Download Classical Greece, 2000 BC–300 BC

Classical Greece,
2000 B.C.–300 B.C.
The history and culture
of classical Greece has
a significant impact on
the modern world.
Cultures of the Mountains
and the Sea
The roots of Greek culture are
based on interaction of the
Mycenaean, Minoan, and
Dorian cultures.
Ancient Greece
Cultures of the Mountains
and the Sea
Geography Shapes Greek Life
• Ancient Greece is a collection of separate
lands where Greek-speaking people live.
• It includes mainland Greece and about
2,000 islands.
• The Sea shaped Greek civilization.
• Its proximity to sea and lack of resources
encouraged sea travel and trade .
• The Land: mountains slowed travel and
divide the land into regions.
• The lack of fertile land led to small
populations and the need for colonies.
• The Climate: A moderate climate
promoted outdoor life.
• Greek men, especially, spent much of their
time outside. They met often to discuss
public issues and take an active part in
civic life.
Greek City-States
Mycenaean Civilization Develops
• Origins: The Mycenaeans—IndoEuropeans who settled on Greek mainland
in 2000 B.C.
• They took their name from their leading
city, Mycenae.
• Mycenaean warrior-kings dominated
Greece from 1600–1100 B.C.
The Lion’s Gate
Mycenaeans
The Minoans
• Contact with Minoans: After 1500 B.C.,
Mycenaeans adopted Minoan sea trade
and culture.
• The Trojan War—was fought by
Mycenaeans against the city of Troy in
1200s B.C.
• Once thought to be fictional,
archaeological evidence has been found
that suggests the stories of may have
been based on real cities, people, and
events.
Epics of Homer
• An oral tradition grew,
especially the epics of
Homer—a blind
storyteller.
• Epic—a narrative poem
about heroic deeds.
• Homer’s epic the Iliad,
about Trojan War,
showed Greek heroic
ideal.
Achilles & Odysseus
Trojan Horse
Epic Heroes
Greek Culture Declines Under
the Dorians
• Mycenaean civilization collapsed around
1200 B.C.
• The Dorians—possibly relatives of the
Bronze Age Greeks—moved into Greece.
• Less advanced than Mycenaeans, the
Dorians left no written records.
Mycenaean Decline
• By 1200 BC, the Mycenaeans were in
trouble.
• Earthquakes and fighting between the
kingdoms destroyed the hilltop forts.
• The years between 1100 – 750 BC, were
difficult for the Greeks because overseas
trade slowed and poverty took hold.
• Farmers grew only enough to meet the
needs of their families.
Greek Dark Ages
• Although Mycenaeans won the Trojan war
they used many of their resources and
were greatly weakened after the war.
• A series of earthquakes furthered
weakened the Greeks during this period.
• People stopped teaching others how to
write or do craftwork.
• As the Greeks forgot their written
language and how to make things, they fell
into a Dark Age.
Population Shift
• A huge population shift occurred as
thousands of Greeks left the mainland and
settled on islands in the Aegean Sea.
• Other Greeks moved to the western
shores of Asia Minor.
• This wave of movement expanded the
reach of Greek culture.
Dorians
• Greek-speaking people known as the
Dorians who lived in Greece’s northern
mountains, began to move south and
settled in the Peloponnesus.
• Dorians brought iron weapons with them
giving Greece more advanced technology.
• Iron weapons and farm tools were
stronger and cheaper than those made of
bronze.
Phoenicians
• As people began to farm again and
produce a surplus of food, trade revived.
• To ease trade, a new way of writing was
developed.
• The Greeks picked up the idea .of an
alphabet from their trading partner, the
Phoenicians.
Phoenicians
Greek Alphabet
• The Greek alphabet had 24 letters that
stood for different sounds.
• It made reading and writing Greek much
simpler than ever before.
• Soon people were writing down tales that
had been passed down by storytellers for
generations.
Greeks Create Myths
• Greeks developed their own myths—traditional
stories about gods.
• Greeks sought to understand mysteries of life
through myths.
• Greeks attributed the human qualities—love,
hate, jealousy—to their gods.
• Zeus, ruler of Gods, lived on Mount Olympus
with his wife, Hera.
• Zeus’s daughter Athena was goddess of
wisdom and guardian of cities.
