Ancient Greece
Origins of Western Civilization
Ancient Greece Time Line
BRONZE AGE (3000-1150)
c. 1650-1200 Mycenaean Civilizationc. 1250-1220 “The Trojan War”c. 1200-1150 Collapse of Mycenaean Civilization
DARK AGE (1100-850)
c. 1050-950 Greek colonization of Asia Minor (western coast of Turkey)c. 900 Beginning of the rise of the polis (city-state)
ARCHAIC PERIOD (800-490)
c. 800-700 Rise of the aristocracies 776 Olympic Games establishedc. 750 Greek colonization of Southern Italy and Sicily beginsc. 720 Homer, Iliadc. 700 Homer, Odyssey ; Hesiod, Theogony and Works and Daysc. 680 Archilochus (lyric poet)c. 650 Greek colonization around the Black Sea begins 621 Draco’s code of law in Athensc. 600 Sappho (lyric poet); Thales (philosopher) 594-593 Archonship of Solon in Athens 545-510 Tyranny of the Peisistratids in Athens 533 Thespis wins first tragedy competition at Athens 508 Cleisthenes reforms the Athenian Constitution
CLASSICAL PERIOD (490-323)
490-479 Persian War 458 Aeschylus, Oresteia 461-429 Pericles dominant in Athenian politics; the “Age pf Pericles”c. 450-420 Herodotus composes his Histories of the Persian War. 447 Parthenon begun in Athens 441 Sophocles, Antigone 431-404 Peloponnesian War (Athens and allies vs. Sparta and allies) 429 Pericles dies 429? Sophocles, Oedipus the Kingc. 424-400 Thucydides writes the History of the Peloponnesian War 411 Aristophanes, Lysistrata 404 Athens loses Peloponnesian War to Sparta 399 Trial and death of Socratesc. 399-347 Plato writes his philosophical dialogues 335-323 Aristotle writes his philosophical treatises
Ancient Greece
Geography of Greece
• Peninsula as well as a chain of islands
• Very limited farm land• Only about 20% of the
land was arable• Bodies of water
include Mediterranean Sea, Aegean Sea
Early History
• Minoans-lived on the island of Crete around 2000 BC
• Mycenaean Civilization develops around 2000 BC on the mainland of Greece
• The city of Mycenae was fortified
• They were ruled by kings from 1600-1200 BC
End of the Minoans and Mycenae
• Warfare caused the end of the two civilizations
• The Dark Age followed 1200-700BC
• Stopped making bronze but discovered iron
• Period of anarchy and disorder emerged
• Trojan War-war between Greece and Troy
Homer
• Author of the Iliad and the Odyssey
• Blind Poet-epic poem• Describes the Trojan
War and reflects the culture and beliefs of the period
• Two of the most important poems ever written
Types of Government in Greece
• Aristocracy- Government ruled by land-owners.
• Oligarchy-Government by which a small group of un-elected leaders rule
• Democracy-Government where the citizens make the laws. Direct and Indirect democracies can exist
• Monarchy- ruled by a king • Tyranny- Government under the control of one man
a Tyrant who convinces people to support him in an overthrow of the government. They often gave away money or land to the common people to gain their support over the wealthy class
The Emergence of City-States
Athens and Sparta
Sparta The Military State
• Helots- Slaves of the Spartans who rebelled against them. It took 30 years for the Spartans to put down the rebellion. This caused them to create a state completely dedicated to security.
• Government- Two kings elected every 9 years and a council of elders (28 men over the age of 60)and an assembly of Spartan citizens over the age of 30 who would advise the king. Real power was held by the 5 Ephors which made Sparta an oligarchy.
• Spartans believed that people existed to support the state not the other way around.
Spartan Military
• At the age of seven boys taken from families to military training camps
• At age twelve they began training for combat they lived very simple lives marching all day wearing no shoes,sleeping on hard benches and eating black porridge.
• Spartan girls also lived hearty lives learning to fight and defend themselves. They managed the estate while their husbands were at the polis. They had no right to vote but had many more rights than in any other Greek city-states.
• Spartans had very few personal freedoms they valued strength, duty, and discipline
Spartan Phalanx
Athens Birthplace of Democracy
• Draco- Instituted a harsh system of laws that included debt slavery (draconian)
• Solon: reformed Athenian law, Outlawed debt slavery, created more fairness in government, gave more rights to commoners.
