GREECEGREECETHE GREEK POLISTHE GREEK POLIS

SSWH3 The student will examine the political, philosophical, and cultural interaction of Classical Mediterranean societies from 700

BCE to 400 CE. a. Compare the origins and structure of the Greek polis, the Roman Republic,

and the Roman Empire. b. WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT ANCIENT GREECE?

c. WHERE IS GREECE?

• The polis (plural, poleis) was the ancient The polis (plural, poleis) was the ancient Greek city-state. Greek city-state.

• The word politics comes from this Greek The word politics comes from this Greek word. word.

• In the ancient world, it was the central In the ancient world, it was the central urban area that could also have controlled urban area that could also have controlled the surrounding countryside. the surrounding countryside.

• The word polis could also refer to the city's The word polis could also refer to the city's body of citizens. body of citizens.

• Polis, lPolis, literally means iterally means citycity in Greek. in Greek. • It could also mean It could also mean citizenshipcitizenship and body and body

of citizens. of citizens. • In modern historiography "polis" is In modern historiography "polis" is

normally used to indicate the normally used to indicate the ancient Greek city-statesancient Greek city-states, like , like Classical AthensClassical Athens and its contemporaries and its contemporaries

• polispolis is often translated as " is often translated as "city-statecity-state."."

PARTS/ELEMENTS OF POLISPARTS/ELEMENTS OF POLIS• Self-governance, autonomy and Self-governance, autonomy and

independence (city-state) independence (city-state) • AgoraAgora: the social hub and financial : the social hub and financial

marketplace, on and around a centrally marketplace, on and around a centrally located large open space located large open space

• AcropolisAcropolis: the citadel : the citadel • Greek urban planning and architecture, Greek urban planning and architecture,

public, religious, and private (see public, religious, and private (see HippodamianHippodamian plan plan) )

• TemplesTemples, , altarsaltars

• AthensAthens, , SpartaSparta, , ThebesThebes, Corinth, etc., Corinth, etc.• The polis began to emerge as a new The polis began to emerge as a new

form of social and political form of social and political organization in the eighth century organization in the eighth century B.C. B.C.

• ““Men are the Polis.”Men are the Polis.”

-Thucydides-Thucydides

“Man is an animal whose nature it is “Man is an animal whose nature it is to live in a polis”to live in a polis”

-Aristotle-Aristotle

• The period that the polis began to emerge can be The period that the polis began to emerge can be considered not only as the time of recovery but also considered not only as the time of recovery but also the peak of Greek Civilization in terms of politics, the peak of Greek Civilization in terms of politics, society, economy and culture. society, economy and culture.

• Poleis were city-states established by the group of Poleis were city-states established by the group of Greek people who proudly termed themselves Greek people who proudly termed themselves “Hellene”. “Hellene”.

• Independent and self governing; 30,000 to 300,000 Independent and self governing; 30,000 to 300,000 in populationin population

• All spoke Greek, believed in the pantheon of gods, All spoke Greek, believed in the pantheon of gods, practiced forms of government, and had the same practiced forms of government, and had the same culture.culture.

TWO FORMS OF TWO FORMS OF GOVERNMENTGOVERNMENT• OLIGARCHYOLIGARCHY• RULE BY THE FEWRULE BY THE FEW

• DEMOCRACYDEMOCRACY• RULE BY THE PEOPLERULE BY THE PEOPLE

TWO MOST FAMOUS TWO MOST FAMOUS CITYSTATESCITYSTATES• ATHENSATHENS• cultural achievements cultural achievements

during the 5th century during the 5th century BCE laid the BCE laid the foundations of foundations of western civilizationwestern civilization. .

• ECO BASED ON TRADE ECO BASED ON TRADE AND SEAFARINGAND SEAFARING

• BIRTHPLACE OF BIRTHPLACE OF DEMOCRACYDEMOCRACY

• SPARTASPARTA• ECO BASED ON ECO BASED ON

FARMINGFARMING• MILITARY BASEDMILITARY BASED• PRACTICED PRACTICED

OLIGARCHYOLIGARCHY

WARSWARS• PERSIAN WARS, 490 – 481 BCEPERSIAN WARS, 490 – 481 BCE• GREEK CITYSTATES LED BY ATHENS AND GREEK CITYSTATES LED BY ATHENS AND

SPARTA VS. PERSIAN EMPIRESPARTA VS. PERSIAN EMPIRE• GREEK VICTORY GREEK VICTORY

• PELOPONNESIAN WARS, 431 – 404 BCEPELOPONNESIAN WARS, 431 – 404 BCE• ATHENS VS. SPARTAATHENS VS. SPARTA• SPARTA VICTORYSPARTA VICTORY• SPARTA DOMINATED GREEK CITYSTATESSPARTA DOMINATED GREEK CITYSTATES

FAMOUS GREEKSFAMOUS GREEKS• SOCRATESSOCRATES• 469 BC – 399 BC 469 BC – 399 BC • classical Greekclassical Greek AthenianAthenian

philosopherphilosopher • A founder of A founder of Western philosophyWestern philosophy • PlatoPlato and and XenophonXenophon, famous , famous

students students • Socratic methodSocratic method, type of , type of

pedagogypedagogy in which a series of in which a series of questions are asked not only to questions are asked not only to draw individual answers, but also draw individual answers, but also to encourage fundamental insight to encourage fundamental insight into the issue at handinto the issue at hand

• knowledge of the man, his life, knowledge of the man, his life, and his philosophy is entirely and his philosophy is entirely based on writings by his students based on writings by his students PlatoPlato, X, Xenophonenophon, , AristotleAristotle, and , and AristophanesAristophanes

SOCRATESSOCRATES• Rather than upholding a status quo and accepting Rather than upholding a status quo and accepting

the development of what he perceived as the development of what he perceived as immorality within his region, Socrates questioned immorality within his region, Socrates questioned the collective notion of "might makes right" that the collective notion of "might makes right" that he felt was common in Greece during this period. he felt was common in Greece during this period. Plato refers to Socrates as the "Plato refers to Socrates as the "gadflygadfly" of the " of the state (as the gadfly stings the horse into action, state (as the gadfly stings the horse into action, so Socrates stung various Athenians), insofar as so Socrates stung various Athenians), insofar as he irritated some people with considerations of he irritated some people with considerations of justice and the pursuit of goodness. His attempts justice and the pursuit of goodness. His attempts to improve the Athenians' sense of justice may to improve the Athenians' sense of justice may have been the source of his execution. have been the source of his execution.