Mount Olympus
Colonial Expansion
Rule and Order in Greek CityStates
The City-State
• By 750 B.C. the Greek city-state, or polis
was the formal government.
• A polis was a city and its surrounding
villages. Most controlled between 50 to 500
square miles.
• The population of a city-state was often less
than 10,000 people.
Acropolis
• The main gathering place in the polis was
usually a fortified hilltop called the
acropolis.
• It provided a safe refuge in case of
attacks.
• It could also serve as a religious center.
• Temples and altars were built there to
honor the Greek gods and goddesses.
Agora
• Below the acropolis was an open area
called an agora.
• This space had two functions:
-market place
-meeting place to debate issues
Citizenship
• Each city-state was run by its citizens.
• When we mean members of a political
community who treat each other as equals
and who have rights and responsibilities.
• This was very different from ancient
Mesopotamia or Egypt.
• These subjects had no rights or say in
government.
Qualifications of Citizenship
• The Greeks were the first people to
develop the idea of citizenship.
• In most Greek city-states, only free nativeborn men who owned land could be
citizens.
• From their point of view, the city-state was
made up of their lands, and it was their
responsibility to run it.
Rights & Responsibilities
• Greek citizens gathered in the agora to
choose their officials and pass laws.
• They had the right to vote, hold office, own
property, and defend themselves in court.
• Citizens had a duty to serve in government
and to fight for their polis as citizen
soldiers.
Citizen Soldiers
• In early Greece, wars were waged by
nobles riding horses and chariots.
• As the idea of citizenship developed, the
military system changed.
• By 700 BC, the city-states had begun to
depend on armies of ordinary citizens
called hoplites.
Weapons of War
• Unable to afford horses, the hoplites
fought on foot and went into battle heavily
armed.
• Cheaper iron replaced bronze, and made
arms and armor cheaper.
• Each soldier carried a round shield, a
short sword, and a 9-foot spear.
A New Kind of Army Emerges
• The phalanx—feared by all, was a
formation of soldiers with spears and
shields.
• Row upon row of soldiers marched
forward together, shoulder to shoulder,
with their shields creating a protective
barrier.
Loyalties
• Hoplites made good soldiers because, as
citizens, they took pride in fighting for their
city-states.
• City-state loyalties also divided the Greeks
and caused them to distrust one another.
• A lack of unity always existed among the
Greek city-states.
Hoplite Soldiers
Warring City-States
The growth of city-states in
Greece led to the development of
several political systems,
including democracy.
Greek Political Structures
• City-states had different forms of
government.
• Monarchy—rule by a king; aristocracy—
rule by nobility
• Oligarchy—rule by small group of
powerful merchants and nobles.
Monarchs
• Kings ruled the first Greek communities.
• By the end of the Dark Age, the nobles
who owned farms had seized power from
the kings.
Aristocracy
• Rule by nobles was also short-lived.
• The small farmers often needed money to
live on until they could harvest and sell
their crops.
• Many borrowed money from the nobles,
promising to give up their fields if they
could not repay the loans.
• Some lost their land and had to work for
the nobles or become laborers in the city.
• Some had to sell themselves into slavery.
Merchants & Artisans
• By 650 BC, small farmers began to
demand changes in the power structure.
• Merchants and artisans also wanted to
share in governing.
• Both groups had become wealthy from the
trade between the city-states.
• Because they did not own land they were
not citizens and had no say in running the
polis.
Tyrants
• The growing unhappiness led to the rise of
tyrants.
• A tyrant takes power by force and rules
with total authority.
• Today they are thought of as oppressive
rulers, but most Greek tyrants acted wisely
and fairly.
Tyrants Seize Power
• Tyrants—nobles and wealthy citizens won
the support of common people.
• Key support came from the hoplites in the
army.
• They seized control and ruled in the
interests of ordinary people. Once in
power they often set up building programs
to provide jobs and housing for their
supporters.
Tyrants Loose Power
• Tyrants became popular by building new
marketplaces, temples, and walls.
• Despite their popularity, most Greeks
longed for rule by law with all citizens
participating in the government.
• By 500 BC, tyrants fell out of favor and
most city-states became oligarchies or
democracies.
Sparta
• The oligarchy of Sparta and the
democracy of Athens became the two
most powerful governments of early
Greece.
• Sparta was created by the Dorians during
the Dark Age.
