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Ancient
Greece
Themes 1 and 2
Theme 1: Government
Greek City-States
A new type of society emerged in Greece in the 800s BC. The society was centered
on the polis, or city-state. Each polis developed independently, with its own form of
government, laws and customs.
Life in the Polis
Infrastructure
Other Attributes
• Polis, center of daily
life, culture
• Polis built around high
area, called acropolis
• Shops, houses, temples
near agora
• Greeks fiercely loyal to
their polis
• Acropolis used as
fortification
• Did not think of selves
as Greeks, but as
residents of their
particular city-state
• Included temples,
ceremonial spaces
• Gymnasium, athletes’
training grounds, public
bath
• Agora, public
marketplace, below
• Sturdy wall for defense
surrounded polis
Political Systems of Greek City-States
Each major polis had a different political system that
developed over time.
•
Corinth, an oligarchy, ruled by a few individuals
•
Athens, birthplace of democracy
•
Sparta, oligarchy, one of mightiest city-states, but least
typical, Militaristic.
Athenian Democracy
The prosperity of Athens was due in large part to its stable and effective
government. That government was the world’s first democracy, a form of
government run by the people.
Beginnings
• Athens, birthplace of
democracy
• Not always democratic
city
• First ruled by kings
• Later ruled by
aristocrats who had
money and power
Reform
Draconian Laws
• Most Athenians poor,
had little power over
lives
• Draco thought way to
end unrest was through
harsh punishment
• Gap between rich, poor
led to conflict
• Belief reflected in
Draco’s laws
• Official named Draco
reformed laws
• Harshness of laws
worsened dispute
between classes
Slavery For Debt
Through the laws of Draco, those in debt could be made
slaves -- but only if they were members of the lower
class.
Homicide
Another result of the codification of laws by Draco -and the only part that remained part of the legal code -was the introduction of the concept of "intention to
murder." Murder could be manslaughter (either
justifiable or accidental) or intentional homicide. With
the new law code, Athens, as a city-state, would
intervene in what were formerly family matters of
blood-feuds.
Punishment
Plutarch states: "It is said that Drakon himself, when
asked why he had fixed the punishment of death for
most offences, answered that he considered these
lesser crimes to deserve it, and he had no greater
punishment for more important ones."
All his laws were repealed by Solon in the early 6th
century BC, with the exception of the homicide law
Cleisthenes
Cleisthenes considered the father of Athenian
Democracy.
• Cleisthenes broke up power of noble families
– Divided Athens into 10 tribes based on where people lived
– Made tribes, not families, social groups, basis for elections
– Each tribe elected 50 men to serve on Council of 500, proposed laws
– Each tribe elected one general to lead Athenian army
The Nature of Athenian Democracy
• As democracy, Athens ruled by the people, but not all people able to take part in
government; only about 10 percent of total population
• Only free male Athenians over age 20 who had completed military training allowed
to vote
• Women, immigrants, children, slaves had no role in government
Athenian Government
• Those allowed to take part in government expected to:
–
Vote in all elections
–
Serve in office if elected
–
Serve on juries
–
Serve in military during war
Height of Democracy
Three Main Bodies
• Athenian democracy consisted of
three main bodies—
• Assembly
• Council of 500
• Courts
Assembly
• Included everyone eligible to serve in
government
• All present voted on laws, all
important decisions
• Called direct democracy
Council of 500
• Created by Cleisthenes
• Wrote laws to be voted on by full
assembly
• terms lasted one year
• 50 men from each of the ten tribes of
Athens
Courts
•
•
•
•
Complex series of courts
Members could number up to 6,000
Chosen from the assembly
Heard trials, sentenced criminals
Militaristic State
To support their military lifestyle, the Spartans demanded strength and toughness. All
babies were examined after birth and unhealthy children were left in the wild to die.
Combat School
Women in Society
• Boys taught physical, mental
toughness by mothers until age 7
• Entered combat school to toughen for
hardships of being soldier
• Unusual among Greek city-states
• Women played important role
• Trained in gymnastics for physical
fitness, to bear strong children
• At age 20 boys became hoplites, foot
• Women had right to own property,
soldiers; remained in army 10 years
unlike women in most of Greece
before becoming citizens
Sparta was led by two kings who served as military commanders. Decision-making was
largely left to an elected council of elders.
War
• Spartan emphasis on war not due to fondness for fighting, but as way to keep order
in society
• Helots or slaves outnumbered Spartans seven to one, kept in check by strong army
Theme 2: Religion
Mount Olympus
•
•
•
•
12 gods, goddesses were particularly influential in Greek lives
These 12 lived together on Mount Olympus, highest mountain in Greece
Olympian gods thought to have great power, though not perfect
Myths say gods flawed, often unpredictable—loved, hated, argued, made mistakes,
got jealous, played tricks on each other
Worship
• Almost all Greeks worshipped same
gods
• Each polis claimed one god, goddess
as special protector
• Example: Athens sacred to Athena
• Some locations considered sacred by
all Greeks
Sacred Locations
• Delphi sacred to all Greeks—
priestesses of Apollo were thought to
receive visions of future
• Olympia—every four years Greeks
assembled there for Olympic Games;
athletes competed against each other
to honor gods