Death of SocratesDeath of SocratesJacques-Louis David (1748–1825)Jacques-Louis David (1748–1825)

SOCRATESSOCRATES• found guilty of both corrupting the found guilty of both corrupting the

minds of the youth of Athens and of minds of the youth of Athens and of impietyimpiety ("not believing in the gods of ("not believing in the gods of the state"), and subsequently the state"), and subsequently sentenced to death by drinking a sentenced to death by drinking a mixture containing mixture containing poison hemlockpoison hemlock. .

• ““THERE IS ONLY ONE GOOD, THERE IS ONLY ONE GOOD, KNOWLEDGE, AND ONE EVIL, KNOWLEDGE, AND ONE EVIL, IGNORANCE.”IGNORANCE.”

PLATOPLATO• 429-349 BCE429-349 BCE• ClassicalClassical GreekGreek philosopherphilosopher, ,

mathematicianmathematician, , studentstudent of of SocratesSocrates

• founder of the founder of the AcademyAcademy in in AthensAthens, the first institution of , the first institution of higher learninghigher learning in the in the Western worldWestern world

• helped to lay the foundations of helped to lay the foundations of Western philosophyWestern philosophy and and sciencescience

• FAMOUS LITERATURE, FAMOUS LITERATURE, THE THE REPUBLICREPUBLIC

• WROTE WROTE DIALOGUESDIALOGUES, BOOKS, , BOOKS, WHICH WERE CONVERSATIONS WHICH WERE CONVERSATIONS BETWEEN A CHARACTER BETWEEN A CHARACTER NAMED SOCRATES AND OTHER NAMED SOCRATES AND OTHER ATHENIANSATHENIANS

PLATO’S REPUBLICPLATO’S REPUBLIC• The RepublicThe Republic • Socratic dialogueSocratic dialogue written by written by PlatoPlato around 380 BC concerning the around 380 BC concerning the

definition of definition of justicejustice and the order and character of the just and the order and character of the just city-statecity-state and the just man and the just man

• MAIN IDEA: HIS VISION OF A PERFECTLY GOVERNED SOCIETYMAIN IDEA: HIS VISION OF A PERFECTLY GOVERNED SOCIETY• ANTI-DEMOCRACYANTI-DEMOCRACY• SOCIETY OF 3 GROUPSSOCIETY OF 3 GROUPS• 1 FARMERS AND ARTISANS1 FARMERS AND ARTISANS• 2 WARRIORS2 WARRIORS• 3 RULING CLASS3 RULING CLASS• A PHILOSOPHER-KING WOULD BE CHOSEN FROM THE RULING A PHILOSOPHER-KING WOULD BE CHOSEN FROM THE RULING

CLASS.CLASS.

ARISTOTLEARISTOTLE• 384 BC – 322 BC384 BC – 322 BC• GreekGreek philosopherphilosopher, a , a

studentstudent of of PlatoPlato and and teacher of teacher of Alexander the GreatAlexander the Great. .

• His writings cover His writings cover many subjects many subjects

• founding figure in founding figure in Western philosophy Western philosophy

ARISTOTLEARISTOTLE• RULES OF LOGICRULES OF LOGIC• SUMMARY OF KNOWLEDGE OF THE SUMMARY OF KNOWLEDGE OF THE

TIMESTIMES• BASIS OF THE SCIENTIFIC METHODBASIS OF THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD• TUTOR OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT, TUTOR OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT,

SON OF PHILIP OF MACEDONIASON OF PHILIP OF MACEDONIA• FOUNDED SCHOOL CALLED THE FOUNDED SCHOOL CALLED THE

LYCEUM WHICH RIVALED THE ACADEMYLYCEUM WHICH RIVALED THE ACADEMY

ALEXANDER THE GREATALEXANDER THE GREAT• July 356 – 10/11 June July 356 – 10/11 June

323 BC 323 BC • By the age of thirty, he By the age of thirty, he

had created one of the had created one of the largest empireslargest empires of the of the ancient worldancient world, , stretching from the stretching from the Ionian SeaIonian Sea to the to the HimalayasHimalayas

• He was undefeated in He was undefeated in battle and is considered battle and is considered one of history's most one of history's most successful commanders successful commanders

• Alexander's legacy includes the Alexander's legacy includes the cultural diffusioncultural diffusion his his conquests engenderedconquests engendered

• He founded some He founded some twenty cities that bore his nametwenty cities that bore his name, , most notably Alexandria in Egyptmost notably Alexandria in Egypt

• Alexander's settlement of Greek colonists and the Alexander's settlement of Greek colonists and the resulting spread of Greek culture in the east resulted resulting spread of Greek culture in the east resulted in a new Hellenistic civilization, aspects of which were in a new Hellenistic civilization, aspects of which were still evident in the traditions of the Byzantine Empirestill evident in the traditions of the Byzantine Empire

• He became the measure against which military He became the measure against which military leaders compared themselves, and military leaders compared themselves, and military academies throughout the world still teach his tacticsacademies throughout the world still teach his tactics