Geography of Greece Location:

Southern end of Balkan Peninsula

Surrounded by water on 3 sides

○ Adriatic Sea & Ionian Sea to West

○ Mediterranean Sea to South

○ Aegean Sea to East

Uneven Coastline

All of Greece had easy access to a sea

Economy became based on sea industries

○ Trade

○ Fishing

○ Sailing

Difficult to Unify

Mountain ranges run center of Greek mainland

Jagged coasts divide sea villages

Independent City-states developed

Early Greek Peoples The Minoans

Located on Crete, island South of Greek mainland

Named after King Minos

○ Palace of Knosos

Accomplishments:

○ Frescoes – form of art where pigment was pushed into wet plaster on walls

○ Metalworking – art made of bronze, gold, silver, etc.

○ Developed written language, Linear B

Economy based on sea-travel & trade

○ Created series of sea ports on Asia Minor & Aegean islands

○ Developed strong navy

The Mycenaeans

Controlled southern Greek mainland (Peloponnesus)

Clans based on military/war leaders

Built fort like cities

Took over Crete

The City-States of Greece

No Unified Nation, independent city-states developed

instead

The Polis

Based on three main ideas

○ The geographic territory

○ The community it represented

○ Political & economic independence

Characteristics of most city-states

○ Acropolis – hill on which the central fort and temples were found

○ Agora – marketplace & main meeting place

○ Usually small w/less than 10,000 people each

○ Only free adult males had rights

○ Most spoke same language & shared similar cultural beliefs

Greek Culture in Homeric Age Literature:

Most Greeks were illiterate

Literature passed through oral tradition

oral traditions gathered into two main works by Homer○ The Iliad – epic poem about Trojan War between Mycenae and Troy

○ The Odyssey – epic poem about the travels of Odysseus, a Mycenaean king, on his way home from the Trojan War

Religion: Three main ideas about Greek religion

○ Wanted to explain natural events

○ Wanted to explain emotions & why people act the way they do

○ Wanted certain benefits such a good luck, health, & good crops

Concept of afterlife: the spirit went to the realm of Hades for either reward or punishment

Religious beliefs explained in myths, stories about the gods

Future could be predicted by oracles, special priests/priestesses

Greek Government The Aristocracy:

City-states led by warrior chiefs○ Warrior chiefs relied on wealthy land owners for support

○ Wealthy land owners known as aristocrats, or “best men”

Aristocracy: the privileged upper social class○ Controlled military

○ Acted as judges & leaders in communities

○ Took over from the warrior chiefs

Changes that weakened Aristocratic control on government Hoplite:

○ non-aristocratic soldier, infantry

○ Gained greater say in politics

Farmers & poor citizens unhappy w/ aristocracy

Tyrants take over○ A person who gains control of the government thru force

○ Usually conditions improved in the beginning, but became brutal leaders later

Democracy Develops Greece People overthrow tyrants

Popular government developed: gov where the people rule themselves

Democracy: gov where the citizens make the decisions for the city-state

Spartan Society Peloponnesus conquered by invaders from north

Helots: the conquered people

Capital located at village of Sparta

Three Social Groups: Equals

○ Descendents of the invaders

○ Controlled the government

○ Owned the land

Half-Citizens○ Freemen who either farmed or worked in trades/artisans

○ Served in the military

○ No political power

Helots○ Slaves

○ Were kept under tight control, disobedience was violently dealt with

Spartan Government & Military Spartan Government

Two Kings○ One king controlled the military

○ One king controlled the home matters

Council of Elders○ 28 male citizens over the age of 60

○ Proposed laws & held court

The Assembly○ Included all landowning males over 30

○ Led by 5 Ephors who ensured kings acted within the law

○ Voted to pass/reject laws made by council

○ Controlled the education of the young

The Military Every male became a member of the military

○ Age 7, boys leave home to live in military barracks

○ At age 18, training focused on war

○ Age 20, active duty military

○ Age 30, men could move out of the military barracks

○ Age 60, men left the military to work for the public

Education of Girls○ Focus on physical strength & to be devoted to the Spartan state

