Download Ancient Greece Final-1

Greek Government & Law
Focus Points
 Development of Greek Democracy
 Characteristics of Greek Society
 Contrasting Athenian and Spartan cultures
Law & Government Glossary
• autocracy
• tyranny
• oligarchy
• aristocracy
• Direct democracy
• Representative democracy
• monarchy
• republic
What was so special
about the Greeks?
The Sea
The Land
How did
Geography
shape Greek
Life?
The Climate
Your conclusions –
How did geography lead to the formation of city
states instead of a united central government?
Early Greece: Minoan Civilization
 Evidence suggests that Minoan civilization was
well developed by around 2000B.C.
 Crete (soil unsuitable for many crops – trade by
sea widely, including with Mycenae)
 Was influenced by civilizations of Nile Valley &
Fertile Crescent but developed many unique
features – frescoes, carved figures in bronze,
ivory, gold,
 Form of writing called Linear B (early form of
Greek)
Minoan Fleet
Early Greece: Mycenaean Civilization
 Early Indo-European settlers arrived on the Greek
Mainland around 2000 B.C. settled in southern Greece
 Built fortified cities: Mycenae, Tiryns, Pylos Mycenae was fortified by a wall more than 20ft thick
 Rulers controlled the surrounding areas.Mycenaean
Kings dominated Greece 1600 – 1100 B.C.
 Adopted many elements of Minoan culture
 Trojan War 1200’s B.C. – 10 year war with
Independent Anatolian trading city Troy
Reconstruction of Mycenae
Early Greece: Dorians Invade
 Both Mycenaean & Minoan civilizations weakened
by earthquakes
 By 1200 B.C all major Mycenaean cities destroyed
 New migrating tribes (Dorians) arrive
 Less advanced – “Greek Dark Age” Dorians appear
to have been illiterate. No written record exists
between 1150-750 B.C.
 Until Phoenician traders introduced an alphabet
around 750 B.C.
Development of City-States
800’s-700’s B.C.
 By 750 B.C. the method of governing areas had
changed from tribal to more formal governments
(city-states or POLIS)
 Grew around fortified hilltops
 POLIS: Greek city-state – the fundamental political
unit of ancient Greece after about 750 B.C.
 POLIS: Fort, the city and the surrounding land
Shared Features of City-States
 30-500 square miles
 Small population (most fewer than 10,000)
 Only free adult men had all rights of citizenship
 Women were considered citizens without political rights
 Citizens gathered at the AGORA (marketplace) or on a
fortified hilltop ACROPOLIS to discuss city government
 Spoke the same language
 Shared many religious ideas
 Greek myth that all Greeks were descended from Hellen
(Hellenistic)
 Festivals such as Olympic Games brought them together
Why were the Greeks Special?
 Create your own A3 poster showing the
contributions of Greek Civilization
 This is intended to introduce you to the scope
of Greek contributions (in summary - why we
are studying Greek civilization) and some key
individuals that we will look at in more detail
later.
 Make this as attractive as you can – use bullet
points notes, representative diagrams/symbols
and pictures from internet.
City- State Political Structures
 Greek City-States had different structures
 Monarchy, Oligarchy, Tyrants
 Using the handout create a mind map for
each of these within the Greek context
The Rise of Athens
 Watch the film and answer the questions to learn about
the growth of Athens and the path to democracy
 MP3 files are loaded on Forum
Social Structure in Athens under
the Aristocracy
Aristocrats: Archons
(9 rulers each
serving a 1 yr),
Judges (unwritten
laws)
Citizens
All adult male citizens
met in an assembly
whenever necessary and
elected Archons
Metics
(non-citizens)
Slaves
How did democracy develop in
Ancient Greece?
 Cleisthenes – noble Athenian of the
Alcmaeonid family
 508 B.C. overthrew tyrants and made sweeping
changes that turned Athens into a limited
democracy
 Divided tribes into 10 clans, subdivided into
local governments (DEMES)
 Clans each chose 50 members of Council of 500
– by lot
 Members served 1 year – 2 term limit
 Jurors also chosen by lot (from citizens)
How did Pericles change Athens?
How this strengthened
democracy and Athens
 Using pp13-135 of the handout
Increased the number of
Use pp134-135 of the
public officials that were
handout
paid salaries
Pericles’ changes
Time limits on holding office
Introduction of Direct
Democracy
Hold and strengthen the
Athenian Empire
Glorification of Athens
Athenian Government &
Law
(checks and balances)
Archons
(Advisors)
Aereopagus
(criminal law court,
made up of former
archons)
Citizen
(Male landowners
Assembly
All Freemen)
(the parliament)
Council of
500
(the government)
-citizens (30+)
- 1 year term
- 2 term limit
- paid
- chosen by lottery.
Questions:
How did Pericles extend democracy?
How did paying people to attend the Assembly help democracy?
Why do you think there were time limits on holding office?
What do you think ‘checks and balances’ are?
Court of
Appeals
Athenian Government & Law
8th century
Monarchy
7th century
Oligarchy
621 BC
Draco
594 BC
Solon the
Reformer
Archons
Aereopagus
6th century
Tyranny
5th century
Democracy
560 BC
Pisistratus the
Tyrant
Citizen
Assembly
507 BC
Cleisthenes the
Democrat
Male landowners
All Freemen
Council of
500
- citizens (30+)
- 1 year term
- 2 term limit
- paid
- chosen by . . .
Court of
Appeals
Lottery
Age of Pericles
 Pericles was swept into power and broke up the Council of 500
 Pericles changed the rules about who could participate in the new
democracy
 It was not based on birth status or wealth, but on merit
 He changed the rules to be a citizen: both parents need to be Athenian
 Under Pericles the Assembly (all citizen males) became the central power
in the state
• Many of the great Greek Tragedies and Comedies were written during this
time period
• Built the Parthenon
• Focused on Democratic reform and the maintenance of the Empire
• Some say Athens wealth (due to Pericles) was the reason for Sparta’s disdain
Democracy in the Age of Pericles
 Dominated Athenian public affairs between 461B.C.429B.C.
 Great general, orator, and statesman
 The time of Athens’ greatest power and prosperity
 Democracy reaches its height (Direct Democracy)
 All male citizens could hold office (not just landowners)
 Officeholders received salaries
 Most offices were chosen by lot
Power to the People?
 Ostracism: the practice of banning people from
Athens for 10 years
 6000 citizens had to vote for ostracism
 Designed to prevent civil unrest and civil war
 Athenians feared too much power in the hands of
one or a few people
However, whilst ordinary people were now more
able to participate in public affairs…
 Women did not hold full citizenship.
 Athens still supported by slavery
In fact some historians would suggest that about 75% of
people in Athens were not considered full citizens
End of Democracy in Greece
• Peloponnesian Wars (431-404 B.C) weakened all of
Greece
• At the end of the war a group of Oligarchs led a
revolution to seize power (supported by Sparta)
 Ruled for one year before being overthrown by
democratic principles
 Democracy flourished for another 80 years until
Alexander the Great conquered Greece in 322 B.C.
 Romans extinguished democracy for good when
they created their Republic
Democracy
 Who were the founding fathers of democracy?
 What are the characteristics of Athenian democracy?
 Draw a diagram or cartoon to that would help someone
understand the main elements of Democracy