GreeceEarly Empires

The Greek City-StatesThe Greek City-States

• Early City-States of the Aegean–Minoans settled Crete by 6000 B.C.E.–Produced pottery, written script and

bronze tools–Development of new script (Linear B)

shows rising influence of Greeks over Minoans

Mycenae

–Mycenaeans dominated Mycenaeans dominated relationship with Crete after relationship with Crete after

1450 B.C.E.1450 B.C.E.–Minoan civilization fades into Minoan civilization fades into

history…history…

MycenaeMycenae – Truth or Legend? Agamemnon

– Power failed by 1200 B.C.E. for unknown reasons at start of Greek “Dark Ages”

– Reemergence of Greek culture in 850 B.C.E.

The Greek POLISThe Greek POLIS

• City-States!– Size restricted by geography– Overpopulation addressed by colonization– Built for defense and to accommodate

mountains• Poorest lived at lower levels• Agora (open meeting space) on higher ground• Acropolis (temple) on highest ground

The Greek City-States• Athens and the Athens and the

Development of Development of DemocracyDemocracy

– Developed modern concept of political democracyDeveloped modern concept of political democracy– It was a leader among city-statesIt was a leader among city-states– It left the most historical recordsIt left the most historical records– It moved farthest from kings and oligarchies to It moved farthest from kings and oligarchies to

rule by the peoplerule by the people

Athens: DemocracyAthens: Democracy– Reforms led movement toward democracy Reforms led movement toward democracy

[600-560 B.C.E.][600-560 B.C.E.]• All free men could participate in decisionsAll free men could participate in decisions• Wealthy and poor represented in CouncilsWealthy and poor represented in Councils• Ironically, slavery helped create democracy Ironically, slavery helped create democracy

(they provided the free time necessary)(they provided the free time necessary)• Reforms ended with class conflict and clan Reforms ended with class conflict and clan

rivalries rivalries

Athens: DemocracyAthens: Democracy

– Open meetings every ten days to make Open meetings every ten days to make decisionsdecisions

– Agenda set by Council of 500 selected by lottery Agenda set by Council of 500 selected by lottery from each deme (place of residence)from each deme (place of residence)

– Political identity now based on place not wealthPolitical identity now based on place not wealth

•New reforms under Pisistratus [d. 527 New reforms under Pisistratus [d. 527 B.C.E.] included loans to farmers, road B.C.E.] included loans to farmers, road construction, and public worksconstruction, and public works•Death of Pisistratus saw end of reform Death of Pisistratus saw end of reform and invasion of Athens by Sparta (510 and invasion of Athens by Sparta (510 B.C.E.) at invitation of Athenian eliteB.C.E.) at invitation of Athenian elite

The Greek City-StatesThe Greek City-States– Athens now a more open societyAthens now a more open society– Intellect and learning highly valuedIntellect and learning highly valued– Identity based on participationIdentity based on participation

……but the Persians but the Persians are coming!are coming!

City-States Unite!City-States Unite!The Delian LeagueThe Delian League

• Battle of MarathonBattle of Marathon– 10,000 man Greek army defeats 48,000 man 10,000 man Greek army defeats 48,000 man

Persian army at Marathon (490 B.C.E.]Persian army at Marathon (490 B.C.E.]

– Persia’s King Darius first attempt to conquer Persia’s King Darius first attempt to conquer remaining Greeksremaining Greeks

– Greek key was hoplite soldiers organized into Greek key was hoplite soldiers organized into tightly-knit phalanxes, symbolic of citizen tightly-knit phalanxes, symbolic of citizen unity of city-stateunity of city-state

More War with Persia– Xerxes, son of Darius, attempts to defeat Greeks– Thermopylae 480 BC- you know, 300 and all that

King Leonidis – Leader of

the Spartans

1814 2006

– Salamis – A naval Salamis – A naval victory for Greece!victory for Greece!

