Foundations of Western Civilization: Greece and Rome

Why Start Here?

• Our civilization stretches back nearly 3,000 years. – If this was not the case, we would have to

invent technologies and ideas over and over.• We benefit from the works of countless

ancestors.

DO NOW!

• What is the difference between a myth and a legend?

Myth

• A myth is a traditional story of gods or godlike beings. – Is used to relate the worldview of a people or

to explain a practice, a belief or a natural phenomenon.

– Is thought to contain very little truth• There are many ways to interpret or

understand myths.

Legend• A legend is a traditional story of ostensibly

historical events and mortal or semi-divine heroes, often interacting with gods.– Many legends, like myths, reflect the social or

political world view of a people • Most legends were originally oral tales; their

transformation into written literature often occurred several hundred years after the events they describe.

Folk Tale• Folk tales, like fairy tales, are traditional

stories told usually about common people that reflect the worldview of a rural or village population.

• History is usually absent in these stories; they are typically set in an unspecified time and place.

• A saga is a tale originally recounted orally but later preserved in written prose.– We think of them as Scandinavian, but really

they are common to Indo-Europeans.– Is the story of Troy a saga?

Saga

Bronze Age GreeceBronze Age Greece

Migrations in the Aegean Region

Migrations in the Aegean Region

Dorian Greek Invaders• Came to inhabit much of mainland Greece,

having driven the Achean Greeks onto the islands of the Aegean Sea.

• Main cities were Corinth and Sparta.• Known for their fair hair and complexion.• Famous heroes include:

– Helen of Troy (originally from Sparta)– Leonidas, King of Sparta– Possibly Achilles (described as being

blonde)

Common Indo-European Religious Heritage

• The term for "a god" was deiwos– Latin, deus– Sanskrit, deva– Persian, divs – Welsh, duw – Irish, dia– Lithuanian, Dievas– Latvian, Dievs.

• Dyēus Phatēr is the god of the day-lit sky and the chief god.– The name survives in Greek Zeus with a vocative

form Zeu pater (pater = father)– Latin Jūpiter

• *Perkwunos, known as "the striker,” or the ‘thunderer,’ is known as Slavic Perun, and Norse Thor.

• *H2eus(os), is believed to have been the goddess of dawn,[9] – Greek Eos, in Rome as Aurora, Gallic Esus, a god of

hearths; Greek, Hestia, goddess of the hearth; Latin Vesta, goddess of the hearth; possibly also in Germanic mythology as Ēostre

Common Trends

• They believed in living life to the fullest, because death was going to happen whether you wanted it to or not.

• The only response to death was to make a mark on the world. Become a legend.

• This is in sharp contrast to Christian beliefs, which stressed rewards in the next life.

Zeus• Killed his own father (who deserved it)• Zeus is the father of Hercules and

many other gods (see later slide).• He is the most powerful of the Gods.• He appears in many stories.• Unfaithful.

All of Zeus’ children

• Zeus had eight children on Olympus– The twins: Apollo and Artemis– Athena (born fully armored out of Zeus’s head

when he had a bad headache)– Hephaestus– Hermes– Ares– Dionysus– Aphrodite (adopted)

• Wife of Zeus• Goddess of marriage,

protector of childbirth & heroes

• Portrayed as extremely jealous and vindictive

• Tries to kill Hercules.

• God of the sea, horses and earthquakes

• Lives in a palace beneath the ocean

• Carries a three-pronged trident

• Gave people the horse• Married a sea nymph

named Amphitrite• Like his brother, he

fathered many children.• Very fond of his sister

Demeter

• god of the underworld and the dead

• god of wealth (owned all precious metal)

• Wore a cap that made him invisible

• Kidnapped Persephone and made her his wife

The Underworld• Is not the same thing as HELL. All people went to

the Underworld when they died.• Hades is NOT the devil. He’s as noble as the other

gods.• Charon: the boatman who would ferry

people/spirits across the river Styx so they could make it to the Underworld. He wanted to get a tip, so people were buried with coins on their eyes so they could pay him.