• Pisistratus- took land from the wealthy and gave it to the poor. Many works projects he instituted gave jobs to the poor as well as giving loans to the poor. Diminished aristocracy
• Democracy: Cleisthenes creates a democracy where common people have a voice in making all the laws of Athens
Democratic and Yet not• Freedom of Speech, and
equality before the law as well as trial by jury.
• Male Citizens over 18 directly vote on all the laws.
• But they owned slaves, women had no voice and neither did foreigners.
Unifying Forces
• They honored the same ancient heroes.
• They participated in common festivals.
• They prayed to the same gods.
• They shared the Greek language.
• They felt superior to non-Greeks, whom they called “barbaroi,” people who did not speak Greek.
Local ties, independent spirit, and economic rivalries led to fighting among the Greek city-states. Despite these divisions, the Greeks shared a common culture.
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Persian Wars-Causes
• Persia builds huge empire that included some Greek colonies like Ionia
• Ionia rebels and is aided and encouraged by Athens
• It takes Persia 5 years to put down the rebellion.
• Darius king of Persia sets out to teach Athens a lesson for inciting the Ionians
Persian War Battles
• Battle of Marathon-Persians out number Athenians 2-1 but the Athenians using the Greek phalanx out maneuver their opponents and defeat the much larger army
• 10 years later Xerxes son of Darius invades with much larger force
• Battle of Thermopylae- 300 Spartans hold off thousands Persians for days while Athens builds up a force.
• Battle of Salamis: Naval battle where Athens rams holes into the ships of the Persians sinking 1/3 of the Persian fleet. Ending the War.
Results of the Persian War
• Greece enters a Golden Age unthreatened by a foreign invader
• Advancements in science and architecture and philosophy
• Greece become a dominant world power
• Athenian Democracy flourishes
• Persia declines as a world power
The Age of Pericles
• Periclean Athens was a direct democracy. In this form of government, large numbers of citizens take part in the day-to-day affairs of government.
• This meant that Athenian men participated in the assembly and served on juries.
• Pericles hired architects and sculptors to rebuild the Acropolis, which the Persians had destroyed.
• Pericles turned Athens into the cultural center of Greece. He did this with the help of an educated, foreign-born woman named Aspasia.
After the Persian Wars, Athens enjoyed a golden age under Pericles.
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The Age of Pericles
• Golden Age- Marked my technological and scientific advancements as well as a time of flourishing education and relative peace and prosperity
• Architecture and Art: Parthenon, pillars, frieze( statues depicting Greek gods and heroes), Pottery depicting every day Greek life
• Drama: Tragedies, Promethus Bound,Orestia, Oedepus, Medea and Comedies by Aristophanes such as Lysisrata and The Birds
Science and Math• Pythagoras- Theorem explaining
relationships of right triangles and the origins of trigonometry.
• Greek astronomers determined the circumference of the earth and the distance from earth to moon and other planets.
• Democritus- theory of atoms• Hypocrites- Father of medicine and
the Hippocratic oath
Philosophy
• Means love of wisdom• Socrates-Socratic Method, stressed the pursuit of
goodness. Question everything. This led to his eventual execution
• Plato-Student of Socrates, Established the Academy, He also questioned things and wrote a book called the Republic which defended aristocracy over democracy ruled by philosopher kings.
• Aristotle-Student of Plato who invented logic, biology,zoology,he a mathematician, a philosopher, and astronomer. He was also the personal tutor of Alexander the Great. Perhaps the smartest man who ever lived
The Masters
SOCRATES PLATO ARISTOTLE
Developed Socratic method, whereby a series of questions are posed in order to challenge implications of answers
Emphasized importance of reason
Believed the ideal state should regulate every aspect of citizens’ lives to provide for their best interest
Favored rule by single strong and virtuous leader
Taught that good conduct meant pursuing moderation
The Three Goals of Pericles
Goal 1To make Athens a stronger
Democracy
• He increased the number of public officials and increased the pay given to them and had leaders chosen by lot. He introduced direct democracy where all male citizens could vote in the assembly on all the laws as well as debate them and put forth protests and grievances
Goal 2To expand the Athenian Empire and
increase its wealth and prosperity
• He used money from the Delian League (countries that paid protection money to Athens and who were allied with her) to build a 200 ship navy which made it the most powerful naval power in the Mediterranean. This also secured their trade and economy
Goal 3 Glorify Athens
• Use the wealth gained from a strong empire to beautify the city of Athens with great works of art and architecture. He used gold and marble and ivory to build one of architecture’s noblest works- the Parthenon
Drama
• Based on myths and legends as well as historical events
• Plays dealt with the most important human feelings and ideas
• There were comedies as well as tragedies.
