t give land to the poor.
• In 560 B.C., Pisistratus seized control.
Gives land to the poor and aided Athenian
trade to please the merchants. Athenians
rebelled against his son.
• Cleisthenes reformed the government
and created the Council of five hundred
which supervised foreign affairs, oversaw
the treasury, and proposed laws.
• The Athenian assembly (made up of all
male citizens) had final authority to pass
laws after free and open debates.
• Laid foundation of Athenian democracy.
Section 3
The Challenge of Persia
• In 499 B.C., Ionian Greeks tried to revolt
against the Persians with the help of the
Athenian navy. It was unsuccessful.
• Persian ruler Darius sought revenge. In
490 B.C., landed at Marathon and was
defeated by the Athenian army.
• New Persian ruler Xerxes, invaded
Greece in 480 B.C. Athenians abandoned
their city. Greek navy defeats Persian
fleet. Greeks amasses the longest army
and defeats the Persians in 479 B.C.
The Growth of the Athenian Empire
• Athenians took over the leadership
of the Greek world.
• Athenians formed the Delian League
to fight the Persians. Attacked the
Persians and liberated almost all of
Greek states in the Aegean. By
controlling the league, it created an
empire.
• Age of Pericles (461-429 B.C.),
dominant politician. Democracy
flourished and Athens was at the
height of its power and brillance.
The Age of Pericles
• Created a direct democracy- a
democratic system in which people
participate directly in the
government decision-making
through mass meetings.
• Male citizens 18 and older took part
in the assembly. Held every 10 days.
Passed all laws, elected public
officials, made final decisions on
war & foreign policies.
• Made lower class citizens eligible
for public offices.
• Ten officials, known as generals,
were directors of policy.
• Ostracism- if person was
considered harmful to the city,
could be banned 10 years, if 6,000
members wrote his name down.
• Became the center of Greek
culture.
• Used Delian League money to
rebuild city after Persian wars.
• Art, architecture, and philosophy
flourished.
• Spartans concerned by Athenians
achievements.
The Great Peloponnesian War
• Greek world divided into Athenians
and Spartans.
• Series of disputes in 431 B.C. led to
war.
• Athenians decided to stay behind
their city walls instead of fighting
on the battlefield (Pericles knew the
Spartan army would destroy them).
• 2nd yr. of war, plague broke out and
killed 1/3 of the people. Held out
another 27 yrs.
• 405 B.C., Athenian navy destroyed.
• Athenians surrendered.
• The war weakened the Greek states
and ruined any possibility of
cooperation among them.
• During the next 70 yrs. Athens,
Sparta, and Thebes fought for
control and ignored the growing
power of Macedonia.
Daily Life in Classical Athens
• 5th century B.C., Athens had the
largest city-state. 150,000 citizens
(43,000 could vote), 35,000
foreigners, & 100,000 slaves.
• Most people owned at least 1 slave.
They worked in the fields or in the
home. Some worked on
construction projects.
• Economy based on farming & trade.
Had to import 50-80% grains to feed
the large population.
• Women were citizens who could
take part in religious festivals, but
that was all.
• Couldn’t vote or own property.
• Married at 14 or 15 and expected to
bear children, take care of family
and her house.
• Were strictly controlled. Had to
have a companion if they left the
house.
• Didn’t receive education.
Section 4
Greek Religion
• Religion was very important to their
life. Didn’t focus on morality.
• 12 main gods lived on Mt. Olympus,
the highest mountain in Greece.
• Zeus- Chief god and father of the
gods.
• Believed most people’s spirits went
to an underworld, ruled by Hades,
regardless of what they had done.
• Performed rituals (prayers & gifts)
to please the gods.
• Festivals to honor the
gods/goddesses.
• 776 B.C. held the Olympics.
• Used priest/priestess (oracles) to
learn the will of the gods.
• Most famous oracle was Apollo.
Many went to Delphi to consult
Apollo.
Greek Drama
• Plays presented at outdoor theaters as
part of religious festivals.
