ancient greece and the birth of civilization

A Brief History

• 6500 BCE Wheat cultivated in Greece

• 2200 BCE Minoan Civilization begins on Crete

• 1600 BCE Mycenaean Civilization begins on the Peloponnesus

• 1300 BCE Mycenaean expansion—Magna Grecia and Hellenic Age

• Persian Wars (499-479 BCE)

• Peloponnesian Wars (431-404 BCE)

• Philip II of Macedon conquers Athens and Thebes in 338 BCE

• Alexander the Great conquers much of Mediterranean world by 320 BCE—“Hellenistic Age”

• Roman Conquest of Greece at Battle of Actium in 31 BCE

Ancient Greece

King Mino’s Palace at Knossos

(2000-1700 BCE)

Olives: The Motor of Ancient Greek

Commerce

Ancient Greek Writing

Minoan Linear A

Mycenaean Linear B

Modern Greek

A Brief History

• 6500 BCE Wheat cultivated in Greece

• 2200 BCE Minoan Civilization begins on Crete

• 1600 BCE Mycenaean Civilization begins on the Peloponnesus

• 1300 BCE Mycenaean expansion—Magna Grecia and Hellenic Age

• Persian Wars (499-479 BCE)

• Peloponnesian Wars (431-404 BCE)

• Philip II of Macedon conquers Athens and Thebes in 338 BCE

• Alexander the Great conquers much of Mediterranean world by 320 BCE—“Hellenistic Age”

• Roman Conquest of Greece at Battle of Actium in 31 BCE

A Brief History

• 6500 BCE Wheat cultivated in Greece

• 2200 BCE Minoan Civilization begins on Crete

• 1600 BCE Mycenaean Civilization begins on the Peloponnesus

• 1300 BCE Mycenaean expansion—Magna Grecia and Hellenic Age

• Persian Wars (499-479 BCE)

• Peloponnesian Wars (431-404 BCE)

• Philip II of Macedon conquers Athens and Thebes in 338 BCE

• Alexander the Great conquers much of Mediterranean world by 320 BCE—“Hellenistic Age”

• Roman Conquest of Greece at Battle of Actium in 31 BCE

Athens and the Birth of Democracy

Isagoras declares himself tyrant

in 508 BC

Opposes reforms to help the

commoners

Gets help from hated Spartans

The Athenian people revolt

-Cleisthenes an exiled opponent of

Isagoras returns to lead a popular

Uprising

-Pebbles on the beach

-Calls for a new government

Demokratos=People+Voice

-Redistricts Athens-creates Council

of 500 and the Assembly for all male

citizens

Athenian Democracy • Meet at the Prnyx

• After Pericles—all adult males over 21

• Both parents must be Athenian

• Rowdy debates—like House of Commons

• Agenda set by the Council of 500 (aristocrats)

• Vote by hand or pebbles

• Franchise extended to about 20% of the pop.

• Who could not vote? – Women

– Metics=foreigners

– Slaves

The Persian Wars

The Greek Phalanx

Greek Victory at Salamis (480 BCE)

A Brief History

• 6500 BCE Wheat cultivated in Greece

• 2200 BCE Minoan Civilization begins on Crete

• 1600 BCE Mycenaean Civilization begins on the Peloponnesus

• 1300 BCE Mycenaean expansion—Magna Grecia and Hellenic Age

• Persian Wars (499-479 BCE)

• Peloponnesian Wars (431-404 BCE)

• Philip II of Macedon conquers Athens and Thebes in 338 BCE

• Alexander the Great conquers much of Mediterranean world by 320 BCE—“Hellenistic Age”

• Roman Conquest of Greece at Battle of Actium in 31 BCE

Pelopponesian Wars (431-404 BC)

A Brief History

• 6500 BCE Wheat cultivated in Greece

• 2200 BCE Minoan Civilization begins on Crete

• 1600 BCE Mycenaean Civilization begins on the Peloponnesus

• 1300 BCE Mycenaean expansion—Magna Grecia and Hellenic Age

• Persian Wars (499-479 BCE)

• Peloponnesian Wars (431-404 BCE)

• Philip II of Macedon conquers Athens and Thebes in 338 BCE

• Alexander the Great conquers much of Mediterranean world by 320 BCE—“Hellenistic Age”

• Roman Conquest of Greece at Battle of Actium in 31 BCE

The Olympic Games

-First began in 776 BC

-Friendly war games

-Attracted 40,000+ spectators

-Prize was an olive branch and

generous “donation” from home

town

-Unmarried women competed in

the Heraklea Games

The Pythian Games at Delphi

-Similar to Olympics but also

Included music and drama

-Winner received a laurel wreath

-Held between Olympic Games

-Honored Apollo

Greek Drama

Dionysus sitting between Komodos and Tragedy

Ancient Greek Science &

Philosophy

Hippocrates 5C BC

ca. 400 BC

Galen of

Pergamum

2C AD

SPA: The Three Greatest Greek

Philosophers

The Founder: Socrates (ca. 470-399 BC)

“The unexamined life is

not worth living.”

SPA: The Three Greatest Greek

Philosophers

The Student of Socrates: Plato (ca. 429-348 BC)

“When the tyrant has disposed of foreign

enemies by conquest or treaty, and there

is nothing more to fear from them, then

he is always stirring up some war or

other, in order that the people may

require a leader.”

SPA: The Three Greatest Greek

Philosophers

The Student of Plato: Aristotle (ca. 384-322 BC)

Aristotle on youth: “They think they

know everything, and are always quite

sure about it; this, in fact, is why they

overdo everything.”

The Blind Storyteller: Homer

-Lived in 8th century BC

-An Ionian Greek

-Dictated words of

Singing Poets

-Events in Iliad and

Odyssey occurred about

12O0 BC

“Beware of Greeks bearing gifts.”

Odysseus’ Journey Home: The

Odyssey

The Warning of Daedalus & Icarus

Freud’s “Oedipus Complex”

A “Sisyphean Struggle”

A modern version of the Odyssey

The “Achilles Heel”