ancient greece and the birth of civilization
TRANSCRIPT
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”