• 1st dramas were tragedies in trilogies
with a common theme.
• Sophocles wrote Oedipus Rex.
• Euripides was controversial in
questioning traditional values and
portrayed war as brutal and barbaric.
• Concerned with such problems as the
nature of good and evil and the rights of
individuals.
• Aristophanes wrote comedy that
criticized politicians and intellectuals.
Intended to entertain and to provoke a
reaction.
Greek Philosophy
• Greek philosophers tried to explain the
universe on the basis of unifying
principles.
• Pythagoras taught that the essence of
the universe was in music & numbers.
• Socrates believed that the goal of
education was to improve the individual.
Left no writings. Developed the Socratic
Method- question & answer format to
lead pupils to see things for themselves
by using their own reason. He questioned
authority. Accused of corrupting the
youth & sentenced to die.
• Plato- student of Socrates. Greatest
philosopher. Wrote a lot. Believed that a
higher world of eternal Forms has always
existed. Wrote “The Republic” and didn’t
trust the workings of democracy. Ideal
state divided into 3 groups: philosopherkings, warriors, and the mass. Believed
that men and women should have the
same education and equal access to all
positions. Set up the “Academy”, a
school.
• Aristotle- student of Plato. Didn’t believe
that the forms existed in a separate,
higher world of reality. Interested in
analyzing and classifying things. Tried to
find best government & found 3 good
forms: monarchy, aristocracy, &
constitutional government.
The Writing of History
• Herodotus wrote the “History of the
Persian Wars” was first the real
history of western civilization.
• Thucydides is known as the
greatest historian of the ancient
world. Wrote “History of the
Peloponnesian War”. He examined
the causes and the course of the
Peloponnesian War.
The Classical Ideals of Greek Art
• Art was concerned with expressing
eternal ideals.
• Architecture- temples. Parthenon
was the greatest example of a
Greek temple. Showed calmness,
clarity, and freedom from
unnecessary detail.
• Sculptors didn’t try to achieve
realism, but rather a standard of
ideal beauty.
Section 5
The Threat of Macedonia
• Macedonia were rural people who
were organized in groups, not citystates.
• King Philip II built a powerful army.
He crushed the Greeks and gained
control of them. Ended freedom of
city-states. Wanted the Greeks to
help fight the Persians.
Assassinated before he could
invade Asia.
Alexander the Great
• Philip’s son became king at 20.
• Invaded Persian Empire. Freed the
Ionian Greek cities of western Asia
Minor. Conquered Syria, Palestine,
and Egypt. He conquered the rest
of the Persian Empire.
• He wanted to continue, but his
army refused to go on.
• Died at 32.
• Created the Hellenistic Era. Greek
language and culture spread to
many other parts of the world.
The Hellenistic Kingdoms
• With the death of Alexander the
Great, 4 Hellenistic kingdoms
emerged: Macedonia, Syria, the
kingdom of Pergamum, and Egypt.
Hellenistic Culture
• Alexandria became the center for poets,
writers, philosophers, and scientists.
Contained the largest library in ancient
times.
• Kings willing to spend money to beautify
their cities.
• Sculptors move to realistic and
emotional art.
• Aristarchus’ theory was that the sun was
at the center of the universe & the Earth
revolves around the sun.
• Eratosthenes determined that the
Earth was round & calculated the
Earth’s circumference.
• Euclid wrote “Elements”, a
textbook on plane geometry.
• Archimedes established the value
of pi & built a number of devices to
repel attackers during sieges.
• Epicureanism, a philosophy
developed by Epicurus. Believed
that happiness was the goal of life.
The means to achieving happiness
was the pursuit of pleasure.
Pleasure was freedom from worry
and emotional turmoil. People had
to free themselves from public
activity.
• Stoicism was a philosophy
developed by Zeno. Was concerned
with helping people find happiness.
Happiness could only be found
when people gained inner peace by
living in harmony with the will of
God. They were a good citizen and
could even be a good government
official.