• Cerberus: 3-headed dog who guards the gate.– 3 Levels: Tartarus: Place of pain and suffering.– Asphodel Fields: Where spirits roam like shadows.– Elysian Fields: Where Heroes go – paradise.

• Demeter means “Barley-mother”

• Another name for her is Ceres, from the word cereal

• Goddess of the cornfield, mistress of planting and harvesting, lady of growing things

• She had a son and a daughter. Her daughter’s name was Persephone.

• Her daughter was kidnapped by Hades. (reasons for the seasons)

• god of light, music and poetry

• most beautiful god• also the god of

medicine• taught people the art of

healing• fine marksman• could predict the future

• goddess of hunting, wild things, unmarried girls and the moon

• She decided never to marry

• Once when she was bathing under the moonlight a human was watching her. She threw rain drops on him and changed him into a stag. Then she had him killed by his own dogs.

• Zeus’ favorite• goddess of wisdom,

strategy, protector of cities and civilizations

• goddess of handicrafts and art

She sprang from her father’s head fully clothed and in armor. Hephaestus, Zeus’ son, had to release Athena by cutting his head open with an axe.

• god of fire• The only ugly god, but

he was peaceful, loving and popular.

• He walks with a limp because Zeus threw him over the palace walls one day when he took his mother’s side over Zeus’.

• Made all the Olympians’ thrones, armor, furniture and weapons

• Married Aphrodite

• Zeus’ graceful, happy son by the goddess, Maia

• God of shepherds, merchants, travelers and thieves

• Very mischievous and tricky– Stole Apollo’s cows

the day he was born• Guided the newly dead to

the underworld• Invented the alphabet,

astronomy, scales, playing cards and card games

• Zeus’ messenger– Wore winged sandals and a

winged cap

• god of war• Boastful, cruel and

had no manners• Son of Zeus and Hera• Loved to fight, but was

a coward once he got hurt

• Wherever he went there was violence and bloodshed

• god of wine• Zeus’ youngest son• His mother, Semele, was

a princess and a mortal woman

• His mother was consumed by fire when she was tricked by Hera

• He was saved by Hermes.• Taught people the art of

wine making & the consequences of too much wine

• Goddess of love, beauty, and desire.

• Wherever she walked flowers sprang up beneath her feet

• she appeared from the foam of the sea

• Her son is Eros (Cupid)

DO NOW!

• Suppose that Helen of Troy was not the reason for a major war between mainland Greece and the Trojans.

• What other, more realistic, reasons might there have been for conflict?

w Homer w• Greatest of the Greek poets• Lived approximately 1000 B.C.• Epic poems- 1st to make stories a unified

whole

• Sung for entertainment• Stories taught Greek ideals

Homer’s Great EpicsHomer’s Great Epics

The IliadIlium- Greek for Troy

Story of the Trojan War

10 years

Fought over Helen of Troy

The Odyssey

Follows the Trojan War10 yearsOdysseus’s journey to return to GreeceA metaphor for every person’s journey through life.

What were the

real & mythicalcauses of

theTrojan War??

What were the

real & mythicalcauses of

theTrojan War??

The Start of it All…

Three generations of misery and bloodshed started because a wedding planner failed to invite an important goddess…

Peleus and Thetis’ Wedding

• Peleus was a mortal man.• Thetis (mother of Achilles) was a sea

nymph and the daughter of Zeus.• Peleus had been on many adventures and

had already been married, but things went sour when he accidentally killed his father-in-law.

• He saw Thetis, fell in love with her, and tried to kidnap her.

• She managed to fight him off with a snake until he eventually won her over.

The Big Affair –

Peleus and Thetis’

Wedding

• With Zeus’ consent, all the famous mortals, gods, and goddess attended

• Eris, the goddess of strife was not invited• Eris was insulted and snuck into the wedding

reception…

A Golden Apple

• Eris tossed a golden apple onto the dance floor.

• On the apple were the words, “To the fairest.”

• The golden apple was a serious party killer. Who was the most beautiful?

To the fairest

Who is the fairest of them all?

The competition was between:Athena – Zeus’ daughter and a real

daddy’s girlHera – Zeus’ wife and Queen of the

GodsAphrodite – The Goddess of LoveThey asked Zeus, as the King of the

Gods, to award the prize, but he was no fool…

The Judgment of Paris

• Zeus gave the task to Paris, son of Priam, the King of Troy.

