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Ancient Greece
Geography of Ancient Greece

“Frogs in a Pond”

Lots of isolated city-states
Polis, city-state
 Politics, involvement in affairs of the city-state


Islands and mountains on mainland
Sea-Traders
 Mild Climate
 Lack of resources—push factor to move
out

Minoan Civilization
Based in Knossos, Crete
 Sea-faring tradition
 Rich trading kingdom—traded around
Mediterranean
 Likely destroyed by Earthquake—basis
for Atlantis

Minotaur
Bull-leaping for religious reasons
 Basis of myth

Mycenaens
Indo-European invaders into Greece
 Conquer Crete & preserve Minoan
culture
 Wealthy warrior kings, defeat Troy to
dominate Aegean Sea
 Replaced by less advanced Dorian
invaders who lack written language

Myths
Traditional stories about Gods
 Explain natural events, human nature
 Homer: The Iliad and the Odyssesy
about Trojan War
 Zeus: ruler of gods, lives on Mount
Olympus

Greek City-States

Run by Male Citizens
 Citizen-Soldiers
 Helots: peasants forced to work the land
 Different Governments
 Monarchy: king rules
 Aristocracy: nobles rule
 Oligarchy: a few people rule
 Democracy: Citizens vote and express
viewpoints
Persian Wars
Feuding Sparta and Athens unite to
fight outsiders
 Greeks win to gain control of Aegean
Sea
 Greeks better equipment, navy, training
 Victory at Marathon: messenger to
Athens
 Battle of Thermopylae: 300

Athens vs. Sparta

Athens
Avoids civil war & strife by increasing
democratic rule; funds for farm equipment,
large building projects (giving people
money)
 Focus on sea trade, arts, culture
 Valued wisdom and education
 Women not very free
 Important Arch: Acropolis, Parthenon

Athens vs. Sparta

Sparta
Militaristic society
 Ruled by warrior kinds with assembly of
free males
 Emphasized “Sparta over Family”
 Trained youth in athletics—boys in military,
girls in sports
 Valued war, strength, honor

Peloponnesian War
Athens vs. Sparta
 Athens got “too big for its britches” and
tried to tell Sparta, rest of Greece what
to do
 Athens defeated; led to decline in
democracy

Checking for Understanding

Which of the following is an accurate comparison of
Athens and Sparta?
 A Both Athens and Sparta were weak city-states.
 B Spartan women did not have as many
freedoms as Athenian women.
 C The Athenians placed the military at the center
of their society; Spartans generally did not.
 D Sparta demanded more subordination of its
citizens to the demands of the state than Athens.
Checking for Understanding

Which of the following is an accurate comparison of
Athens and Sparta?
 A Both Athens and Sparta were weak city-states.
 B Spartan women did not have as many
freedoms as Athenian women.
 C The Athenians placed the military at the center
of their society; Spartans generally did not.
 D Sparta demanded more subordination of its
citizens to the demands of the state than Athens.
Greek Arts

Drama
Tragedies and Comedies with male actors
 Masks, painted scenery, amphitheater
 Themes: love, war, hubris, betrayal
 Satire of Athenian Life
 Sophocles

Greek Arts

Art

4 Main Characteristics
Idealize Human Forms
 Celebrate the Polis
 Proclaim Greek Ideals
 Make Beauty Useful

Philosophers
Philosophers “Lovers of Wisdom”
 Three Main Philosophers of Athens:

Socrates
 Plato
 Aristotle

Socrates
Students examine beliefs
 Q&A—Socratic Method
 Charged with corrupting youth,
condemned to death

Plato

Perfectly governed society with 3
classes in The Republic:
Farmers/Artisans
 Warriors
 Ruling Class/ “Philosopher King”


Critical of Democracy—see what
happened to Socrates?
Aristotle
Questioned nature and humanity
 Scientific method
 Tutor for Alexander the Great

Macedonians
InvadeGreece from north under King
Philip II
 Alexander takes over after father’s
murder

Expands empire: Persia, Egypt, Indus
Valley (kicked out by Mauryans)
 Welcomed in Egypt, made Pharaoh
 Empire and Legacy blends many
cultures—Hellenistic Age

Hellenistic Culture
Blend of Greek, Egyptian, Persian,
Indian cultures
 Spread Greek everywhere
 Centered in Alexandria, Egypt

Hellenistic Culture

Science & Technology
Lat and Long for maps and sky charts
 Astronomy: earth/sun at center discussion

Eratosthenes, accurate circumference
 “Geography”
 Ptolemy

Geometry: Euclid’s school, Pythagorean
Theorem
 Archimedes: pully, lever, steam engine,
screw

Hellenistic Culture

Philosophy

Stoicism: control desire, live in harmony
with natural and divine laws


Sounds like what religion?
Epicureanism: harmonize body and mind

Sounds like what Chinese philosophy?
Checking for Understanding

The spread of Greek Culture all over the
eastern Mediterranean and the former
Persian Empire is known as
A: Zoroastrianism
 B Olympization
 C Hellenization
 D Greekization

Checking for Understanding

The spread of Greek Culture all over the
eastern Mediterranean and the former
Persian Empire is known as
A: Zoroastrianism
 B Olympization
 C Hellenization
 D Greekization