• Sparta needed more land as it grew, but
its people did not set up colonies. Instead,
they conquered and enslaved their
neighbors.
Sparta Builds a Military State
• Sparta was isolated from much of Greece
and unlike other city-states, they built a
military state.
Sparta Dominates Messenians
• Around 725 B.C., Sparta conquered
Messenia.
• Messenians became helots—peasants
forced to farm the land and give half of their
crops to Sparta.
• Harsh rule led to a Messenian revolt.
Shocked at their vulnerability, the Spartans
dedicated themselves to build a stronger
state.
Military Training
• At seven, boys left their family to live in
barracks. They were harshly treated to
make them tough.
• At 20, Spartan men entered the regular
army and remained in military barracks for
10 more years.
• They ate their meals in dining halls with
other soldiers.
Spartan Women
• Spartans returned home at 30 but stayed
in the army until age 60.
• They were expected to either win on the
battlefield or die, but never surrender.
• Girls in Sparta were trained in sports—
running, wrestling, and throwing the
javelin.
• They were kept fit to become healthy
wives and mothers.
Spartan Wives
• Wives lived at home while their husbands
lived in the barracks.
• As a result, Spartan women were freer
than other Greek women.
• They could own property and to where
they wanted.
Spartan Government
• The Spartan government was an
oligarchy.
• Two kings headed a council of elders.
• The council, which included 28 citizens
over age 60, presented laws to an
assembly.
Spartan Politics
• All Spartan men over age 30 belonged to
the assembly.
• They voted on the council’s laws and
chose five people to be ephors each year.
• The ephors enforced the laws and
managed tax collection.
Mind Control
• To keep anyone from questioning the
Spartan system, the government
discouraged foreign visitors.
• It also banned travel abroad for any
reason but military ones.
• It even frowned upon citizens who studied
literature and the arts.
Strengths & Weaknesses
• The Spartans succeeded in keeping
control over the helots for nearly 250
years.
• Their soldiers were strong and swift and
played a key role in defending Greece.
• By focusing on military training, the
Spartans fell behind other Greeks in trade.
• They also knew less about science and
other subjects.
Athens Vs. Sparta
• Athens was a 2 day
trip away from Sparta.
• The two cities were
miles apart in their
values and systems
of government.
• Athenians raised their
children very
differently than from
Spartans.
Athenian Education
• Schooling was only for sons of wealthy
families. At age 7, boys began to study
reading, grammar, poetry, history,
mathematics, and music.
• To become good citizens they received
training in logic and public speaking.
• Part of each day was also spent in athletic
activities. Older boys went to military
school to prepare to defend Athens.
• Girls learned from mothers and other
female members of the household.
Athenian Democracy Begins
• Early Athens was ruled by landowning
nobles during the 600’s.
• An assembly of all citizens existed, but
had few powers.
• The early government was an oligarchy,
as in Sparta.
• Around 600 BC, the Athenians began to
rebel against the nobles.
Solon
• Most farmers owed the nobles money, and
many sold themselves into slavery to pay
their debts.
• Farmers began to demand an end to all
debts, along with land for the poor.
• In 594 BC, the nobles turned to Solon.
• Solon canceled all the farmers’ debts and
freed those who had become slaves.
Solon’s Reforms
• Solon’s reforms were popular among the
common people.
• The farmers continued to press Solon to
give away the wealthy nobles’ land which
he refused to do.
• After Solon, there were 30 years of
turmoil.
Peisistratus
• Finally, a tyrant named Peisistratus seized
power in 560 BC.
• He won the support of the poor by dividing
large estates among landless farmers.
• He also loaned money to poor people and
gave them jobs building temples and other
public works.
Cleisthenes
• The most important leader after
Peisistratus died was Cleisthenes.
• When he came to power in 508 BC, he
reorganized the assembly to play a central
role in governing.
• All male citizens could belong to the
assembly and vote on laws.
Assembly
• Members also had new powers
-Debate matters openly
-Hear court cases
-Appoint army generals
Council of 500
• Cleisthenes created a new council of 500
citizens to help the assembly carry out
daily business.
• They council proposed laws, dealt with
foreign countries, and oversaw the
treasury.
• Athenians chose the members of the
council each year in a lottery.
Athenian Democracy
• Cleisthenes’ reforms did not bring all
Athenians into the political process.
