GreeceChapter 5

Unit 3Ancient Greece/Rome

Geography

• Balkan Peninsula – mainland

• Surrounded by Aegean Sea, Ionian Sea, Mediterranean Sea, Sea of Crete

• Sailors, fisherman, traders• Mountains separate

mainland• No unity among peoples• Leads to great city-states

First Peoples

• 2000 B.C.• Crete• Minoans– King Minos• Palace homes had running water

– Frescoes• Paintings made on wet plaster walls

– Sculptures• Volcano eruption/tidal waves – destroy lands and weakens Minoan civilization

• 1600 – 1200 B.C.• Mycenaeans– Mainland Greece

• Conquer Minoans on Crete• Warring tribes

• 800 – 700 B.C.• City-states form• Polis– Fort in center– City grew up around fort along with surrounding land– Separated by economic and political competition

Homeric Age• 1000 B.C. – 700 B.C.• Epics – long poem about heroes and great

events• Homer – blind poet, wrote oral stories down– Iliad – Trojan War• Paris of Troy falls in love with Helen and takes her back

to city of Troy…

– Odyssey – after Trojan War, Odysseus

Religion• Wanted it to explain three things– 1. nature: thunder, lightning, – 2. emotions that caused people to lose

self-control– 3. believed it could bring certain benefits

such as long life, good harvests, good luck

• Life after death neither punishment or reward• Myth – traditional stories about gods, goddesses,

heroes• Oracles – spoke for the Gods• Olympic Games held every 4 years in honor of Zeus

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zuyus6NpfK4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zuyus6NpfK4

Government• Kings to wealthy land owners to nobles that

overthrow the King• Aristocracies – Ruled city-states– Privileged social class, wealthiest landowners– Controlled all aspects of society• Military• Economy• Government

• 600 B.C.– Hoplites• Non aristocratic soldier, infantry• Demanded more say in daily government

• 500 B.C.– Tyrants• Illegally take power but supported by the people

• Athens– Democracy – government in which citizens take part

• Sparta– Aristocracy rule or King’s rule

SPARTA

• Located on Peloponnesusisolated, mountainouscity located in valley

• Society:1. Equals

1. Descendants from 1st invaders2. Controlled city-state3. Land divided equally

2. Half-citizens1. Free, paid taxes, served in Army2. No political power3. Farm, trade industry

3. Helots1. Slaves, hated Spartans2. Outnumbered first two classes3. Fear of uprising from Helots established military society

Government• Two kings– 1 led army– 1 took care of home when army away

• Council of Elders– 28 males citizens over age 60– Wealthy aristocrats

• Assembly– All male citizens over age 30• Ephors

– made sure King stayed within laws– Controlled education

Life: MILITARY MACHINE• EXAMINED AT BIRTH– Unhealthy babies left to die

• 7 YEARS OLD TAKEN from home– Military and education – 20-60 SERVED IN MILITARY

• Girls received physical training so they would be fit to have babies

• All received musical training for discipline and coordination

ATHENS• Attica peninsula• Sea traders• Coined money• Built city inland surrounded by fort

Athenian society• 1. Citizens– Athenian-born males– Controlled government

• 2. Metics– Merchants, artisans– Free, paid taxes, no political voice

• 3. Slaves– Natural, necessary– Peoples captured in war

Government• King– Aristocracy – citizens who owned land held office– Assembly – all adult male citizens

– DRACO - tyrant• first written code of law• Everyone equal under the law• Harsh, severe – Draconian

Cleisthenes• Founder of Athenian Democracy• Divided Athens into 10 tribes• Council of Five Hundred– 50 men from each tribe– Served one year terms

• Direct Democracy– All citizens directly participate in decision

making• Representative Democracy is used in

United States – Elects representatives to govern in our place

507 BC

Athens, Age of Pericles, 495-429 BC

• Athens reaches peak of its power• Great orator, honest• Extended reforms of Cleisthenes• Constructed Parthenon• All male citizens (except lower class) – Can hold public office– Paid sailors• Chosen by lot, no advantage for rich

Education• Value on literacy and education• Sons sent to school• Stressed sound mind/healthy body– Grammar, music, gymnastics, track & field

• Sophists- opened schools for older boys, taught:– Government– Math– Ethics – good/bad, moral duty– Rhetoric – study of debate and public speaking

Military• 18 years old – males receive 1 year military

training– Wealthy could become Hoplite– Poor served on Army’s flanks– Citizens rowed warships of Navy– Phalanx – soldiers standing shoulder to shoulder in

a line

WARS OF GREECE

• PERSIAN WARS– Series of wars between Persia, Athens and Sparta

• Battle of Marathon- 490 BC– Outnumbered, Miltiades and Athenians defeat

Persians on Attica Peninsula– Sends messenger 25 miles to inform city • Birth of modern marathon

Wars of Greece, cont.• Battle of Thermopylae – 480 BC– Greek city-states unite against Persia, Xerxes– Spartans chose narrow pass in Northern

mountains called Thermopylae– 300 Spartans under King Leonidas and 6000 other

Greeks fight an army of 100,000 Persians– Held pass for 3 days before defeat– Boosted morale of Greece, vowed not to

surrender – Athens Navy defeats Xerxes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdNn5TZu6R8

Wars of Greece, cont.• Peloponnesian War – 431-404 BC – Lasts off and on for 27 years– Truces followed by fighting– Alliances– Under Pericles, Athenians flee inside city walls– In the end, Persia aids Sparta, Athens Navy

conquered– Athens, starving, surrenders