ANCIENT GREECE

Where does the words Europe and Nike come from?

Answer: Greek Mythology

Origin of “Europe”

In Greek mythology, Europa was a Phoenician princess who was abducted by Zeus in bull form and taken to the island of Crete, where she gave birth to Minos.

For Homer, Europa (Greek: Ευρώπη) was a mythological queen of Crete, not a geographical designation. Later Europa stood for mainland Greece and by 500 BC its meaning was extended to lands to the north.

Origin of “Nike”

In Greek mythology, Nike (Greek: Νίκη, "Victory", was a goddess who personified victory, also known as the Winged Goddess of Victory.

Minoan Civilization

Archaeologists unearthed a site in Crete. They called the people Minoans, after Minos, a legendary king of Crete.

These Minoans lived in the Palace at Knossos (NAHS uhs)

Circa 1400 B.C., this civilization had vanished. There could have been a volcanic eruption or

tidal wave, but we know that invaders played a role.

These invaders were the Mycenaeans.

The Palace at Knossos

Included religious shrines, areas dedicated to the honor of gods and goddesses.

Included frescoes, watercolor paintings done on wet plaster.

The Mycenaeans

They are the first Greek-speaking people of whom we have written record.

They were an Indo-European people who conquered the Greek mainland before overrunning Crete.

The Trojan War 1250 B.C.

There was a conflict between Mycenae and Troy, a rich trading city in present-day Turkey.

The war could have been economic in root. Troy controlled the vital straits, or narrow water

passages, that connect the Mediterranean and Black seas.

The root of war could also have been romantic. After the Trojan prince Paris kidnapped Helen, the

wife of the Greek king Menalaus, the Mycenaeans sailed to Troy to rescue her.

For the next 10 years, the two sides battled until the Greeks finally seized Troy and burned the city to the ground.

The Trojan Horse Menelaus' brother, Odysseus,

planned a way to win the war. Odysseus planned to make a great horse. He knew that Greek soldiers gave up their horse when they surrendered, so the horse would show to Paris of Troy that Greece had surrendered the war. However, in reality this horse was a vehicle, which carried soldiers. If the Trojans took the horse inside their walls as a trophy, the Greek soldiers could easily destroy the interior of Troy without losing men when taking down the exterior walls. The night the Trojan Horse was inside Troy, the soldiers came out and fought; by dawn, the Greek had annihilated the Trojans and Helen was safely back with Menelaus.

The Age of Homer

Mycanaean civilization crumbled under the attack of sea raiders.

Greek civilization seemed to take a step backward after this where people forgot many skills, including the art of writing.

Homer gives us hints about life during this period from two epic poems, the Iliad and the Odyssey.

Many people probably wrote them, but they are credited to him, who lived about 750 B.C.

Homer was a blind poet who wandered from village to village, singing of heroic deeds.

The Iliad is our chief source of information from the Trojan War, although the story involves gods, goddesses, and even a talking horse.

Achilles, the mightiest Greek warrior, is sulking in his tent. He stubbornly refuses to join the fight when the Greeks begin to lose. Only after his best friend is killed does Achilles return to battle.

The Odyssey tells of the struggles of the Greek hero Odysseus to return home to his faithful wife, Penelope, after the fall of Troy.

On his voyage Odysseus encounters a sea monster, a race of one-eyed giants, and a beautiful sorceress who turns men into swine.

Iliad Odyssey

Geography of the Greeks

Greece is part of the Balkan peninsula. Mountains divide the peninsula into

valleys. They built many city-states, cut off from

one another by mountains or water. Endless rivalry led to frequent wars. The seas linked the Greeks to the outside

world. They became skilled sailors and returned

with many ideas. They expanded the Phoenician alphabet.

The first two Greek letters are alpha and beta.

U of M Greek chapters

Frats Alpha Delta Phi Omega Nu Alpha Alpha Gamma Rho Phi Gamma Delta Alpha Tau Omega Phi Kappa Psi Beta Theta Pi Phi Sigma Kappa Delta Upsilon Sigma Nu Delta Tau Delta Sigma Chi

Sororities Alpha Chi Omega Gamma Phi Beta Alpha Gamma Delta Kappa Alpha Theta Alpha Omicron Pi Kappa Kappa Gamma Alpha Phi Lambda Delta Phi Alpha Sigma Kappa Pi Beta Phi Delta Gamma Sigma Alpha Epsilon Pi

Organization of the City-State

After 750 B.C. the Greeks evolved the city-state into the polis. Our word “politics” is derived from this.