• Non-citizens were still excluded.
• Nonetheless, Cleisthenes is credited with
making the government of Athens a
democracy.
Persia Attacks the Greeks
Terms To Know
•
•
•
•
•
Persia
Marathon
Thermopylae
Salamis
Plataea
Cyrus The Great
Darius
Xerxes
Themistocles
Satrapies
Zorastrianism
The Persian Empire
• The people of Persia lived in what is today
southwestern Iran.
• Early Persians were warriors and nomads
who herded cattle, and for a time, were
dominated by others.
• Cyrus the Great managed to unite the
Persians into a powerful kingdom.
• Under his rule, Persian began to build an
empire.
The Rise of the Persian Empire
• In 539 BC, Cyrus’s armies swept into
Mesopotamia and captured Babylon.
• Then they took control over northern
Mesopotamia, Asia Minor, Syria, Canaan,
and the Phoenician cities.
• Cyrus treated his subjects well. He even
allowed the captive Jews in Babylon to
return home.
• His merciful rule helped hold his growing
empire together.
New Style of Leadership
• Even more than his
military genius, Cyrus’s
most enduring legacy
was his method of
governing.
• His kindness toward
conquered peoples
revealed a wise and
tolerant view of
governing.
Cyrus the Great
Cyrus’ Tomb
• Cyrus was killed as
he fought nomadic
invaders on the
eastern border of
his empire.
• This is the tomb of
Cyrus the Great.
The Royal Road
• The leaders who followed Cyrus continued
to add to Persian territory.
• They conquered Egypt, western India, and
Thrace, a region northeast of Greece.
• To connect their vast holdings, the
Persians built the Royal Road.
• The road stretched from Asia Minor to
Susa, the Persian Capital.
King Darius
• Along the way, the Persians set up
roadside stations to supply food, shelter,
and fresh horses to the king’s
messengers.
• As the Persian Empire grew bigger, it
became very difficult to manage.
• When Darius came to the throne in 521
BC, he reorganized the government to
make it work better.
Protector of the Kingdom
• Darius divided the empire into 20
provinces called satrapies. Each was
ruled by an official with the title of Satrap.
• The Satraps acted as tax collector, judge,
chief of police, and head recruiter for the
Persian army.
• All the satraps answered to the Persian
king.
Professional Army
• The king’s power depended upon his
troops.
• By the time of Darius, Persia had a large
army of professional soldiers.
• In Persia the government paid people to
be full-time soldiers.
• 10,000 specially trained soldiers guarded
the king. They were called the Immortals
because when a member died, he was
immediately replaced.
Ten Thousand Immortals
The Persian Religion
• The Persians practiced Zorastrianism.
• Its founder, Zoroaster began preaching
after seeing visions as a young man.
• He believed in one god, and viewed this
supreme being as the creator of all things.
• He taught that humans had the right to
choose between right and wrong, and that
goodness would triumph in the end.
Persian Wars
• As the Greeks set up colonies they often
clashed with the Persians.
• By the mid-500’s, Persia already controlled
the Greek cities in Asia Minor.
• In 499 BC, the Athenian army helped the
Greeks in Asia Minor rebel against the
Persian rulers.
• The rebellion failed, but King Darius decided
the mainland Greeks had to be stopped from
interfering in the Persian Empire.
The Battle of Marathon
• In 490 BC, a Persian fleet landed 20,000
soldiers on the plain of Marathon, only a
short distance from Athens.
• For several days, the Persians waited
there for the Athenians to advance.
• The Athenians, however, did not take the
bait.
• They only had 10,000 soldiers and knew
that attacking the Persians was too
dangerous.
Battle at Marathon
• Persian Wars—between Greece and the
Persian Empire—began in Ionia
• The Persian army attacked Athens and
was defeated at Marathon in 490 B.C.
Greek Strategy
• Tired of waiting, the Persian commander
decided to sail south and attack Athens
directly.
• He ordered his troops back onto the ships,
and it was then that he made his mistake.
• The first to board were the horsemen in
the cavalry and the strongest part of the
army.
Persian Mistake
• The Athenian army of 10,000 was
outnumbered and refused to make the first
strike against the Persians.
• Tired of waiting the Persian commander
decided to sail south and attack Athens
directly.
