World History

Chapter Four

Section Two

Greek City-States

• Geography • Mountains divide it into isolated valleys• Because of the geography Greeks did not

develop empires like the Egyptians• City-states were independent and fought

to keep it that way• Climate of Greece is warm – free men

spent a lot of time outside in the marketplace – debated issues of the city

Life By Sea

• Sea provided link to outside world

• Hundreds of harbors and bays for ships

• Became skilled sailors

• Traded - olive oil, wine, marble

• Brought back grains, metals and ideas

• Adopted the Phoenician alphabet – turning it into the alphabet base for all western alphabets

City-State Government

• Polis – made up of major city and the surrounding countryside – city-state

• City built in two levels:• One – acropolis – high city on top of hill• with temples built of marble dedicated to gods

and goddesses• Two - Below the acropolis was the main city• Walled city with marketplace, theater, homes,

public buildings

City-States

• Population of the city-states was small

• This caused the community to be close knit

• Citizens – free residents of the city

• Male land owners had all the political power

Government

• Ruler of a polis was a king

• Monarchy – type of government with king

• Nobles used to defend the king – then they took power for themselves

• Only they could afford bronze weapons and chariots – military defenders of the city-state

Government

• Aristocracy – rule by landholding elite

• Wealthy Merchants challenged the land-holding elite for power and began to dominate the city-states

• This type of government was called an oligarchy – power in the hands of small group of wealthy elite

Warfare in Greece

• Changes in military technologies

• Bronze weapons were replaced with iron

• Iron was cheaper and stronger than bronze

• Ordinary people could own swords and armor

• Phalanx – massive tactical formation of heavily armed soldiers – requires strict training with other soldiers – creating a strong bond between soldiers

Make a chart in your notes:Like this:

• Sparta: • Athens:

Sparta

• Sparta - warrior society

• Descended from the Dorian's and enslaved the Mycenaean's

• Slaves called - helots – made them work the land

• Helots outnumbered the rulers so Spartans had a strict and brutal control system

Sparta Government

• Sparta had two kings and a council of elders that were advisors to the monarchs

• An assembly of citizens approved all major decisions, such as going to war

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

• Ephors – officials • five of them were elected to run daily affairs

of Spartans

Spartan Life

• Life ruled by discipline

• From childhood Spartans trained to be a military society

• Babies were examined and unfit babies were abandoned to die

• Wanted future soldiers – so they had to be healthy

Boys

• At age of seven – boys taken from family and sent to live in barracks to begin military training

• Coarse diet, exercised, rigid discipline• Made youth excellent soldiers• To develop cunning they were encouraged to steal

food – if caught they were beaten• At 20 a man could marry but had to live in the

barracks for another ten years and eat there until he was 40

Women

• Girls also had a rigorous upbringing• Expected to produce healthy sons for the army• Required to exercise and keep bodies fit• Had to obey husband and father• They did have right to inherit property• Men were occupied with war so the women

took care of running the estate

Sparta Alone

• Isolated themselves from other Greeks• Looked down on trade and wealth• Did not let their citizens to travel• Little use for art or new ideas• Admired for military skills their life was not

imitated by other Greeks• “Spartans were willing to die for their society

because there was no reason to live”

Athens

• Located in Attica, north of Peloponnesus• Evolved from monarchy to aristocracy• Landowners had power and they chose officials,

judged court cases, dominated the assembly• People became upset with the power of the land

owning nobles• They wanted more rights in Athens• Athens became a democracy due to the discontent

of the people

Athens

• Democracy – government by the people• Different type of democracy then we have• Solon – appointed to the position of archon –

chief official – made reforms• Outlawed debt slavery and freed those sold into

slavery for debt

Solon

• Economic Reforms – encouraged the export of wine and olive oil

• Helped farmers by increasing demand for products

• Even with all of Solon’s improvements most positions were only open to wealthy and citizenship was still limited

Unrest

• People were still unhappy – this led to tyrants - taking control by force –

• Had support from the merchants and poor because they would pass reforms to help these people

• Tyrants often governed well – word now means a vicious and brutal ruler

Pisistratus

• Athenian Tyrant – seized power in 536 BC

• Gave farmers loans and land that was taken from nobles

• Building projects gave jobs to the poor

• Weakened aristocracy by giving the poor more power

Cleisthenes

• Broadened role of citizens role in government

• Set up a council of 500 – members chosen from all citizens over 30

• Made the assembly an official legislature – law making body

• Debated laws before approving or rejecting them

• All male citizens were members and expected to participate

Limited Democracy

• Athenian Democracy was limited compared to modern standards

• Only citizens could participate in government • Citizens were only land holding men• Women, merchants, foreigners , slaves excluded• Gave people more input than any other society

of the time

Women of Athens

• No role in politics• “The man is by nature fitter for command than

the female just as an older person is superior to a younger, more mature person” – Aristotle

• Most people accepted this view• Most important role was in religion• Participated in sacred ceremonies and it was

considered vital for society

Women

• In wealthy homes women managed the estates• Spun, wove, cared for children, prepared food• Lived in seclusion and were rarely seen in public• Slaves were sent to the market or to the well to get

water• Poor women worked outside the home, tending

sheep, spinning wool, weaving, potters

Youth

• Girls received little if any formal education• Boys went to school if their family could afford it• Learned to read, write, music, poetry, public

speaking – as citizens would have to voice their views

• Received military training but not like Spartans• Athens focused on acquiring knowledge

Common Culture

• Lived divided but they shared commonalties – same language, honored same heroes, same festivals, prayed to the same gods

Religion

• Greeks were polytheistic• Gods lived on Mt. Olympus in northern

Greece• Zeus was the most powerful – ruled over

godly and human affairs• Children – Ares – war, Aphrodite – love,

Athena – wisdom, gave her name to Athens

• Held festivals to honor gods and goddesses• Processions, sacrifices, feasts,

performances, singing, athletic competitions• To find out the will of the gods, they

consulted oracles – priests or priestesses that could speak to the gods

Foreigners

As trade grew they came in contact with outsiders

• Called them Barbaroi – people who did not speak Greek – felt superior to them

• Barbarian – comes from this term

• “Barbarians” – Phoenicians and Egyptians, who the Greeks borrowed ideas and inventions from