Name one of the “places” in Europe from our 5 themes.

(Hint: There are 6!)

Today you will be reading about Greece, but first, we are going to talk about some of the major terms and people.

Ancient Greece was a very influential part of European and even world history. They set the foundation for government, philosophy, art, and architecture that the world has built upon every since.

Looking at the topographic map of Greece, how might the geography of Greece influence it’s development?

n. An independent state made up of

a city and the territories surrounding it.

Ancient Greece was not one unified

country. Instead it was a collection of independent City-States that existed in the same area with similar cultures.

Many of these City-States did not get along and it was only when war broke out with another country, did they begin to think of themselves as being a unified country.

Despite both of these City-States developing in modern day Greece, Athens and Sparta were two very different places.

Because of these two different mindsets, the two often were at war with each other.

Sparta, however, was a rigid oligarchy and focused on war and abstinence, or denying oneself luxuries.

Athens was mostly peaceful and put more importance on things like art and philosophy.

n. A form of government by the people

In a democracy, each citizen can cast a vote

when there is an issue of law or representatives or leaders.

While many of the City-States of Greece used Monarchy or Oligarchy to rule, Athens, and then others, began to use Democracy as a form of government. Sparta, however, refused.

Unfortunately, only adult males were considered citizens meaning that women and children had little say in their government.

n. A period of great wealth, culture,

and democracy

The Golden Age of Greece is a time when Greece began to become more unified under Athens and followed it’s lead with democracy and a mindset of becoming greater.

During this time, Athens built the Parthenon and many important philosophers began to teach others about what they thought and had learned.

n., a person who examines questions

about the universe and searches for

the truth.

Greek philosophers often proposed Big Ideas about how the world works, how the human mind and soul works, and sought to understand the universe around them.

Famous philosophers from the Golden Age include Socrates and his student Plato, Euclid, who developed the mathematics of geometry, and Hippocrates, who helped to advance the field of medicine.

Alexander the Great was a famous leader who,

in 334 b.c.e, inherited the throne of a conquered

and unified Greece and then expanded it to include a large portion of Asia and parts of Africa as well.

His empire helped to bring Grecian ideas to farther places and spread their culture. However, Alexander died at the early age of 33 and with his death, his empire fell apart.

Turn to page 256 in your textbook!