• Zeus knew that Troy was fated to be destroyed because of an old run-in with Apollo and Poseidon.

• Paris was the “torch to set the whole city on fire.”

Paris’ Ill-fated Choice

Athena offered him victory in war

Hera offered him power over nations

Aphrodite offered him the most beautiful woman in the world

What would you choose?

Helen of Troy• Paris accepted

Aphrodite’s offer • He then learned that the

most beautiful girl in the world was ALREADY MARRIED

• She was Helen, daughter of Leda and Zeus

• She was married to Menelaus, king of Sparta

Helen’s father, Tyndareus

Knew many men would pursue Helen

Was afraid conflicts or wars would be fought over her

Convinced suitors to swear an oath

- to always protect Helen

- to support her husband ,

whomever she chose

Helen of Troy:“The Face That Launched 1000

Ships”

Helen of Troy:“The Face That Launched 1000

Ships”Whatdid she look like?

The Kidnapping of Helen

• Paris already had a wife named Oenone who warned him not to go through with the kidnapping

• He didn’t listen• He sailed off to

Sparta to be guest at the palace of Menelaus

The Kidnapping of Helen• Zeus was the “Protector

of Hospitality”• Kidnapping your host’s

wife isn’t exactly hospitable

• Troy is now doomed.

In Sparta, Paris either forcefully carried Helen away from Troy or he seduced her and she left with him on her own

Troy in Trouble

• When Menelaus discovered that his wife was kidnapped, he ran to his big brother Agamemnon who agreed to get wage war to get Helen back

• Menelaus called all Helen’s suitors, who were bound to help him get her back.

• Helen is thus known as the “face that launched a thousand ships”

Clever Odysseus!• Odysseus tried to get out of joining

Agamemnon and Menelaus in their fight for Helen by pretending to be crazy.

• Thetis (whose wedding started all this) tried to get her son Achilles out of fighting, too.

Now the War Can Begin!

Bronze Age Enemies: The Trojan War

Bronze Age Enemies: The Trojan War

Siege of Troy - lasts 10 years

Troy – high and thick walls, surrounded by plain of Troy

Aphrodite- sides with the Trojans

Athena and Hera - side with the Greeks

Zeus- remains impartial

Achilles kills Hector, Prince of Troy – defiles body by dragging it behind his chariot

Paris takes revenge for brother – shoots Achilles in heel, killing him

Greeks – create a plan- Odysseus – known for

strategy- Athena’s favorite warrior

Plan of the City of Troy

Plan of the City of Troy

Sir Heinrich SchliemannSir Heinrich Schliemann

The Seven “Layers” of Ancient Troy

The Seven “Layers” of Ancient TroyHomer’s

Troy(VII)

Original Wall of the City of Troy

Original Wall of the City of Troy

Wall of Troy Recreated

Wall of Troy Recreated

Dome of King Priam’s Treasury

Dome of King Priam’s Treasury

King Priam’s Treasure

King Priam’s Treasure

Mask of Agammemnon

Mask of Agammemnon

Brutal

Combat

Brutal

Combat

The “Trojan Horse”?The “Trojan Horse”?

Greek & Phoenician Colonization: 750-500 BC

Greek & Phoenician Colonization: 750-500 BC

The Rise of the Greek Polis

The Rise of the Greek Polis

Athens

NaxosCorinth

Syracuse

Larissa

Eboea

Sparta (forbid

coinage)

Rule and Order in Greek City-States

• By 750 B.C. the Greek city-state, or polis, is the formal government.• A polis is a city and its surrounding villages; 50-500 square miles.• Population of a city-state is often less than 10,000.• Citizens gather in the marketplace and acropolis—a fortified hilltop

Rule and Order in Greek City-States

• Greek Political Structures– City-states have different forms of government.

