Minoans + Mycenaeans =

“The Greeks”

Origins of the Greeks: Minoans & Mycenaean 2800 B.C.—1500 B.C

http://ccwf.cc.utexas.edu/~tjmoore/myth4web/05troygold.jpg.

Minoans (2800-1400 BCE)

• Lived on island of Crete• Capital is Knossos• Existed during Egypt’s

Old Kingdom• Government: Priest-kings• Religion: Polytheists• Cities NOT surrounded by

walls• Very peaceful.• Ship Builders, traders,

farmers, and fishermen• Overpowered by

Mycenaeans by 1400 BChttp://ccwf.cc.utexas.edu/~tjmoore/Myth3web/05atheseusmincan.jpg.

Minoan ArtSculptures, Pottery, and Frescoes

Minoans created and traded pottery, leather, bronze armor, and metal jewelry. They also enjoyed sports such as boxing and bull leaping.

http://ccwf.cc.utexas.edu/~tjmoore/Myth3web/05atheseusmincan.jpg

Minoan Fresco at the Palace of Knossos

http://ccwf.cc.utexas.edu/~tjmoore/myth.html.

Minoan fresco: Prince of Knossos

http://www.graeco-roman.com/items/G4310.htm

Minoan Religion

Polytheists Main god: Great Goddess, Mother Earth)

Minoan Religion• Built shrines on

housetops, hilltops, and in caves

• Made offerings to gods which included:– Human hair– fruit– flowers– jewels– gold

The fall of Minoan civilization is described in the legendary fight of Theseus, a young Greek prince and the Minotaur.

Relief Sculpture of Theseus and defeated Minotaur

Mycenaeans (2000 - 900 BCE)

• Lower Greece (lowlands)• Built fortress-palaces on hilltops• Engaged in farming, herding, olive

growing.• Traded: gold & bronze• Learned from Minoans:

Shipbuilding, navigation, gold & bronze work, fashions, art, writing.

• Better warriors than traders (pirates)

• Became most powerful people in Aegean world by 1400 BCE

• Trojan War (1200s BCE)• Conquered by Dorians (late

1200’s)

The “Dark Age” (1100 -800 BCE)

• Civil wars broke out following Trojan War

• Dorians conquered Mycenaeans

• Aegean world began era of “wandering and killing”

• Independent communities developed

http://ccwf.cc.utexas.edu/~tjmoore/myth4web/05troygold.jpg

Layered view of nine major settlements of Troy by Christopher Haussner based on archaelogical excavation.

Greek City-States (700 - 338 BCE)

Greek City-States

• The Hellenes, or Greeks emerge from the Dark Age• The Polis, or city-state was the center of Greek life• Polis structure:

– Acropolis (fortified hill)– Agora (marketplace at foot of acropolis)– Polis included homes, farming villages, fields, and orchards

http://www.indiana.edu/~kglowack/athens/acropolis.html

Greek Civics and Politics

• Civic and personal honor is one and the same

• The Polis (city-state) is above everything else

Greenblatt, Lemmo. Human Heritage. Glencoe, McGraw-Hill 1995.

A New Government

• Solon created 1st Constitution (594 BCE)– Set of principles and

rules for governing

• Purpose: To end oligarchy and to prevent uprising against government by middle and lower class

http://www.indiana.edu/~kglowack/athens/images/07.017.JPG

The FirstDemocratic Constitution

• Created by Cleisthenes in 508 BCE (lasted 300 yrs.)

• Limits power of rich & land ownership

• All male landowners could vote

• All debts were erased• All enslaved due to debt,

were freed• All Athenians became

citizens and able to participate in government

• Assembly created to make laws

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/greeks/greekdemocracy_2.shtml

Representation of Cleisthenes

The Athenian Government Structure

A ssem b lyE lec ted b y A th en ian m a les

over th e ag e o f 2 0 ; S erved 1 year M ad e law s

Ten G en era lsE lec ted b y A ssem b lyR u n A rm y an d N avy

C ou c il o f F ive H u n d redS erved 2 years

C h osen b y lo t am on g c it izen sH an d led d a ily b u s in ess o f A th en s

P eric lesC om m an d er-in -C h ie f

S e lec ted b y th e e lec ted ten g en era ls

http://norfacad.pvt.k12.va.us/project/pericles/Pericles.htm

Greek Religion

The most popular priestess was a priestess in the temple of Delphi.The Delphi was the center of the world for Greeks.

http://ccwf.cc.utexas.edu/~tjmoore/mythslides1/27delphiview.jpg

Gods with human qualities (anthropomorphism)

http://ccwf.cc.utexas.edu/~tjmoore/mythslides1/mythslides1.html

Poseiden

The Courtship of Venus and Mars Aphrodite

Greek Theater• Began during festivals

honoring the god Dionysus (600 BCE)

• Types of Plays– Tragedies

• Aeschylus• Sophocles• Euripides

– Comedies

• Only men could act in plays

• A civic responsibility

http://ccwf.cc.utexas.edu/~tjmoore/mythslides1/28feastofgods.jpg

The Great Greek Philosophers• Socrates• Plato• Aristotle

http://www.arts.uwaterloo.ca/PHIL/cpshelle/Gallery/Greek/aristotle.jpg

Socrates (469-399 BCE)• Stonemason, spent

time arguing with assembly

• Taught: Question everything, use step-by-step questioning to final conclusion (Socaratic Method)

• Executed for denying gods, corrupting youth, and trying to overthrow gov.Greenblatt, Lemmo. Human Heritage. Glencoe, McGraw-Hill 1995

http://www.btinternet.com/~socratic/

Plato (427-347 BCE)

• Pupil of Socrates• Recorded speeches

of Socrates• Father of Political

Science• Founded The

Academy to train government leaders

• Wrote The Republic & The Dialogues

http://plato.evansville.edu/

Aristotle (384-322 BCE)

• Pupil of Plato at The Academy

• Trained in Medicine• “Master of Them That

Know”• First to classify plants

& animals• Developed final steps

in scientific method (Hypothesis and Test)

Plato Aristotlehttp://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/history/aristotle.html