the age of homer the early greeks

The Age of HomerThe Early Greeks

ObjectivesI. What were the early characteristics of Greek

civilization involving colonization, military development, etc., and how did they contribute to building a new civilization

II. How did Sparta and Athens develop differently? One along the militaristic side the other on the more aristocratic/republican side

III. How did Tyrants eventually lead to the structural changes in Greek governance in either Sparta or Athens.

The Early Greek Civilization

A. Homer: Source Illiad & Odyssey1. Ballads source of History

B. Government: power of Kings/ Nobel Councils1. People’s role limited

C. Society1. Class divisions: Nobles/Thetes/ Slaves

D. Homeric Values:1. Powerful influence in School (History)2. Physical prowess, courage, and protection of one’s family3. Highest Value was Arête – manliness4. Central Ethical Idea: “always be the best and distinguished

above other.”

The PolisA. City-State

1. Does not adequately describe the city2. More than Agricultural Town3. But not a “city”4. Independent Political Units –5. Community of common relatives/common

ancestora. Subgroups, clan, tribe,

6. Polis original meaning: a citadel, an elevated defensible roc that farmers/others would retreat to in case of attack

The PolisB. Polis: The Acropolis in Athens and the

Acrocorinth in Corinth, highest places adjacent to farms.

1 No Urban planning2 Location of Polis depended on land and natural

fortress3 Emergence of Agora – marketplace and civic

center4 Emerged around 8 BCE, common by at least

750 BCE5 Cities governed by kings and or aristocratic

republic

The Hoplite PhalanxI. Emerges in the late 8th Century BCE, Crucial Military

Strategy1. Who were the Hoplites? Infantryman, spear, shield2. Soldiers arranged in close orders, 8 ranks deep to form

Phalanx.3. Close order discipline

II. Early Battles Between Polis’1. Invasion around harvest2. Decisive battles3. Spared houses, livestock and capital of Farmers who were/

made up the phalanx.4. Minimized casualties/ suited to farmer-soldier citizen, kept

wars short and limited destructiveness

Expansion of the Greek World

I. From the 8th to the 6th centuries BCE, Greeks expanded their territory of control, wealth, and contacts

II. From Spain to the Black Sea marks their territory with trading posts in Syria, where they learned new techniques in art and craft from other civilizations.

III. 750 BCE They borrowed a writing system from Semitic Scripts and added vowels to create the first alphabet. The Greek alphabet was easier to learn than any earlier writing system and made possible a widely literate society.


IV. Greek Colonies1. Colonies spanned Spain to Black Sea, However, they

became concentrated in Sicily and Southern Italy (Magna Craecia)

2. By 7th Century BCE The Greeks colonized the Northern coast of the Mediterranean, The Black Sea and the straits that connected them

3. Why Colonize? Colonization was a powerful influence, It relieved pressure at home for land and a growing population,

4. Prevent Civil wars5. Cultural Identity, Pan-Hellenic (all Greek) sprit. Evolved

and lead to est. of festivals, Olympia, Delphi, Corinth, and Nemea.


IV. Greek Colonies6. Encouraged Industry and Trade7. Manufacturing of Goods (pottery, tools, weapons,

metalwork's, perfumed oils, soap)8. Non-nobles could become wealthy

V. Tyrants (700-500 BCE)1. New economic conditions lead to Political

/factional divisions within the ruling aristocracy.2. Tyrant: Greek, a monarch who has gained power

in an unorthodox way, exercises strong one man rule that might be popular.


V. Tyrants (700-500 BCE)3. Founding Tyranny Characteristics

a. Member of ruling classb. Rise to power through through his military

ability/support of militaryc. Support of the politically powerlessd. Upon ascension: expelled aristocrats, destroys

aristocratic privileges, foster trade and colonizatione. Usually provides over a period of urban & population

growth and public works projectsf. Patrons of the Artsg. Peaceful alliances with other Tyrants were established.

End of TyrantsI. By the end of 6th century, Tyrants had disappeared from

Greece, not to return in the same form.II. Modern notion of Tyrant derived from the last cruel tyrants.III. Rule of Tyrant was arbitrary and unpredictable.IV. Tyranny came into being in defiance of tradition and law,

tyrant governed without either.V. Did contributed to Greek civilization encouraging economic

changes that helped secure the future prosperity of Greece.VI. Tyrants broke the gripe of aristocrats and put the productive

powers of the most active and talented of its citizens to the service of the Polis

Life in Ancient GreeceI. Greece enters the 5th Century, features that

would distinguish Greek society took shapeA. The role of the artisan and merchant grew

more important as contact with the non-Greek world became easier and more prevalent.

B. Greeks continued to make their living from the land; wealthy aristocrats and large estates, powerful households, families clans

C. Poorer peasants and the independent farmers who had smaller and less fertile lands had a different life

Life in Ancient GreeceII. Farmers, rarely leave records

A. Hesiod presented himself as a small farmer and wrote Works and Days giving some idea of life of a farmer

B. Crops included grain, chiefly barely, wheat, grapes, olives, etc.

C. Sheeps and goats: milk and cheeseD. Farmers work was hard, October the worst season, at

the start of the rainy season, the time for the first plowing

E. Autumn and winter were times for cutting wood, building wagons, and making tools

F. Summer was a time for some rest, but by September came round it was time to harvest grapes.

Life in Ancient GreeceIII. Aristocrats

A. Had hired hands/sharecroppers/ slaves to run their landsB. More time for a social life, the Symposion (Drinking

party). Symposion structured occasion often with a :king” who chose the order of events and to determine that nights mix of wine and water

1. Party for men only with games involving Kottabos, Dancing girl with flues,, participants often participated with their own poems, or songs, or philosophical disputes.

