Download The Greeks

http://ccwf.cc.utexas.edu/~tjmoore/myth4web/05troygold.jpg.
Minoans + Mycenaeans =
The Greeks
Origins of the Greeks: Minoans &
Mycenaeans 2800 B.C.E. - 1500 B.C.E.
Minoans
(2800-1400 BCE)
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http://ccwf.cc.utexas.edu/~tjmoore/Myth3web/05atheseusmincan.jpg.
Lived on island of Crete
Existed during Egypt’s Old Kingdom
Government: Priest-kings
Religion: Polytheists
Cities NOT surrounded by walls
Ship Builders & Traders
Farming
Fishing
Overpowered by Mycenaeans by
1400 BCE
Minoan Art
Sculptures, Pottery, and
Frescoes
Minoans created and traded pottery, leather, bronze armor, and metal
jewelry. They also enjoyed sports such as boxing and bull leaping.
http://ccwf.cc.utexas.edu/~tjmoore/Myth3web/05atheseusmincan.jpg
Minoan Fresco at the Palace of Knossos
http://ccwf.cc.utexas.edu/~tjmoore/myth.html.
Minoan fresco:
Prince of Knossos
http://www.graeco-roman.com/items/G4310.htm
Minoan Religion
Polytheists
Main god: Great Goddess, Mother
Earth)
Minoan Religion
• Built shrines on housetops, hilltops, and in
caves
– Why hilltops?
– Why caves?
• Offerings included:
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Human hair
fruit
flowers
jewels
gold
Mother Earth
The fall of Minoan civilization is described in the legendary
fight of Theseus, a young Greek prince and the Minotaur.
Relief Sculpture of Theseus and defeated Minotaur
http://ccwf.cc.utexas.edu/~tjmoore/Myth3web/05atheseusmincan.jpg
Mycenaeans
(2000 - 900 BCE)•
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Lower Greece (lowlands)
Built fortress-palaces on hilltops
Engaged in farming, herding, olive
growing.
Traded: gold & bronze
Learned from Minoans:
Shipbuilding, navigation, gold &
bronze work, fashions, art, writing.
Better warriors than traders
(pirates)
Became most powerful people in
Aegean world by 1400 BCE
Trojan War (1200s BCE)
Conquered by Dorians (late
1200’s)
The “Dark Age” (1100 -800 BCE)
• Civil wars broke out
following Trojan War
• Dorians conquered
Mycenaeans
• Aegean world began
era of “wandering and
killing”
• Independent
communities
developed
Layered view of nine major settlements of Troy
by Christopher Haussner based on archaelogical
excavation.
http://ccwf.cc.utexas.edu/~tjmoore/myth4web/05troygold.jpg
Greek City-States (700 - 338 BCE)
Greek City-States
• The Hellenes, or Greeks emerge from the Dark Age
• The Polis, or city-state was the center of Greek life
• Polis structure:
– Acropolis (fortified hill)
– Agora (marketplace at foot of acropolis)
– Polis included homes, farming villages, fields, and
orchards
http://www.indiana.edu/~kglowack/athens/acropolis.html
Greek Civics and Politics
• Civic and personal honor is one and the same
• The Polis (city-state) is above everything else
Greenblatt, Lemmo. Human Heritage. Glencoe, McGraw-Hill 1995.
A New Government
• Solon created 1st
Constitution (594 BCE)
– Set of principles and
rules for governing
• Purpose: To end
oligarchy and to
prevent uprising
against government
by middle and lower
class
http://www.indiana.edu/~kglowack/athens/images/07.017.JPG
The First
Democratic Constitution
• Created by Cleisthenes in 508
BCE (lasted 300 yrs.)
• Limits power of rich & land
ownership
• All male landowners could vote
• All debts were erased
• All enslaved due to debt, were
freed
• All Athenians became citizens
and able to participate in
government
• Assembly created to make laws
Representation of Cleisthenes
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/greeks/greekdemocracy_2.shtml
The Athenian Government Structure
Pericles
Commander-in-Chief
Selected by the elected ten generals
Assembly
Elected by Athenian males
over the age of 20; Served 1 year
Made laws
Ten Generals
Elected by Assembly
Run Army and Navy
Coucil of Five Hundred
Served 2 years
Chosen by lot among citizens
Handled daily business of Athens
http://norfacad.pvt.k12.va.us/project/pericles/Pericles.htm
Greek Religion
The most popular priestess was a priestess in the temple of Delphi.
The Delphi was the center of the world for Greeks.
http://ccwf.cc.utexas.edu/~tjmoore/mythslides1/27delphiview.jpg
Gods with human qualities
(anthropomorphism)
Poseiden
The Courtship of Venus and Mars
http://ccwf.cc.utexas.edu/~tjmoore/mythslides1/mythslides1.html
Aphrodite
Greek Theater
• Began during festivals
honoring the god
Dionysus (600 BCE)
• Types of Plays
– Tragedies
• Aeschylus
• Sophocles
• Euripides
– Comedies
• Only men could act in
plays
• A civic responsibility
http://ccwf.cc.utexas.edu/~tjmoore/mythslides1/28feastofgods.jpg
The Great Greek Philosophers
• Socrates
• Plato
• Aristotle
http://www.arts.uwaterloo.ca/PHIL/cpshelle/Gallery/Greek/aristotle.jpg
Socrates (469-399 BCE)
Greenblatt, Lemmo. Human Heritage. Glencoe, McGraw-Hill 1995
http://www.btinternet.com/~socratic/
• Stonemason, spent
time arguing with
assembly
• Taught: Question
everything, use stepby-step questioning to
final conclusion
(Socaratic Method)
• Executed for denying
gods, corrupting
youth, and trying to
overthrow gov.
Plato (427-347 BCE)
• Pupil of Socrates
• Recorded speeches of
Socrates
• Father of Political
Science
• Founded The Academy
to train government
leaders
• Wrote The Republic &
The Dialogues
http://plato.evansville.edu/
Aristotle (384-322 BCE)
Plato
Aristotle
http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/history/aristotle.html
• Pupil of Plato at The
Academy
• Trained in Medicine
• “Master of Them That
Know”
• First to classify plants
& animals
• Developed final steps
in scientific method
(Hypothesis and Test)