Two levels:1. Acropolis was on a hilltop with marble

temples dedicated to different gods and goddesses.

2. Walled main city was on flatter ground with marketplace, theater, public buildings, and homes.

The agora was below the acropolis and served as a place where people could assemble and as a market.

Acropolis

The Parthenon

Community of the Polis

1. Citizens with political rights (adult males)

2. Citizens w/o political rights (women and children)

3. Noncitizens (agricultural laborers, slaves, resident aliens).

New military system

Based on hoplites, or heavily armed foot soldiers who carried a shield, short sword, and 9 foot spear.

Marched shoulder to shoulder in a rectangular formation known as a phalanx. Created a wall of shields.

Changes in Warfare

Nobles were the only ones with weapons because they were bronze.

(650 B.C.) Iron replaced bronze and was cheaper, so ordinary citizens could afford helmets, shields, and swords.

Reduced class differences.

Tyranny in the City-States

(750-550 B.C.) Greek colonies, such as Byzantium, were established as many settled distant lands and gained wealth through trade. Exported pottery, wine, and olive oil

Some of the rich men became tyrants, or rulers who seized power by force from the aristocrats.

Tyrant support: Rich- wanted prestige and political influence that

aristocracy denied them Peasants- were in debt for land to aristocrats

Tyranny in the City-States

Achievements: Built new marketplaces, temples, walls Helped poor

Eventually tyrants fell out of favor Greeks believed in the rule of law, and tyranny was

an insult to that ideal Impacts:

Ended aristocratic rule in many city-states Led to democracy in some city states

Rule by the people Led to oligarchy in some city-states

Rule by the few

Sparta

This region lies in the Peloponnesus, the southern part of Greece.

The Spartans conquered the Laconians and Messenians.

The invaders turned the conquered people into state-owned slaves, called helots, and made a military state.

Lives of Spartans were rigid and tightly controlled. Spartan means “highly self-disciplined”

Citizens were male, native-born Spartans over the age of 30.

Sparta

Children were trained to be part of a military state. Sickly children were abandoned to die. At age 7, boys moved into barracks to become soldiers. Military service from age 20-60. Ate black broth consisting of pork boiled in animal blood,

salt, and vinegar. Women were expected to produce healthy sons

for the army. Had to exercise and strengthen their bodies.

They had to obey their father or husband. They did however have the right to inherit property and

run a family’s estate while the men were off at war.

Spartan Government

Oligarchy headed by two kings, who led army.

Isolated themselves Looked down on trade and wealth Forbade their own citizens to travel Discouraged study of philosophy,

literature, and arts. While other Greeks admired their

military skills, no other city-state imitated their rigorous way of life.

Athens

Located in Attica, just north of the Peloponnesus.

Athenian govt. evolved from a monarchy to a oligarchy ruled by aristocrats

Economic turmoil spread as peasants were unable to pay their debts.

Cleisthenes

(510 B.C.) another reformer, Cleisthenes gained power.

Created a council of 500 that supervised foreign affairs, oversaw the treasury, and proposed laws.

Gave Athenian assembly power to pass laws after free and open debate.

He created the foundations for Athenian democracy

Limited Rights

Athenian democracy was quite limited as citizenship was tough to acquire.

Tens of thousands of Athenians were slaves. Slave labor gave citizens the time to

participate in govt.

Women

They had no share in public life and lived in seclusion, managing the entire household.

Aristotle: “The man is by nature fitter for command than the female.”

Education for Democracy

Boys attended school if their family could afford it.

Studied to become skilled speakers because they would have to voice their views.

Studied reading, writing, music, poetry. Received military training.

Religious beliefs

Greeks were polytheistic. Believed that the gods lived on Mount

Olympus in northern Greece. Most powerful Olympian was Zeus, who

presided over the affairs of gods and humans. His children:

1. Aphrodite, goddess of love2. Ares, god of war3. Athena, goddess of wisdom, gave her name

to Athens

Olympic Games

Every four years, in the city-state of Olympia, the Greeks held athletic contests to honor Zeus.

These games unified the Greek world, even in times of war.

Views of Non-Greeks

As trade and colonies expanded, the Greeks came in contact with people with different languages and customs.

Greeks felt superior and called them barbaroi. The English word barbarian comes from this

Greek root. Phoenicians and Egyptians were

considered barbaroi.

The Persian Wars

Athens had sent ships to help rebel city-states of Persia.

