Ancient GreeceAncient Greece2500-350 b.c.e2500-350 b.c.e

The Rise of Ancient GreeceThe Rise of Ancient GreeceHistorical Significance: What kinds of Historical Significance: What kinds of

governments and societies developed in governments and societies developed in ancient Greece? How have Greek ideas ancient Greece? How have Greek ideas

shaped the development of Western shaped the development of Western Civilization?Civilization?

Geographic LocationGeographic Location

• A country on the Balkan Peninsula

• Surrounded by the Ionian Sea, Mediterranean Sea, and the Aegean Sea

Characteristics of GreeceCharacteristics of Greece

• Low-lying rugged mountains– Limited travel and

communication

• Mild Climate • Fertile coastal plains

– Good farming– Excellent harbors

Early Aegean CivilizationsEarly Aegean Civilizations• The Minoans

– Located on the island of Crete

– Wore lavish gold jewelry and curled their hair

– Enjoyed dancing and sporting events

– Women had high status (more goddesses than gods)

– Made a living from sea trade

– Historians believe their civilization collapsed due to earthquakes and tidal waves

• The Mycenaeans– Originated from Indo-

European peoples in central Asia

– Set up royal fortresses on Greek hilltops

– Network of nobles and slaves lived around each fortress/palace

– Farmers and artisans helped the community thrive

– Borrowed metal working and shipbuilding from the Minoans

– Conquered the Minoans??

Advancements during the Advancements during the Mycenaean HeightMycenaean Height

• Government Administration• Tax Collection• Artisans tanned leather, sewed

clothes, made jars for wine and olive oil

• Fortresses and stone walls• Armies to fight the king’s battles• Worshipped Mother Earth

– Borrowed from Minoans

• Navigation by the sun– Borrowed from Minoans

Fall of Mycenae and the Dark AgeFall of Mycenae and the Dark Age

• By 1100 b.c.e. infighting destroyed the hilltop fortresses

• Greek speaking Dorians from the north invaded armed with iron weapons

• The next 300 years are known as the dark ages of Greece– Sea trade stopped, poverty increased, writing

and craft making stopped– Many refugees fled across the Aegean sea to

Ionia

New Hellenic Culture New Hellenic Culture

• By 750 b.c.e, the dark age ended and the Ionians had reintroduced culture, crafts, and skills to their homeland

• They brought the Phoenician alphabet

• Many poets and heroes are recorded to have lived during this time.

• Hellenic Culture flourished until 336 b.c.e

Poets and HeroesPoets and Heroes• Homer, a blind poet

lived during the 700s.• Wrote the Illiad and

the Odyssey

Greek Values and TeachingsGreek Values and Teachings

• Greek Religion– Humanized dieties– Sources of power

• Schools used the Illiad and the Odyssey as the primary texts– They learn values of Hellenic Civilization– Love for Nature– Importance of husband-wife relationships– Loyalty between friends

Gods and GoddessesGods and Goddesses

The 12 OlympiansZeus- chief godPoseidon- god of the seaHades- god of the underworldHestia- goddess of the hearthHera- goddess of marriageAres- god of warAthena- goddess of wisdomApollo- god of music and lightAphrodite- goddess of loveHermes- messenger godArtemis- goddess of animalsHephaestus- god of fire

Dionysus riding a leopard and Poseidon shown to the right

Oracles and FestivalsOracles and Festivals

• Greeks believed that oracles could predict the future so they would bring sacrifices to Delphi and the priests and priestesses would speak to the people and interpret Apollo’s responses

• Every 4 years they celebrated the Olympic games in honor of Zeus

• Plays were performed to honor Dionysus• Eventually permanent theaters were built

The Greek PolisThe Greek Polis

• Polis= City-State• Includes a city and the surrounding areas and

fields• In the center, on an acropolis (fortified hill) was

the temple to the local deity.• At the foot of the acropolis was the agora (public

square), which was the political center of the polis. Citizens gathered here.