• He boarded his horsemen in the cavalry
first onto the ships.
Victory At Marathon
• As soon as the cavalry was out of fighting
range, the Greeks charged down from the
hills and onto the plain of Marathon.
• They caught the Persian foot soldiers
standing in the water waiting to board the
ships.
• Unable to defend themselves, the
Persians were easily defeated.
Pheidippides Brings News
• A young runner Pheidippides raced to
Athens to announce the Greek victory.
• He dashed 26 miles from Marathon to
Athens, delivered the message, and died.
• The Persian army sailed into the harbor
and found the city heavily defended. The
Persians quickly retreated the city.
Pheidippides Brings News
• A young runner Pheidippides raced to
Athens to announce the Greek
victory.
• He dashed 26 miles from Marathon to
Athens, delivered the message, and
died.
• The Persian army sailed into the
harbor and found the city heavily
defended.
• The Persians quickly retreated the
city.
Second Persian Strike
• After Darius died in 486 BC, his son
Xerxes became the Persian king.
• Xerxes vowed revenge against the
Athenians.
• In 480 BC, he launched a new invasion of
Greece, this time with about 180,000
troops and thousands of warships and
supply vessels.
Greek Alliance
• To defend themselves, the Greeks joined
forces.
• Sparta sent the most soldiers, and their
king, Leonidas served as the commander.
• Athens provided the navy.
• The Athenian general, Themistocles,
came up with the plan to fight the
Persians.
Themistocles
• The Greeks knew that as the huge Persian
army marched south, it depended on
shipments of food brought in by boat.
• Themistocles argued that the Greeks’ best
strategy would be to attack the Persians’
ships and cut off food supplies to the
army.
Thermopylae
• To ready their fleet for battle, the Greeks
needed to stall the Persian army before it
reached Athens.
• They decided the best place to block the
Persians was at Thermopylae.
• It was a narrow pass through the
mountains that was easy to defend
A Traitor In The Ranks
• About 7,000 Greek soldiers held off the
Persians there for two days.
• The Spartans in the Greek army were
especially brave.
• Unfortunately for the Greeks, a traitor
directed the Persians to a mountain path
that led them around the Greeks.
A Fight To The Death
• As the Persians mounted a rear attack,
King Leonidas sent most of his troops to
safety.
• He and several hundred Spartans stayed
behind and fought to the death.
• The Greeks lost the battle but the
Spartans’ valiant stand gave Athens
enough time to assemble 200 ships.
Salamis
• The Greek fleet attacked the Persian fleet
in the strait of Salamis, not far from
Athens.
• The Greeks expected to have the upper
hand in the battle because their ships
could maneuver well in tight spaces.
• Greek ships were smaller, faster, and
easier to steer than the big Persian ships,
which became easy targets.
The Persian Fleet Destroyed
• The Greek plan worked.
• After a ferocious battle, the Greeks
destroyed almost the entire Persian fleet.
• Still, the Persian army marched on.
• When their troops reached Athens, the
Greeks had already fled.
Athens Burns
• The Persians burned the city.
• This only stiffened the resolve of the
Greek city-states.
• In early 479 BC, they came together to
form the largest Greek army ever
assembled.
• With solid body armor, longer spears, and
better training, the Greek army crushed
the Persian army at Plataea.
Persians Retreat
• The battle was a turning point for the
Greeks, convincing the Persians to retreat
to Asia Minor.
• By working together, the Greek city-states
had saved their homeland from invasion.
The Persian Empire Falls
• When the Greeks defeated the Persian
army, they helped to weaken it.
• The empire was already facing internal
problems.
• As these problems worsened, the empire
would gradually lose its strength.
Wasted Wealth
• Persia remained intact for almost 150
more years.
• After Darius and Xerxes, other Persian
rulers raised taxes to gain more wealth.
• They spent the gold and silver that flowed
into the treasuries on luxuries for the court.
Palace Plots
• The high taxes angered their subjects and
caused many rebellions.
• At the same time, the Persian royal family
fought over who should be king.
• Many of the later Persian kings were killed
by other family members who wanted the
throne.
• The sons had almost no power so they
were constantly plotting to take over the
throne.
Persian Family life
• Persian kings had many wives and
children.
• The sons had little power so they were
constantly plotting to take over the throne.
• As a result of such plots, six of nine rulers
after Darius were murdered.