• Monarchy• Tyranny• Aristocracy• Oligarchy

Early Greek

Geometrics

Early Greek

Geometrics

Phidias’ AcropolisPhidias’ Acropolis

The Acropolis TodayThe Acropolis Today

The ParthenonThe Parthenon

The AgoraThe Agora

OlympiaOlympia

Science and Technology• Mathematics and Physics

– Euclid—mathematician; his work Elements is the basis for courses in geometry.– Archimedes—scientist and mathematician

• He accurately estimated the value of pi (p).• He explained the law of the lever.• He invented the Archimedes screw—a pump which raised water from one level to another.• He invented the compound pulley for lifting objects.

Philosophy and Art• Stoicism and Epicureanism

– Zeno founds Stoic school of philosophy which promoted virtuous and simple lives.– Epicurus believes people should focus on what the senses perceive.

• Realism in Sculpture– Colossus of Rhodes—Hellenistic bronze sculpture over 100 feet tall.– Sculptors move to non-classical, natural forms; real people.

Glorious Art and Architecture• Architecture and Sculpture

– Pericles builds the Parthenon—a large temple to honor the goddess Athena.– Within temple, sculptor Phidias crafts 30 foot statue of Athena– Sculptors create graceful, strong, perfectly formed figures.– Classical art—values harmony, order, balance, proportion, beauty

The Parthenon from the south.

Drama and History• Tragedy and Comedy

– Greeks invent drama as an art form; includes chorus, dance, poetry– Two forms of drama: tragedy and comedy

• Tragedy—tells story of heroes’ downfall; themes of love, hate, and war• Comedy—makes fun of politics and respected people; slapstick humor

– Greek dramatists include Aeschylus, Euripides, Aristophanes, Sophicles• Historians Herodotus and Thucydides record and study past events

A Greek theater

Philosophers Search for Truth• Rise of Great Philosophers

– After the war, thinkers emerge who are called “lovers of wisdom.” This is from the Greek words:• phileo-to love• sophia—wisdom

– Philosophers believe the universe is subject to absolute and unchanging laws.– People could understand these laws through logic and reason.

Philosophers Search for Truth• The Sophists

– The word means “the wisest,” so they were proud of their supposed philosophical knowledge.– They claimed they could find the answers to all questions.– They used rhetoric to win arguments.– They often charged fees for teaching their skills and for arguing for others. They might be considered a type of lawyer of the time.– Sophist philosopher Protogoras questions the existence of Greek gods.

Philosophers Search for Truth• Socrates

– He believes in questioning and teaches through the method of questioning.– He is believed to have said “The unexamined life is not worth living.”– He is convicted of “corrupting the youth of Athens and sentenced to death in 399 B.C.– He dies by drinking hemlock, a slow acting poison.

Philosophers Search for Truth• Plato

– He is a student of Socrates.– He writes The Republic, about an ideal society ruled by Philosopher-Kings– His writings dominate European philosophy for 1,500 years.

Philosophers Search for Truth• Aristotle

– He was a student of Plato.– He uses rules of logic for argument.– His work provides the basis for scientific method, still used today.– He tutors 13-year-old prince who becomes Alexander the Great

The Ancient Olympics:

Athletes & Trainers

The Ancient Olympics:

Athletes & Trainers

Olympia: Temple to Hera

Olympia: Temple to Hera

The 2004 OlympicsThe 2004 Olympics

Pericles’ Plan for Athens

• Pericles as Leader– Skillful politician, inspiring

speaker, respected general– Dominates life in Athens

from 461 to 429 B.C.

Pericles’ Plan for Athens• Stronger Democracy

– Pericles hires more paid public officials; creates direct democracy– Direct democracy—citizens rule directly, not through representatives

Pericles’ Plan for Athens• Athenian Empire

– Takes over the Delian League; uses money to strengthen Athenian fleet.– Sparta and other cities resent Athenian power.

• Glorifying Athens– Pericles buys gold, ivory, marble; hires artisans to beautify Athens all with money from the Delian League without the whole league’s consent.

Athens Builds a Limited Democracy• Building Democracy

– About 621 B.C., democracy—rule by the people—develops in Athens.– Nobleman, Draco, develops legal code based on equality of citizens.– Ruler Solon abolishes debt slavery; Cleisthenes has citizens make laws.