• Artisans and Merchants also conducted business in the agora

Greek CitizensGreek Citizens

• Citizens were in the minority• They had both rights and responsibilities

– They could vote, hold office, own property, and speak for themselves in court

– In return, they had to serve the government and the army in times of war

• Women had no political of legal rights• Slaves and foreign born could not be

citizens

Greek Prosperity and TradeGreek Prosperity and Trade• After the dark age, population increased so

quickly that they could not produce enough food• Each polis sent groups of people to establish

colonies around the Mediterranean

Colonies and Economic GrowthColonies and Economic Growth

• Each colony supplied it’s parent city with wheat and barley and the Greek mainland exported wine and olive oil

• Because they were getting grain from elsewhere, Greek farmers were able to move to the city, learn a craft and further expand the economy

• By the 600s b.c.e, the Greeks replaced their barter system with money

Political and Social ChangePolitical and Social Change

• Kings to aristocrats

• Disputes between aristocrats and commoners

• High taxes caused commoners to lose their land; some had to sell themselves into slavery

• Farmers demanded political reforms

Greek ArmiesGreek Armies• The farmers who were foot soldiers became more

valuable to the army than the aristocratic cavalry• Phalanx-rows of foot soldiers who made a wall of

defense with their shields• This made the aristocrats lose power and influence

Sparta v. AthensSparta v. Athens

Sparta

• Military society founded by descendants of the Dorian invaders

• Invaded neighbors and enslaved them rather than founding over seas colonies

• Girls were brought up similar to boys

• Government led by 2 kings, an assembly and a council of elders

Athens

• Intellectual society founded by descendants of the Mycenaean

• All free men were citizens• Less friction between

classes• Only boys received a

formal education• Men served the military

for 2 years after age 18• Democracy developed

Athenian DemocracyAthenian Democracy• Draco- issued improved code of laws

• Solon- cancelled all land debt and freed debtors from slavery. Decreased conflict between aristocrats and commoners by setting up a two house legislature

• Peisistratus- divided large estates among landless farmers and allowed men who didn’t own land citizenship

• Cleisthenes- introduced laws that actually set up democracy

The Persian WarsThe Persian Wars• 546 B.C. Persian armies conquered Greek

City States of Ionia• 499 B.C. Ionians revolted and lost• 490 B.C. Persian fleet crossed the Aegean

and stopped at Marathon• Persians withdrew and returned 10 years

later• Greeks gained the upper hand at the Battle

of Salamis and were victorious (497 B.C)

The Golden AgeThe Golden Age

• Period after the Persian Wars from 461 to 429 B.C.

• Pericles was in charge and set out to rebuild Athens

• Parthenon (Temple to Athena) and other grand public buildings

• Many advances in arts and sciences

The Peloponnesian WarThe Peloponnesian War• Delian League• Athenian Empire• Anti-Athens Alliance• War lasted from 431 B.C. to 404 B.C.• It seemed that Athens could hold out until

Sparta struck a deal with the Persians and Athens was struck by plague

• Deadlock continued until many Athenian allies switched sides and Sparta defeated Athens 404 B.C.

Effects of the WarEffects of the War• Disastrous to Greek city states on both

sides

• Population declined

• Fields destroyed

• Unemployment surged

• Greeks lost the ability to govern themselves

• Made conditions right for the Macedonian invasion

Classical Greek ArchitectureClassical Greek Architecture

• The Parthenon is the best example of Greek Architecture

• It was built during the Golden Age under Pericles and took over 50 years to complete

Classical Greek ArtClassical Greek Art

• Sculpture– Myron- perfected the

human form (larger than life)

– Praxitiles- more realistic

• Painting on Vases– Focus on human forms– Mythological scenes– Everyday life– Gold on black

Greek Drama and TheaterGreek Drama and Theater

• Aeschylus- Greek Tragedies

• Sophocles- Greek General and writer of human suffering, courage, and compassion

• Euripides- focused on human tragedy

• Aristophanes- Greek comedies and satire

The Olympic GamesThe Olympic Games

• Healthy bodies make best use of minds, so athletics was a part of the schools

• The supposed date of the first Olympics was 776 b.c.e

• Only men could participate (women couldn’t even watch)

• Individual events: footraces, boxing, discus throw, and wrestling

• Winners received the crown of olive leaves

Greek PhilosophyGreek Philosophy

• The human mind is capable of understanding everything

• Sophists– Professional teachers who claimed they could

find an answer to everything– “Man is the measure of all things”– Truth is relative, not absolute– Challenged traditional Greek beliefs