Persia Falls
• All of these problems made Persia
vulnerable to attack.
• By the time Alexander the Great invaded
the empire, the Persians were no match
for his troops.
• By 330 BC, the last Persian king was dead
and Alexander ruled the old Persian
Empire.
Pericles
Pericles’ Plan for Athens
• Pericles was a skillful politician, inspiring
speaker, and respected general.
• He dominated life in Athens from 461 to 429
B.C.
• Pericles hired more public officials and
create a direct democracy.
• Direct democracy—citizens rule directly,
not through representatives.
Athenian Empire
• Pericles took over the Delian League and
used the money to strengthen the
Athenian navy and make it the strongest in
the Mediterranean.
• Prosperity depended on gaining access to
the surrounding waterways and Athens
needed overseas trade to obtain supplies
of grain and other raw materials.
• Sparta and other cities resented Athenian
power.
Athens’ Golden Age
Glorifying Athens
• Pericles also used money from the Delian
League to beautify Athens.
• The Athenian assembly voted huge sums
of the league’s money to buy gold, ivory,
and marble and hired artisans to beautify
Athens.
Architecture and Sculpture
• Pericles built the Parthenon—a large
temple to honor goddess Athena.
• Within temple, the sculptor Phidias
crafted 30-foot statue of Athena
• Sculptors created graceful, strong,
perfectly formed figures.
• Classical art—valued harmony,
order, balance, proportion, beauty
Tragedy and Comedy
• Greeks invented drama as an art form
which included chorus, dance, and poetry.
• Two forms of drama: tragedy and comedy
• Tragedy—tells story of heroes’ downfall;
themes of love, hate, war
• Comedy—makes fun of politics and
respected people and uses slapstick
humor. The fact that Athenians could
listen to criticism of themselves showed
the freedom and openness of public
discussion that existed in Athens.
Tragedy and Comedy
History
• Historians Herodotus and Thucydides
recorded and studied past events.
• Herodotus’ book on the Persian Wars is
considered the first work of history. He is
famous for his writings on The Seven
Wonders of the Ancient World.
• Thucydides was considered the greatest
historian of the classical age. He believed
that certain events and political situations
reoccur over time, and by studying these
events people could better understand the
present.
The Hanging Gardens of Babylon
The Great Pyramids of Giza
The Colossus of Rhodes
The Pharos
Temple of Artemis
Mausoleum of Halicarnassus
Statue of Zeus at Olympia
War Begins
• As Athens grew in wealth, prestige, and
power, other city-states grew resentful. Ill
will was especially strong between Athens
and Sparta.
• The leaders of Sparta and Athens pushed
for war to begin because they both
believed their own city had the advantage.
• In 431 B.C., Sparta and Athens were at
war—Peloponnesian War.
Peloponnesian War
• Sparta had a better army and Athens had
a better navy.
• Eventually, the Spartans marched into
Athenian territory and burned their food
supply. Pericles brought his citizens
inside the city walls where they were safe.
• Plague struck Athens in 430 B.C., and
killed many—including Pericles.
• Sparta and Athens signed a truce in 421
B.C.
Sparta Gains Victory
• 415 B.C. Athens renewed war and
attacked Sparta’s wealthiest ally
Syracruse. Athens was defeated in 413
B.C.
• Athens and allies surrender to Sparta in
404 B.C.
• Athens lost its empire, power, and wealth.
Rise of Great Philosophers
• After the war Greek city-states saw the
rise of philosophers—thinkers,
"lovers of wisdom."
• They believed the universe was subject to
absolute and unchanging laws.
• People could understand these laws
through logic and reason.
• Sophist philosopher Protagoras questions
the existence of Greek gods.
Socrates
• Socrates—believed in
questioning and selfexamination of values and
actions.
• “The unexamined mind life
is not worth living.”
• He was convicted of
corrupting young people
and sentenced to death in
399 B.C.
Death of Socrates
Plato
• Plato—a student of Socrates. He wrote
The Republic—describing an ideal society.
All citizens would fall naturally into 3
groups: farmers/artisans, warriors, and the
ruling class. The person with the greatest
wisdom would be chosen as a
philosopher-king.
• In 387 B.C., he establishes a school in
Athens, the Academy which lasted 900
years.