Society of Athens Located on Attic Peninsula

Limited farming due to poor soil conditions

Primarily focused on sea trade

Three Tier Society:

Citizens

○ Men born in Athens, had full political rights

○ Women born in Athens, did not have right to vote

Metics

○ Free people born outside of Athens

○ Could not take part in government nor own land

Slaves

○ People captured in war

○ Treated as property

○ Freed slaves became Metics

Government of Athens Early Athenian Government:

Led by aristocrats

Only male, land-owning citizens could hold office

All adult male citizens served in an assembly○ Elected generals during war times

○ Led by Archons An elected committee of 9

Served 1 year terms

Changes Come to Athenian Gov: Economic Problems

○ Trade prospered, but farmers grew poorer

○ Farmers sold into slaver to pay for debt

○ Poor begin to riot &

Solon becomes an Archon○ Outlaws the slavery for debt

○ Set up courts made up of citizen jurors

Cleisthenes○ Turns Athens into a democracy

○ Creates a Council of 500

○ Court decisions made by citizen jurors

Daily Life In Athens Economics:

Agriculture:

○ Extremely rugged landscape

○ Terraced the hillsides

○ grew olives, grapes, & figs

Oversea Trade

○ Established colonies throughout region

○ Exported olive oil, wine, etc

○ Imported grains & foodstuffs

Home & Family

Marriage & family central social unit

○ Marriages were arranged

○ Mother took care of all children until age 6

○ At age 7, boys under care of a pedagogue, teacher of manners

Education The Athenian Ideal:

Stressed sound mind & body

Wealthy boy received detailed education

Subjects:

○ Politics

○ Reading

○ Writing

○ Poetry

○ Music

○ Gymnastics

Sophists:

○ Teachers of older boys

○ Studied mathematics, government, ethics, & rhetoric

Ethics: study of moral behavior

Rhetoric: study of public speaking & debate

At age 18, all boys entered the military

The Persian Wars Persia’s Attempts to Control Greece Under Reign of Darius

Athenians colonize parts of Asia Minor & Greek colonists revolt against Persian rule

Darius of Persia violent ends uprising○ Wanted to punish Athens for helping Greek colonists

○ Hoped to take control of Greek mainland

○ Conquers Thrace & Macedonia (North of Greece)

Battle of Marathon○ Persia invades Greek mainland

○ Athenians greatly outnumbered, but defeat Persians

○ Origins of the marathon traced to this battle

Persia’s Attempts to Control Greece Under Rule of Xerxes Leads attacks aimed at taking control of Greek mainland

Greek city-states unite to prevent takeover

Battle of Thermopylae○ 300 Spartans & Persian army clash at the mountain pass of Thermopylae

○ Spartans held off Persian army for 3 days

○ All Spartans died, but allowed other city-states to prepare

Persia marches on to Athens○ Athens evacuated, Persia destroys Athens

○ Persia attacks Athenian Navy at the Salamis Strait

○ Athenian Navy better equipped for fighting in tight strait, Athens Wins

Sparta & Athens Unite to defeat Persia at Plataea Greek city-states unit under the Delian League

Age of Pericles Pericles comes to rule in Athens

His reign known as a time of cultural & political success

Democracy in Athens All male citizens could hold public office

Officeholders paid to work

Positions chosen by lot so everyone had equal advantage

Athens Expands: Colonies established to help trade

Athenian Navy dominated the Aegean Sea

Created a standard system of weights & measures

Expanded Delian League Center of Delian League moved to Athens

Relative peace amongst member nations

Will include 140 member city-states

The Peloponnesian War Delian League losses power

Tensions grow between Athens, Corinth, & Sparta

Athens & Sparta became rivals

Sparta invades the Attic Peninsula Destroyed villages & burned fields

Athenians retreat to city of Athens

Sparta tries to “starve” Athens○ Athenian navy brings in food supplies

○ Siege lasts for years

○ Plague breaks out in Athens, killing thousands

○ Pericles dies

War lasts 27 years Random periods of peace & war

Athens surrendered to Sparta

Constant war weakened both city-states

Sparta unable to control all of Greece

Thebes takes over weakened Sparta, but also unable to control all of Greece