SocratesSocrates• Believed in absolute NOT relative truth• Socratic Method• He encouraged students to think,

challenge, and learn on their own• He was accused of corrupting the young

because his teaching challenged the government

• As his defense he argued that those who knew what was right would do what was right

• The jury found him guilty and sentenced him to death

• He drank poisonous hemlock juice in his cell and died

PlatoPlato• Opened his Academy at the age of

40• Wrote The Republic, the first book

on political science• Disliked Athenian Democracy • Placed the State above the individual• People having too much freedom

caused chaos• Did not trust lower class and

believed only the best-educated should participate in government

AristotleAristotle• Wrote over 200 books on topic from

astronomy to political science• Taught students to live moderately and

avoid extremes• First person to observe facts and then

classify them• Ideal government balanced monarchy,

aristocracy, and democracy in one system• Believed power should rest with the Middle

Class because they know how to both lead and obey

Greek ThinkersGreek Thinkers

• Herodotus- Father of History

• Thucydides- First Scientific Historian

• Thales- Mathematician

• Pythagoras- Mathematician

• Hippocrates- Father of Medicine– Diseases had natural, not supernatural

causes– Advocated proper hygene

Rise of MacedoniaRise of Macedonia

• Locate North of Greece. The Macedonians were descended from the Dorians

• 359 b.c. Philip II becomes king- 3 goals– Strong standing army– Unite Greek city states under Macedonian rule– Destroy the Persian Empire

• By 338b.c. he conquered all of Greece except Sparta and sets his sights on Persia

Alexander the GreatAlexander the Great• Becomes ruler of Macedonia and Greece at age 20• 334 b.c. he led 30,000 soldiers and 5,000 cavalry in his

campaign of “west against east”• Freed Ionian city-states from Persian Rule• 333 b.c. he faces the Persians at Issus and forces

Darius III to flee• Then moves south to capture the seaports of Phoenicia

and invaded Egypt• 331 b.c. he moves into Mesopotamia and captures key

Persian cities• When Darius is killed by one of his own men, Alexander

declares himself ruler of the Persian Empire

Alexander’s Imperial GoalsAlexander’s Imperial Goals• Create an empire that would unite Europe

and Asia and combine the best of Greek and Persian cultures– He wore Persian dress and imitated the court

life of Persian kings– He married the daughter of Darius III and

ordered 10,000 of his men to take Persian wives

– He enrolled 30,000 Persians in his army– Founded 70 cities

Divided DomainDivided Domain

• When Alexander died, 3 of his general divided his empire– Ptolomy and his descendants ruled Egypt,

Libya, and part of Syria– Seleucus and his descendants ruled the rest

of Syria, Mesopotamia, Iran, and Afghanistan– Antigonous and his descendants ruled

Macedonia and Greece

Hellenistic CultureHellenistic Culture• Hellenic ways of Greece mixed with Middle

Eastern culture• Concentrated in Cities

– Alexandria

• Loyalty was not based on city state or king• Status of upper class women improved• Major Advancements

– Aristarchus

– Eratosthenes

– Euclid

– Archimedes

Timeline (b.c.e.)Timeline (b.c.e.)• 2000- Mycenaean civilization begins• 1600- Minoan civilization peaks• 1450- Mycenaeans control the Aegean• 1100- Dorians invade Greece• 776- First Olympic Games• 750-Homer composes epics• 700- Greeks found colonies

700- kings lose power to aristocrats• 650- Slaves revolt in Sparta• 621- Draco enacts code of laws in

Athens• 600- Greeks learn coinage from the

Lydians600- Greeks perform earliest plays594- Solon becomes leader of Athens

• 546- Persian Armies conquer Ionia

• 507- Athens becomes a democracy• 500- the rule of tyrants in the city-state

ends• 490- Athenians v. Persians at Battle of

Marathon• 460- Golden Age of Athens begins• 447- Pericles begins rebuilding Athens• 432- Athenians finish building the

Parthenon• 431- Peloponnesian War begins• 359- Phillip II becomes king of

Macedonia• 336- Alexander becomes King of

Macedonia• 250- Jewish scholars translate the

Bible into Greek• 150- Rome Conquers Greece