• His writings dominated European
philosophy for 1,500 years.
per
Aristotle
• Aristotle—student of Plato
who is famous for his use
rules of logic for argument.
• His work provided the basis
for scientific
method which is still used
today.
• He tutored the 13-year-old
prince who became
Alexander the Great.
Friday, February 25, 2005
• Greek Alphabet Quiz
• Ch. 5/2 Reteaching Worksheet
• Plague in Athens Worksheet and
Health Bulletin
Monday, Feb. 28, 2005
• Ch. 5/4 Guided Reading
• The Plague In Athens
Alexander’s Empire
• Alexander the Great conquered
Persia and Egypt and extended
his empire to the Indus River in
northwest India.
Alexander The Great
Philip Builds Macedonian Power
• Macedonia was a kingdom of mountain villages
north of Greece.
• Most Macedonian nobles thought of themselves
as Greek. The Greeks however, looked down
on the Macedonians as uncivilized foreigners
with no great philosophers, sculptors, or writers.
• King Philip II, the Macedonian ruler, was a
brilliant general who dreamed of controlling
Greece.
Philip’s Army
• Philip created a well-trained professional
army and planed to invade Greece.
• He organized his troops into Phalanxes of
16 men and 16 deep, each one armed
with an 18-foot pike.
• The phalanxes broke through enemy lines
and Phillip’s fast moving cavalry crushed
his disorganized opponents.
Conquest of Greece
• Demosthenes tried to warn the Greeks
about the threat Philip and his army
posed.
• Eventually, Athens and Thebes joined
forces to fight Philip. It was too late and
the Macedonians defeated the Greeks at
the battle of Chaeronea.
• The defeat ended Greek independence.
Death of Philip II
• At Philip’s daughter’s wedding in 336 BC,
he was stabbed to death by a former
guardsman.
• Philip’s son Alexander immediately
proclaimed himself king of Macedonia at
the age of 20.
• This student of Aristotle learned science,
geography, and literature. As a young boy
he learned to ride horses, use weapons,
and command troops.
Invasion of Persia
• In 334 BC, Alexander led 35,000 soldiers
into Anatolia. Persian messengers raced
along the Royal Road to spread news of
the invasion.
• An army of 40,000 men rushed to defend
Persia.
• The two armies met at the Granicus River.
Alexander stuck first and smashed the
Persian defenses.
King Darius III
• After the Persian defeat, King Darius III
vowed to crush the invaders and he raised
a huge army of between 50,000 and
75,000 men to face the Macedonians near
Issus.
• An outnumbered Alexander ordered his
finest troops to break through the weakest
point in the Persian lines. They charged
straight at Darius and forced the panicked
king to flee.
Conquering the Persian Empire
• Darius tried to negotiate a peace
settlement and offered Alexander all of the
land west of the Euphrates River.
• Alexander rejected the offer and
announced that he planned to conquer the
entire Persian Empire.
Egyptian Liberator
• In 332 BC, the Egyptians welcomed
Alexander as a liberator. They crowned
him pharaoh.
• While in Egypt, Alexander founded the city
of Alexandria at the mouth of the Nile.
Mesopotamia
• After leaving Egypt, Alexander moved east
into Mesopotamia to confront Darius.
• The Persian king assembled a force of
250,000 men. The two armies met a
Gaugamela and Alexander launched a
massive phalanx attack followed by a
cavalry charge.
• As the Persian lines crumbled, Darius
again panicked and fled. This defeat
ended Persia’s power.
Alexander’s Other Conquests
• Alexander captured the cities of Babylon,
Susa, and Persepolis.
• Persepolis was the Persian capital and he
burned it burned to the ground.
• The ashes of Persepolis signaled the total
destruction of Persian Empire.
Alexander’s Legacy
• Alexander melded Greek and Persian
cultures by marrying a Persian wife,
adopting Persian dress and customs, and
including Persians and people from other
lands in his army.
• Empire split three kingdoms:
(1) Macedonia and the Greek citystates was ruled by Antigonus
(2) Egypt seized by Ptolemy
(3) Old Persia was known as Seleucid
kingdom
Tuesday, March 1, 2005
• Ch. 5/5 Guided Reading
• Archimedes Worksheet
The Spread of Hellenistic
Culture
Hellenistic culture, a blend of
Greek and other influences,
flourished throughout Greece,
Egypt, and Asia.