Darius I, leader of Persia never forgot this and wanted revenge.

He sent a huge force across the Aegean to punish Athens.

The army landed near Marathon. The Persians greatly outnumbered Athenian

forces. Athenians broke through then enemy lines

despite a rain of arrows and engaged the Persians in hand-to-hand combat.

Persians hastily retreated to their ships.

The First Marathon

After the battle of Marathon, the Greeks sent Pheidippides, their fastest runner, to carry home news of the stunning victory.

He sprinted 26.2 miles to Athens. “Rejoice, we conquer,” he gasped—then

dropped dead.

Renewed Attacks

Darius died before he could mass his troops for another attack.

His son Xerxes sent a much larger force to conquer Greece.

This time Athens had persuaded Sparta and other city-states to join in the fight.

A small Spartan force guarded the narrow mountain pass at Thermopylae.

Led by the great warrior King Leonidas, 300 Spartans held out heroically against the enormous Persian force.

“here they defended themselves to the last, such as still had swords using them, and the others resisting with their hands an teeth; till the barbarians who…now encircled them upon every side, overwhelmed and buried the remnant that was left beneath showers of missile weapons.”

Herodotus, The Persian Wars

Renewed Attacks

After defeating the Spartans, the Persians marched south and burned Athens.

However, the Athenians had withdrawn to safety. The Greeks now put their faith in their fleet of ships that

they had been building since the first attack. They lured the Persian navy into the strait of Salamis. Powered by rowers, the Athenian warships drove into the

Persian boats with underwater battering rams and sunk their fleet.

The following year, the Greeks defeated them in Asia Minor. Athenians then set up the Delian League, a defensive

alliance to protect Athens from Persia. Later, the Delian League attacked Persia and eventually

liberated all the Greek states.

The Age of Pericles The years after the Persian

wars were a golden age for Athens.

Under Pericles, Athens had a direct democracy.

6,000 members of the Athenian assembly had to be present to decide important issues. We have a representative

democracy. Greece is known as the

civilization with the first democracy.

The Age of Pericles

Athenians also served on juries. This panel of citizens who have the

authority to make the final judgment in trial were to serve for one year and receive a stipend.

Their jury may have included hundreds or thousands of jurors.

Citizens could banish or send away or ostracize a public figure if they wished.

They wrote that person’s name on a pot and if enough votes were cast into it, they would have to live outside the city for ten years.

The Peloponnesian War

Many Greeks outside of Athens resented Athenian domination.

Warfare broke out between Athens and Sparta, then engulfed all of Greece.

When Sparta invaded Athens, Pericles allowed his people from the countryside to move inside the city walls.

A terrible plague broke out, killing 1/3 of Athenians including Pericles.

Sparta allied itself with the Persian navy and with their help, they captured Athens.

Athenian Empire was destroyed as Athens surrendered.

This war weakened the Greek states and ruined any possibility of alliances between.

Later on

Thebes was the next new Greek power.

Alexander the Great and the Macedonians took over Greece.

(146 B.C.) Romans rule over Greece

Greek Philosophers“lovers of wisdom”

Challenged the belief that all events occurred at the whim of the Gods.

Used observation and reason to find causes for why things happen.

Many debated questions such as What is the best form of government? What standards should rule human

behavior? Many mastered skills in rhetoric, the art

of skillful speaking.

Socrates Stonemason and

philosopher. Hung around public

spaces questioning people on their beliefs. He wrote no books.

Using the Socratic method challenged people to examine the implications of their answers.

“The unexamined life is not worth living.”

More Socrates

He felt this approach was the best way to seek truth and self-evaluation. Others saw him as a threat to traditional values

and beliefs “gadfly”. Accused of Impiety and Corrupting the

Youth. Put on trial at age 70.

He was found guilty and was asked what his punishment should be. He suggested a lifetime of free meals.

The court not impressed sentenced him to death. He obliged and drank the poison.

Plato

We know of Socrates through the writings of Plato, as he was Socrates’ student.

He outlined his vision of and ideal state in “The Republic” Three classes

Workers to produce necessities of life Soldiers to defend the state Philosophers to rule

The wisest of which would be the “philosopher king”

Plato also believed the abilities of men exceeded that of women, but that some women were superior and should be educated to serve the state.

Aristotle

Most famous of Plato’s students He also analyzed all forms of

governments He favored rule by a strong and virtuous

leader 1,500 years after his death his works

were used as the foundation for the first European universities