– Greek motivation Greek motivation offset power of offset power of Persians who were Persians who were overextending their overextending their powerspowers

– Persians withdraw Persians withdraw and by the and by the following year, the following year, the invasion ends.invasion ends.

Athens: From Mini-State to Mini-Empire

– Victory transformed Victory transformed Delian Delian League League (city states that joined (city states that joined together to defeat the together to defeat the Persians) Persians) into an empire led by into an empire led by AthensAthens

• The Golden Age of Athenian The Golden Age of Athenian CultureCulture

– Pericles [c. 495-429 B.C.E.] directed Pericles [c. 495-429 B.C.E.] directed subsequent Athenian flowering of subsequent Athenian flowering of arts and thought (creates the arts and thought (creates the Acropolis)Acropolis)

Athens (Pericles) Athens (Pericles) replaced war-replaced war-damaged damaged buildings with buildings with Delian League Delian League money and money and created elegant created elegant structures structures

The Golden Age of Athenian Culture– Historians – birth of the study of “modern history”

- Philosophers•Socrates [d. 399 B.C.E.] argued for the supremacy of the state over the individual•Plato [d. 348 B.C.E.] promoted the study of ideals as the way to understand truth•Aristotle [d. 322 B.C.E.] studied ethics and politics and served as tutor for Alexander the Great

•Dramatists•Key themes were justice, morality and equity

Limits of City-State Democracy– Women had no right to political Women had no right to political

participation and were not seen as the participation and were not seen as the equals of menequals of men

– Aristotle: men command, women obeyAristotle: men command, women obey

– Citizenship restricted to native born Citizenship restricted to native born malesmales

…see – men have always been dumb.

Empire of Classical Greece – Chock Full ‘O Colonies!

Uh-oh…trouble for Athens…Uh-oh…trouble for Athens…•Pericles’ imperialism Pericles’ imperialism alienates much of Greecealienates much of Greece

•Fear prompts Sparta to lead Fear prompts Sparta to lead the Greek effort to break the Greek effort to break Athenian domination in first Athenian domination in first Peloponnesian War Peloponnesian War (461-451 (461-451 B.C.E.)B.C.E.)

•War ends in 404 BCE with War ends in 404 BCE with Persian funded Spartan Persian funded Spartan victoryvictory

•Athens never recovers…Athens never recovers…

What the heck is a Macedonian?What the heck is a Macedonian?• Conquests of Philip IIConquests of Philip II

– Philip was a leader in Macedonia who pursued two goals: unify Greece and liberate Greeks everywhere from Persian control

•Greek resistance was high based on fear of loss of political autonomy as result of unity

You might say – we didn’t see “eye to

eye”…

Empire of Alexander the Great– Conquered the “known” world Conquered the “known” world

– Greece, Persia, Egypt, ect..– Greece, Persia, Egypt, ect..– Followed policy of benevolent Followed policy of benevolent

despotism (think Cyrus)despotism (think Cyrus)– Created largest empire ever Created largest empire ever

known to that pointknown to that point– Successful conquests were Successful conquests were

followed by attempts to gain followed by attempts to gain control of Indiacontrol of India

– Empire did not last long after Empire did not last long after the end of his life [323 B.C.E.]the end of his life [323 B.C.E.]..that’s right. Great.

The Empire of Alexander. In 338 the Greek city-states were defeated by Philip of Macedon. His son, Alexander, extended the imprint of Greek culture far beyond its Mediterranean homeland. In a series of whirlwind campaigns between 334 and 323 b.c.e., Alexander gained control of Syria and Egypt and then destroyed the might of

Persia. He took his armies east to the Indus and north to central Asia, but died age 33 in Babylon.

Legacy of Alexander the GreatLegacy of Alexander the Great

– Spread Greek language, culture, and people Spread Greek language, culture, and people across Asia Minoracross Asia Minor

– Built roads and cities such as Alexandria, EgyptBuilt roads and cities such as Alexandria, Egypt– unified urban culture of diverse people and vast unified urban culture of diverse people and vast

landslands