Hellenistic Culture in Alexandria
• Alexander’s policies resulted in a new
vibrant culture.
• Hellenistic culture was Greek blended
with Egyptian, Persian, Indian cultures.
• Koine was the popular spoken language
used in Hellenistic cities.
• This common language enabled educated
people and traders from diverse
backgrounds to communicate in cities
throughout the Hellenistic world.
Trade and Cultural Diversity
• The Egyptian city of Alexandria became
the foremost center of commerce and
Hellenistic civilization.
• Trade ships from all over the
Mediterranean docked in its spacious
harbor. This thriving trade and commerce
allowed Alexandria to grow and prosper.
• This international city had a diverse
population that exceeded half a million.
Alexandria’s Attractions
• The Lighthouse, called the Pharos, stood
over 350 feet tall. The lighthouse
contained a polished bronze mirror that, at
night, reflected light from a blazing fire.
• The most famous attractions were the
museum that contained art galleries, a
zoo, botanical gardens, dining hall, and an
institute for advanced study.
Museums and Libraries
• Alexandria’s library held masterpieces of
ancient literature.
• As the first true research library in the
world, it helped promote the work of a
gifted group of scholars.
• They produced commentaries that
explained earlier works of classical
literature and learning.
Science and Technology
• Alexandria’s Scholars preserved Greek
and Egyptian learning in the sciences.
• Until the scientific advances of the 16th
and 17th centuries, Alexandrian scholars
provided most of the scientific knowledge
available to the west.
• The museum contained a small
observatory in which astronomers could
study the planets and stars.
Astronomy
• Astronomer Aristarchus estimated that
the sun was 300 times larger than Earth.
• Although he greatly underestimated the
size of the sun, he did disprove the belief
that the sun was smaller than the size of
Greece.
• He also proposed that the planets revolve
around sun. His idea was not accepted.
Ptolemy
• In the second century
AD, Alexandria’s last
renowned
astronomer,
Ptolemy, incorrectly
placed Earth at the
center of the solar
system.
• Scientists supported
his theory for the
next 14 centuries.
Eratosthenes
• Erastosthenes was the
director of the Alexandria
Library. He tried to
calculate the Earth’s true
size.
• Using geometry, he
computed Earth’s
circumference at between
28,000 and 29,000 miles.
Modern measurements
put it at 24,860 miles.
Mathematics and Physics
• Eratosthenes and Aristarchus used
geometry text written by Euclid, a highly
regarded mathematician who taught in
Alexandria.
• His book, Elements, contained 465
geometry propositions and proofs. His
work is still the basis for courses in
geometry today.
Archimedes
• Archimedes accurately estimated the
value of pi (π)—the ratio of the
circumference of a circle to its diameter.
• He also explained the law of the lever.
• He invented the Archimedes Screw, a
device that raised water from the ground.
• Finally he invented the compound pulley to
lift heavy objects.
Philosophy and Art
• Two major philosophies developed during the
Hellenistic Age.
• A Greek philosopher named Zeno founded
the school of philosophy called Stoicism.
• Stoics proposed that people should live
virtuous lives in harmony with the will of god
or the natural laws that God established to run
the universe.
• They also preached that human desires,
power, and wealth were dangerous
distractions that should be checked.
Epicurus
• Epicurus founded a school of thought called
Epicureanism. He taught that the universe
was made of atoms and ruled by gods who
had no interest in humans.
• Epicurus believed that the only real objects
were those that the five senses perceived.
• Epicureans proposed that the main goal of
humans was to achieve harmony of the body
and mind. Today the word epicurean means
a person devoted to pursuing human
pleasures, especially the enjoyment of food.
Realism in Sculpture
• During the Hellenistic age, rulers, wealthy
merchants, and cities all purchased
statues to honor the gods, commemorate
heroes, and portray ordinary people in
everyday life.
• The largest known Hellenistic statue was
the Statue of Rhodes.
• Hellenistic sculptors moved away from the
balance and idealized forms of the
classical age and created more natural
works.
Hellenistic Decline
• By 150 BC, the Hellenistic world was in
decline.
• A new city, Rome, was growing and
gaining strength.
• Through Rome, Greek-drama,
architecture, sculpture, and philosophy
were preserved and eventually became
the core of Western Civilization.