Peloponnesian WarsPeloponnesian Wars

SPARTASPARTA

Helots Messenians enslaved by the Spartans.

Sparta Builds a Military State• Sparta’s Government and Society

– Sparta government has four branches: citizens elect officials– Three social classes:

• Citizens• Free non-citizens• Helots--slaves

Sparta Builds a Military State• A Unique City State

– Sparta, isolated from much of Greece, builds a military state.• Sparta Dominates Messenians

– Around 725 B.C., Sparta conquers Messenia– Messenians become helots—peasants forced to farm the land.– Harsh rule leads to Messenian revolt; Spartans build a stronger state.

Sparta Builds a Military State• Spartan Daily Life

– Spartan values: duty, strength, individuality, discipline over freedom.– Sparta has the most powerful army in Greece– Males move into barracks at age 7, train until 30, serve until 60.– Girls receive some military training and live hard lives– Girls are also taught to value service to Sparta above all else

Role of Women in Sparta from Persian Fire by Tom Holland

• “Visions of female flesh, oiled and tanned, glistened in the imaginings of many a Sparta-watcher. The Spartans themselves, sensitive to the mockery that labeled their daughters ‘thigh-flashers,’ would retort sternly, ‘that there was nothing shameful about female nudity, nothing immoral in the slightest.’ In fact, ‘since it encouraged a sense of sobriety, and a passion for physical fitness,’ precisely the opposite.”

Role of Women in Sparta from Persian Fire by Tom Holland

• “Yet paramount though the requirements of Sparta’s eugenic program undoubtedly were, an aura of the erotic still clung to the training grounds nevertheless. The fertility of a future mother was best gauged, a Spartan might argue, by the glowing of her skin and the perfection of her [body]. Physical beauty—the long blond hair and elegant ankles for which Spartan girls were celebrated—provided the readiest measure by which moral beauty too could be judged. An ugly daughter, inevitably, would cause her parents alarm and distress.” (p. 83)

Persian Wars: Famous BattlesPersian Wars: Famous Battles$ Marathon (490 BCE) 26 miles from Athens

$ Thermopylae (480 BCE) 300 Spartans at the

Mountain pass

$ Salamis (480 BCE) Athenian navy

victorious

Persian Wars: 499 BCE – 480 BCE

Persian Wars: 499 BCE – 480 BCE

The Persian Wars• Battle of Marathon

– Persian Wars—between Greece and the Persian Empire—begin in Ionia– Persian Army attacks Athens, is defeated at Marathon in 490 B.C.

• Pheidippides Brings News– Runner Pheidippides races to Athens to announce Greek victory.

The Persian Wars• Thermopylae and Salamis

– In 480 B.C. Persians launch a new invasion of Greece.– Greeks are divided; many stay neutral or side with Persians.– Greek forces hold Thermopylae for three days before retreating.– Athenians defeat Persians at sea, near island of Salamis.– Victories at Salamis and Plataea force Persian retreat.– Many city-states form Delian League and continue to fight Persians.

The Persian Wars• Consequences of the Persian Wars

– New self-confidence in Greece due to victory.– Athens emerges as leader of Delian League.– Athens controls the league by using force against opponents.– League members essentially become provinces of Athenian empire.– Stage is set for a dazzling burst of creativity in Athens.

The Persian Wars• A New Kind of Army Emerges

– Cheaper iron replaces bronze, making arms and armor cheaper– Leads to new kind of army; includes soldiers from all classes– Phalanx—feared by all, formation of soldiers with spears, shields

The Economy of the Hellenistic World

The Economy of the Hellenistic World

The Breakup of Alexander’s Empire

The Breakup of Alexander’s Empire

Alexander the Great

Alexander the Great

Alexander the Great’s EmpireAlexander the Great’s Empire

Alexander the Great

356-323 B.C.E.

Alexander the Great

356-323 B.C.E.

Alexander the Great in Persia

Alexander the Great in Persia

Building Greek Cities in the East

Building Greek Cities in the East

Library at Alexandria (333 B.C.E.)

Library at Alexandria (333 B.C.E.)

The “Known” World – 3c B.C.E.

The “Known” World – 3c B.C.E.

