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The Greeks
The Beginnings of Europe
Geography
• Peninsula- dominated by the sea
• Mostly mountains with small valleys- less
than 20% of land arable
• Communities isolated from each other due
to mountains
• Small populations- had to colonize when
population got too large. (N.Africa, Italy,
Asia Minor, Sicily and S. France)
Geography cont’d
• Greeks became
fishermen and traders.
• Grew olives and
grapes
• Little meat due to
shortage of landsheep where able.
The Polis
• The Greeks developed independent citystates, each with own form of government.
• Cities were built on sides of hills to
conserve arable land.
• Included the wall, living areas, agora
(marketplace) and the acropolis (fort).
Polis cont’d
• City-states did not unify in Greece for three
reasons:
1. geography
2. local patriotism
3. competition to survive
New Warfare
• Due to small armies the Greeks developed a
new style of warfare called the phalanx.
• Soldiers were armored with large shields,
long spears and short swords.
• Used a box formation.
• Took a phalanx to beat a phalanx.
Greek Personality
•
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Exposure to the sea did the following to
the Greeks view of life:
Energetic
Curious
Respect for human ability
Aggressive
Cooperative, freedom loving
Greek Religion
• No priests in Greece. Fathers and city
leaders led religious observances.
• Sacrifice and divination central features.
• Polytheistic
• Gods were human-like with supernatural
powers. Gods interfered with people’s lives.
• Afterlife concept was vague or non-existent.
• Focus on here and now/ live for today.
Development of Democracy
•
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Democracy evolved in Athens.
Monarchy
Aristocracy (Oligarchy)
Plutocracy (Oligarchy)
Tyranny
Democracy
Development of Democracy cont’d
• Tyrants brought democracy to Athens.
1. Draco- harsh written law code
2. Solon- gave citizens right to vote without
property requirements, outlawed debt slavery,
cancelled debts of poor
3. Cleisthenes- gave citizenship to all males (poor
or rich), encouraged education, exiled corrupt
officials, freedom of speech.
Athens and Sparta
• Athens was larger
• Education for wealthy
boys only- liberal arts
• Society was based on
trade and open to outsiders
• Many of the Greek artistic
and intellectual
achievements came out of
Athens
• Women were subordinate
and kept out of public
• Sparta was small with a
huge slave population
called helots
• All boys and girls
educated- women
considered equals
• Military education
• Farming economy
• Closed society- very
paranoid- did not like
outsiders
• No wall around city
The Persian Wars
Herodotus
• Considered “Father of
History”
• Wrote “Histories” a
collection of stories
about the rise of Persia
and the wars against
Greece.
Cause of Persian Wars
• Athens helped some colonies revolt in Asia Minor.
• The provincial capital of Sardis was burned by the
rebellion.
• The Persians put down the revolt eventually but at
great expense- so they destroyed the first city to
revolt (Miletus) and killed or enslaved all its
inhabitants.
• Darius I decided to invade Greece to punish
Athens in 490 BCE.
First War: Sea Invasion by Darius I
• Darius invaded and landed on a plain 26
miles from Athens with 600 ships and
between 50,000 and 75,000 men.
• Athenian and Greek allied army of 20,000
men met them on the plain and surprisingly
defeated the larger Persian army. Only 192
Greeks died compared to thousands of
Persian warriors.
Second War: Land and Sea
Invasions by Xerxes
• To revenge his father’s shame, Xerxes in 480 BCE
launched a massive land and sea invasion of
Greece.(250,000 soldiers)
• Fought three major engagements- Thermopylae
(Stand of the 300 Spartans), Salamis (naval battle
near Athens), and Platae (Sparta’s revenge).
• Invasion failed and Xerxes lost most of his army.
Legacy of Persian Wars
• Greece now considered a Mediterranean power.
Athens and Sparta become the dominant city
states.
• Athens enters a “Golden Age” of intellectual and
artistic achievements.
• Jealously over Athenian dominance of Delian
League led to 25 years of civil warfare in Greece.
Athens vs. Sparta (Peloponnesian Wars)
• Leaves Greece open to foreign invasionMacedonia under King Philip invades and unites
Greek city-states under one king.