Chapter 4Ancient Greece

1750 B.C. -133 B.C.

Section 1: Early People of the AegeanMinoans Trade & Prosper Minoans lived on the island of Crete, they

thrived through trade. Knossos- City of the island of Crete,

rulers lived in palaces Shrines- Areas dedicated to the honor of

gods and goddessFrescoes-Watercolor paintings on wet

plaster. ◦Many Minoan frescoes focus on the

importance of the sea and women seem to be treated with more rights than other civilizations.

Section 1: Early People of the Aegean Continued…After 200 years Minoans disappeared.

◦We are not exactly sure of why they disappeared. Volcano or an earthquake is a possibility.

Mycenaeans-the first Greek speaking people did invade the Minoans and destroy some part of their civilization.

They were sea traders that lived in city-states and they built fortresses in which they ruled from.

The Trojan WarStarted as rivalry between

Mycenaean & TroyMost widely known for the Greek

legend of Paris, Helen, and the Trojan horse

After 10 years of battle, the Greeks finally seized Troy and burned it to the ground

Homer and the Great Legends of Greece Homer was a blind poet that

wandered singing great epicsIliad

◦Achilles, the mightiest warrior, leaves the battle because he was insulted and treated poorly by his commander. He refuses to rejoin and help battle until his best friend is killed.

Odyssey◦Odysseus on a journey home from Troy

must battle a sea monster, one-eyed giants and, and a sorceress in an effort to reach his wife Penelope.

Section 2: The Rise of Greek City-StatesGeography Shapes Greece

Greece is part of the Balkan Peninsula, which extends into the Mediterranean Sea. It is comprised of hundreds of rocky islands as well.

They created city-states, of the city and surrounded lands. The city-states were very independent and fiercely fought each other.

Section 2: The Rise of Greek City-StatesGeography Shapes Greece

Greeks traded with many different lands because of the close proximity to the seas. ◦ They traded olive oil, wine, and marble for

grains and metals.The Greeks adapted ideas from other

civilizations◦ Alphabet from the Phoenicians

Governing City-StatesCity-state or the polis was made up of

a city and the surrounding lands. ◦ On top of the city was the acropolis, or

high city. Temples dedicated to the gods and goddesses were located here.

◦ Beneath the acropolis was the marketplace and homes

Governing City-StatesCitizens or free residents of the city-states

participated in festivals and free men spent time discussing politics. The male landowners held all of the power.

Types of GovernmentMonarchy- A hereditary ruler with central powers. Aristocracy- Rule by hereditary

landowning elite.Oligarchy- Power is in the hands of a small

wealthy elite.

Governing City-StatesCitizens or free residents of the city-states

participated in festivals and free men spent time discussing politics. The male landowners held all of the power.

Types of GovernmentMonarchy- A hereditary ruler with central powers. Aristocracy- Rule by hereditary

landowning elite.Oligarchy- Power is in the hands of a small

wealthy elite.

WarfareMore citizens had access to iron

weaponry and protection. Phalanx

◦ Tactical military formation with armed foot soldiers

SpartaGovernment

◦ Two Kings and a council of elders that acted as advisers to them.◦ Assembly comprised of citizens (males native born Spartans

over the age of 30) approved major decisions.◦ Five ephors, or officials ran the daily affairs.

Male Daily Life ◦ Newborn children were examined, if they were found

to be sick, then they were abandoned and left to die◦ All Spartans were part of creating a strong military

and military families◦ Boys started training at 7 for their military life.

Moved to barracks Diet, hard exercise, and harsh discipline created strong

soldiers

◦ At 20, men could marry but still had to live in the barracks until 30. They had to eat meals there until they were 40.

SpartaSpartan women

◦ They had to produce healthy sons, they were required to exercise and strengthen their bodies to do this.

◦ They had to obey their husbands and fathers.

◦ They could inherit property and ran the estates when the men were at war.

Spartan Life◦ They did not trade and forbade travel.

They believed there was no need for wealth.

AthensStarted as a monarchy, morphed into an

aristocracy, and then a democracy, government run by the people.

Athenian governments were led by a series of tyrants, people who gained power by force.

Council of 500◦ Legislature, a law making body that debated laws

before approving or rejecting them. ◦ Comprised of all the male citizens

Democracy Participation◦ Only citizens could participate and only landowning

men were considered citizens ◦ Women, merchants, and slaves were not allowed

Athenian Women and Education Women played major roles in religious

ceremonies and processions. Rich women cared for the children, cooked,

cleaned, and made clothing. They rarely left the home to go into public.