Hellenistic Culture in Alexandria• Cultural Blending

– Result of Alexander’s Policies—a new vibrant culture– Hellenistic culture—Greek blended with Egyptian, Persian, Indian culture

• Trade and Cultural Diversity– Alexandria—Egyptian city become the center of Hellenistic civilization

Hellenistic Culture in Alexandria (cont.)• Alexandria’s Attractions

– Lighthouse, called the Pharos, stands over 350 feet tall– Museum contains art galleries, a zoo, botanical gardens, dining hall– Library holds masterpieces of ancient literature; supports scholars

Science and Technology• Alexandria’s Scholars

– Scholars preserve Greek and Egyptian learning in the sciences• Astronomy

– Astronomer Aristarchus proves sun is larger than Earth– Proposes planets revolve around sun; not accepted for 14 centuries– Eratosthenes uses geometry to calculate Earth’s circumference

Philip Builds Macedonian Power• Macedonia

– Macedonia—Kingdom of mountain villages north of Greece– King Philip II—ruler, brilliant general; dreams of controlling Greece– Macedonians call themselves Greek; rest of Greece does not

• Philip’s Army– Philip creates well-trained professional army; plans to invade Greece

Philip Builds Macedonian Power• Conquest of Greece

– It was easy because “more than one Greek city felt ambivalent about fighting back.” (Bauer, p. 579)– Some Greek cities invited Philip to invade– Athens asked Sparta for help against invasion, but Sparta declined– At the Battle of Chaeronea one thousand Athenians were killed.– 338 B.C. Macedonians defeat Greece

Philip Builds Macedonian Power (cont.)• After the Battle of Chaeronea, Philip changes his strategy and treats Athens with great respect, releasing Athenian prisoners of war.• As a result the Athenians then “chose to pretend that Philip was now a friend of Athens.” (Bauer, p. 580)• Philip makes a speech at Corinth suggesting Greek submission to his kingship would be good for Greece.• The Corinthian League is formed, led by King Philip, with the intent of attacking the Persians.

Murder of Philip• Philip married again, for a fifth time, a Macedonian woman.• His son Alexander was legitimate, but half Greek. • This marriage gave Attalus, one of Philip’s generals, occasion to call into question the legitimacy of a half-Greek prince inheriting the Macedonian throne.

Murder of Philip (cont.)• Greek historian Diodorus tells us that Philip was killed by his ex-lover Pausonius (who was one of his guards) because Philip rejected him.• Some suspect, however, that Alexander was behind the murder.• The 2004 film Alexander directed by Oliver Stone puts the lays the blame at the feet of Olympias, Alexander’s mother so that her own son would become king and there would be no full-blood Macedonian heir. The film depicts Alexander was an innocent bystander.• This occurs in 336 B.C.• His son named king of Macedonia and becomes Alexander the Great

Alexander Defeats Persia• Alexander’s Early Life

– Tutored by Aristotle– Inspired by the Iliad– Military training– Becomes king when 20 years old– Destroys Thebes to curb rebellion

Alexander Defeats Persia• Invasion of Persia

– 334 B.C. Alexander invades Persia with a quick victory at Granicus River.– Darius III, King of Persia, assembles an army of 50,000-75,000 men.– Alexander defeats Persians again, forces King of Persia to flee.

Alexander Defeats Persia• Conquering the Persian Empire

– Alexander marches into Egypt and is crowned Pharaoh in 332 B.C.– At Gaugamela in Mesopotamia, Alexander defeats the Persians again.– Alexander captures cities of Babylon, Susa, and Persepolis– Persepolis, the Persian capitol is burned to the ground.– Ashes of Persepolis signal total destruction of the Persian Empire

Alexander’s Other Conquests• Alexander in India

– Alexander fights his way across the deserts of Central Asia to India– Alexander conquers Indus Valley area in 326 B.C.– Reluctantly returns to Babylon and dies in 323 B.C.

Alexander’s Legacy• Alexander melds Greek and Persian cultures.• He takes a Persian wife.• Empire becomes three kingdoms

– Macedonia, Greek city-states– Egypt– Old Persia, also known as the Seleucid kingdom