• Famous works include:Prometheus Bound and the Oresteia by Aeschylus, Medea by Euripides, Antigone and Oedipus by Sophocles, even comedies like Lysistrata and The Birds by Aristophanes
Greek styles in Art
• Simplicity using fluted columnsmaking them seem taller and thinner than they actually were
• Friezes (decorative carved bands on walls)
• Sculptures of Greek athletes and gods and the most ideal and near perfect forms
• Artists painted scenes from everyday life on walls and pottery
Grecian Art
The Peloponnesian War• Causes: The Delian League which had been a
military alliance in the Persian War was being used by Pericles to make Athens the most powerful city state in Greece demanding large sums of tribute from its members and taking many Greek lands by force
• Sparta led a group of city-states in a war against Athenian expansion
• Results: With the help of Italian states,Persia,a devastating plague as well as Athens refusal to accept a negotiated peace Sparta eventually defeats Athens.
The Writing of History
The Greeks applied reason, observation, and__________to the study of history.
__________is called the “Father of History.”
Herodotus stressed the importance of research, while Thucydides showed the need to avoid __________.
Herodotus and Thucydides set standards for future historians.
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Results of the Peloponnesian War
• Sparta becomes the most powerful city state in Greece but is greatly weakened from years of fighting.
• Democracy ends in Athens
• A weakened Sparta is defeated by Thebes which set off civil wars throughout Greece.
• This would allow a foreign power from the north,Macedonia, to sweep in, conquer and annex most of Greece.
The Peloponnesian War
Many Greeks outside of Athens resented Athenian domination.
Sparta formed the Peloponnesian League to rival the Delian League.
Sparta encouraged oligarchy, while Athens supported democracy.
Athenian domination of the Greek world ended.
Athens recovered economically and remained the cultural center of Greece.
Democratic government suffered.
Corruption and selfish interests replaced older ideals such as service to the city-state.
CAUSES EFFECTS
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The Rise of the Macedonians
• I. Philip II of Macedonia (359 B.C.)
• A. Brilliant king
• 1. Mobilized and trained army of peasants
• 2. Ruthless and fearless
• 3. Shrewd general
• B. Victory over Greece
• 1. Defeats Greeks at Battle of Chaeronea
• 2. Greeks now ruled by Macedonia
• a. Local affairs still run by Greeks
• 3. Plans to attack Persia, but is assassinated
Alexander of Macedonia (334 B.C.)
• Ambitious Plans– Well trained in philosophy, military
techniques, science, geography, and literature.
– Strong combat and horse riding skills
– Only 20 years old
• Conquers Persia– Using surprising and aggressive
tactics is able to defeat Persians– Battle of Granicus
– Battle of Issus
– Phalanx / Calvary charge
Alexander the GreatPhilip of Macedonia conquered Greece. He was assassinated before he could fulfill his dream of conquering the Persian empire.
Philip’s son, Alexander, succeeded him to the throne.
Alexander won his first victory against the Persians at the Granicus River. He then conquered Asia Minor, Palestine, Egypt, and Babylon.
Alexander crossed the Hindu Kush into northern India. There his troops faced soldiers mounted on war elephants. They were forced to retreat.
While planning his next battle campaign, Alexander died of a sudden fever. Three generals divided up the empire.
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Alexander’s End
• A. Alexander dies at 32
• 1. Empire is split up
• a. Antigonus (Macedonia)
• b. Ptolemy (Egypt)
• c. Seleucus (Most of old Persian Empire)
• B. Spread of Greek ideas
• 1. Many Persians and foreigners included in Alexander’s armies
• 2. Unique blend of Eastern and Greek ideas
• 3. Vibrant new culture emerged (Hellenistic Culture)
The Legacy of Alexander
• Alexander’s most lasting achievement was the spread of Greek culture.
• Across the empire, local people assimilated, or absorbed, Greek ideas. In turn, Greek settlers adopted local customs. Gradually, a blending of eastern and western cultures occurred.
• Many Persians and foreigners included in Alexander’s armies
• Vibrant new Hellenistic Culture emerged
• Alexander had encouraged this blending by marrying a Persian woman and adopting Persian customs.
Although Alexander’s empire did not last, he had unleashed changes that would ripple across the Mediterranean world and the Middle East for centuries.
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