Poor women worked outside the home in fields, or as weavers and potters.

Girls did not attend school, boys did if their families could afford it. ◦ Reading, writing, poetry, public speaking,

and music were all important subjects.

Forces for Unity Greeks were polytheistic Gods lived on Mount Olympus. Zeus was the

God of Sky and the most powerful of all the gods.

Athens was named for the Goddess Athena. Barbaroi- a term the Greeks used to describe

people who did not speak Greek, as the Greeks felt superior to everyone else. This term in fact gave us the modern term barbarians.

Section 3: Conflict in the Greek WorldThe Persian Wars

Battle at Marathon◦ The Persians had a much larger

army than Athens. However, the Greeks were able to beat the Persians.

After the death of the Persian leader Darius I, his son Xerxes, sent a larger Persian army to attack the Greeks.

Battle at Thermopylae◦ Sparta and Athens joined

together. King Leonidas led the Spartan army but the Persians defeated them and continued marching until they reached and burned Athens, the Athenians had already left the city though.

Section 3: Conflict in the Greek World

The Persian Wars

Battle at Salamis◦ Athenian ships

were able to lure the navy into a narrow strait and attack the Persian ships.

The following year, the Persians were defeated on land and then ended the Persian invasions.

Greeks realized their uniqueness after defeating the Persians, and Athens began creating alliances with other city-states. ◦ Alliances are formal

agreements between two or more nations to come to each others defense.

Delian League

Athenian Golden Age◦ Pericles led a direct

democracy where citizens took part in all parts of the government.

◦ All men were able to participate in the government and receive a stipend, or salary for doing so.

Culture Thrives ◦ Parthenon-temple to

Athena was built on the Acropolis.

Age of Pericles and Direct Democracy

Sparta along with other of Athens's enemies created the Peloponnesian League, in response to the Delian League.

Sparta and Athens went to war and fought for 27 years. ◦ Athens became overcrowded

with people from the country coming into the city for safety. The number of people caused a plague killing thousands and Pericles.

◦ Sparta joined with Persian to attack Athens

By the end of the war Athens was no longer the most powerful. However, after time the economy did come back and Athens continue to be the cultural center of Greece.

Peloponnesian War

Philosophers: Lovers of Wisdom

Socrates was an Athenian stonemason and philosopher. ◦ Socrates would ask people a

number of questions and then challenge them to examine their answers.

◦ Many Athenians thought this was threatening and put Socrates on trial when he was 70 for corrupting young people and not respecting the gods.

◦ He was found guilty and sentenced to death. Socrates then drank a cup of Hemlock, poison.

Section 4: The Glory That Was Greece

Plato◦ Knowledge of Socrates comes from

him, his most famous student◦ Set up the Academy, a school where

he taught and wrote about rational thought.

◦ Most famous book was The Republic. He distrusted democracy and thought the state should handle all aspects of citizen’s lives.

Aristotle◦ Plato’s most famous student, also set

up a school, the Lyceum. ◦ His school focused on politics, ethics,

logic, biology, and more. The first universities were based on Aristotle's ideas.

◦ Golden Mean- good conduct and a middle ground between the extremes.

Philosophers

Architecture focused on perfect balance and harmony.

Dramas Tragedies Comedies

Architecture and Literature

Alexander was 20, when he took over for his assassinated father Phillip II.

Alexander wanted to conquer the Persian empire. The emperor, Darius III was weak and there were rebellions often.

For 11 years, Alexander marched east conquering cities never losing a battle. ,After being gone for so long, his troops wanted to turn back, he died at 32 from a fever before ever making it back home.

Section 5: Alexander and the Hellenistic Age

Even after his death, his legacy was the Greek culture that reached all parts of his empire.

Many cities were named after him, with many temples and statues as citizens assimilated or absorbed Greek ideas.

The Hellenistic civilization is a mixture of Greek, Persian, Egyptian, and Indian culture.

Alexandria, Egypt was a cultural captial with museums, a zoo, a library and more focusing on knowledge.

Women were learning to read and write, be philosophers and even reign with power, Queen Cleopatra VII is one example.

The Legacy of Alexander

Pythagoras: A formula to calculate the relationship of the sides of a right triangle.

Astronomers had many ideas and discussions about the Earth’s location, axis, size, and shape.

Archimedes: Used physics to make inventions and he mastered the lever and pulley.

Hippocrates: A physician that studied illnesses and worked to find cures. The Hippocratic oath that doctors take today, is similar to one that he swore to.

Hellenistic Arts and Sciences