C. Aristocratic values always involved competition and the need to excel Athletic competitions and games.

D. Only the Rich could afford to raise, train, and race horses, or have chariot races.

Life in Ancient GreeceIV. Religion

1. Pantheon of Gods existed, Greeks were polytheists2. Worship did not involve great emotion3. Sense of Justice: Lay in paying one’s debts4. Civic Virtue: worshipping the state deities in traditional

way, performing required public services, fighting in defense of the state.

5. Private morality meant to do good one’s friends and harm to one’s enemies

6. 6th century BCE influence of the Cult of Apollo (noting in excess)

7. Hubris: “arrogance brought on by the excessive wealth or good fortune and leads to moral blindness and to divine vengeance

Major City-States (Sparta)

A. Emerged in 725BCE after First Messenian War. Sparta now had much land to confront the land lust of its inhabitants.

B. Imprisoned Messenians became helots or Serfs, who would later rebel in the Second Messenian War about 650 BCE,

C. 2nd Messenian War became a bitter struggle and Spartans learned the lesson that changes needed to take place,


D. Spartan Society1. Emerged in 6th century exerting a tremendous control

over citizens, from birth2. At Birth: officials decided which infants were

physically fit to survive3. At 7 Spartan boys were taken from their mothers and

turned over to the instructors of the state.4. At 20 Boys were enlisted in the Army and lived in the

barracks with his companions until 305. At 30, became a full citizen, an “equal” and allowed

to live in his own house with this wife, but took meals at a public mess in the company of 15 comrades.


D. Spartan Society6. At 60, he could retire from the military service and live in

his own home with his family7. Girls received military training, & had greater freedom

than other Greek women8. Girls were indoctrinated into service of the state. The

entire system of Sparta was designed to change the notion of family and enlarged that to the state.

9. Privacy, luxury, and even comfort were sacrificed to the purpose of producing soldiers whose physical prowess, training, and discipline made them the best in the world

10. Neither family or money was allowed to interfere with the only ambition permitted to a Spartan male: to win glory and respect by bravery in war.


E. Spartan Government1. Combination Aristocracy, Monarchy, and

Democracy2. Had 2 Kings. Rivalry between the two kings

usually limited them along with law3. Council of Elders - 28 men over 60 who were

elected for life, judicial functions sitting in cases involving the kings. And the council was consulted before any proposal as put before the assembly

4. Assembly: all men over 30, and theoretically the final authority, it usually only ratified the decisions of magistrates, elders, and kings.


E. Spartan Government5. Council of Ephors6. Suppression of Helots required al the efforts of

Spartans, and problems on the Peninsula.7. Tegea illustrates change in Spartan Policy,

Tegea was defeated by the Spartans. 8. Peloponnesian League: every city-state on the

Peloponnese except Argos. By 500 BCE this alliance would be capable of facing mighty threats.

Major City-States (Athens)

I. By the 7th Century BCE Athens and Attica constituted a typical aristocratic polis.

II. Aristocrats held most and best land and dominated religious and political life

a. No written lawb. Areopagus: Council of Nobles, (name from the

hill where it held session)c. Archons: 9 magistrates who joined the

Areopagus after their year in office.


III. CrisisA. 7th BCE quarrels began to breakout in Attica

between nobility. Also an agrarian crisis B. After planting and plowing wheat for many

years, without crop rotation or fertilizers, there was a sift in AG. More intensive agricultural techniques and cultivation of trees an vines forced the less successful farmers to borrow from wealthy neighbors.

C. Debtors ledged their wives, children, and themselves as surety for new loans. Many defaulted.


III. CrisisD. Among the poor revolutionary pressures grew and they began

to demand the abolition of debt and redistribution of land

IV. Reforms of Solon A. 594 BCE elected as sole Archon with power to revise the

governing institutions of AthensB. Program was called “shaking off the burden”, cancels debt and

forbade future loans secured by the person of the borrower.C. Brought back many Athenians enslaved abroad and freed those

in Athens enslaved for debt.D. Some of his actions were profoundly successful in the long run.

He encouraged commerce and turned Athens in direction that would lead it to great prosperity in the 5th BCE


IV. Reforms of SolonE. Commerce turned city into a great prosperous one

by end of 5th century BCE.a. Forbade the export of wheat, making it more

available in Atticab. Encouraged export of Olive Oil and wine, much of the

Athenian land diverted to olive trees/grape vinesc. Solon offered foreign citizenship to artisans,

stimulating development of outstanding pottery in Attica

F. Expanded citizenship – previously limited to adult males whose father’s were citizens- include immigrants artisans and merchants.


IV. Reforms of Solon G. Divided the citizenry into 4 classes based on

wealth, only wealthiest group could be Archons and sit in the Areopagus

H. Men of the 3rd class could be hoplites and sit on a council of 400 chosen by the assembly of all male citizens..

I. 4th class the Thetes, voted into assembly and sat on a new court of appeals that would hear almost all cases in Athens by the end to the 5th century BCE

the age of homer the early greeks

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