Classical Greece and Ancient Rome
How did geography shape Greek life? Seas served as transportation routes and linked
most parts of Greece As the Greeks became skilled sailors, their
contact with outside societies increased, thereby increasing trade
Mountains covered ¾ of Ancient Greece Divided the land into many different regions
Greeks developed many different governments Gave loyalty to local communities
Uneven terrain made transportation difficult Greece had a varied climate
Many outdoor social events
How did Mycenaean Civilization develop? Located in southern
Greece Well-fortified city Sometime after 1500
BC, Mycenaean’s came into contact with Minoans Learned the importance
of sea trade Adopted Minoan writing
system Decorated vases with
Minoan designs
What was the Trojan War? 1200 BC Ten year war against Troy Legend says that Greek
army destroyed Troy because a Trojan prince kidnapped Helen, the beautiful wife of the Greek king
Many historians did not believe the war occurred, but archaeological digs suggest that it did
What happened to Greek culture under the Dorians? Dominated Greece after
the collapse of Mycenaean civilization
Economy collapsed, trade stopped and Greeks temporarily lost the art of writing
During this time, the Greeks developed a rich set of myths about their Gods Sought to understand the
mysteries of nature through these myths
How were Greek city-states ruled?
Many different forms of governmentMonarchy: KingAristocracy: RichOligarchy: Rule by a few powerful people
Athenian Democracy Democracy: Rule by the
people First democratic reforms
under Draco-all people were equal under the law
Solon made more far-reaching reforms, followed by the reforms of Cleisthenes
The early democracy was limited, as only a small number of Athenian citizens could participate in the political process
Sparta Builds a Military State Located in the Southern part of Greece To protect their land, Sparta became a military state Government was organized into several branches All forms of individual expression were discouraged Spartans valued duty, strength and discipline over
freedom individuality and beauty Boys left home and began training for the military at
age 7 Men served until they were 60 Women also were trained to serve in the military
and put service to Sparta above all else
What were the Persian wars? Between Greece and Persia Although greatly outnumbered, the Greeks
won many early battles due to their order and discipline
Ten years later, another Persian ruler sent forces to crush Athens
At this time, the Greeks were greatly divided, however their expert military training allowed them to conquer the troops sent by Xerxes
Eventually they drove the Persians from the territories surrounding Greece and ended the threat for future attack
Pericles’ Plan for Athens Led much of Athens during the “Golden Age” Three Goals:
Strengthen Athenian Democracy Increased the number of salaried public officials Even poorest citizens could serve the empire Introduced direct democracy
Hold and strengthen the empire Made Athenian navy the strongest in the Mediterranean
Glorify Athens Beautified Athens Bought Gold, marble and ivory Paid architects, artists and workers
Greek Art and Architecture The Parthenon
Constructed in traditional Greek Style
23,000 square feet Honored Athena, the
goddess of wisdom and protector of Athens
Greek Sculptures Aimed to create figures that
were graceful, strong, and perfectly formed
Faces showed serenity Values of harmony, order,
balance and proportion were standard to classical art.
Greek Drama and History Drama
Tragedy Serious drama about
common themes such as love, hate, war or betrayal
Main character=Tragic Hero Tragic Flaw: Hero’s downfall
Comedy Scenes filled with slapstick
situations and crude humor History
Herodotus Greek who pioneered the
accurate reporting of events
Peloponnesian War
Sparta Athens Strong Army Located inland, not
easily attacked by sea
Were eventually able to overwhelm the Athenians
Victors in the war
Strong Navy Plague swept
through city during second year of war Killed 1/3 of
population Continued to fight
Major Greek Philosophers Socrates
No absolute standards for truth and justice Encouraged students to examine their beliefs
Plato Student of Socrates Set forth a vision for a perfectly governed society
Citizens fall naturally into three groups: Farmers and artisans, warriors and the ruling class
Aristotle Student of Plato Questioned the nature of the world and of human belief,
thought and knowledge Argued according to rules of logic His work provides the basis to the scientific method
How did Macedonia come to power? Just north of Greece 359 BC Phillip II became
king of Macedonia Organized the military that
was then used to conquer Greece
Greece was defeated in Battle of Chearonea
Phillip was stabbed to death at his daughter’s wedding, and his son Alexander, later known as Alexander the Great became the new Macedonian leader
Conquests of Alexander Persia
Raised army of 35,000 Went on the offensive Smashed the Persian defenses
Egypt Seen as a liberator and crowned pharaoh
Other Conquests Within a short time, his armies also controlled
Babylon, Susa and Persepolis Fought battles in India, but was never able to
conquer
What is Hellenistic Culture?
Blend of Egyptian, Persian and Indian InfluencesResult of Alexander’s conquests
Alexandria became the center of Hellenistic culture
The Origins of Rome
Built on seven rolling hills at a curve on the Tiber River in Italy
Earliest settlers arrived in prehistoric times
Latins built the original settlement at Rome
Greeks later built settlements near the city
The Early Republic Around 500 BC Romans decided that they would
never again be ruled by a king Established a Republic, a form of government in which
power rests with citizens who have the right to vote for their leaders
Voting rights were granted only to free-born male citizens
Patricians(wealthy, landowners) and Plebeians(commoners) struggled for power
Patricians and their senate had most of the power, but tribunes were formed to represent the Plebeians
Two officials, called consuls, served as the executive branch of government
How did Roman power spread? By 265 BC, Romans were masters of nearly all
of Italy There were different laws for each conquered
territory As long as they supplied troops for the Roman
army, Rome was friendly to those they conquered
These new allies and soldiers helped Rome grow to a lasting empire, far beyond Italy
Roman merchants also thrived as an accessible trade network linked Rome to other areas in the Mediterranean
The Punic Wars 264 BC Between Rome and Carthage Fought three wars, over several years First
For control of Sicily and western Mediterranean Lasted 23 years Carthage defeated
Second Mastermind was Hannibal from Carthage Wanted to avenge Carthage Assembled large army and sought to surprise Romans Inflicted great losses on the Romans, but Rome was able to hold
strong Third
Roman general Scipio led attack 202 BC Romans defeated Hannibal Burned Carthage
What caused the collapse of the Roman Republic? Economic Turmoil
Gap between rich and poor grew wider Eventually led to a period of Civil War between the two groups
Military Upheaval Generals began seizing greater power for themselves Promised land and money to soldiers who remained loyal to them Now possible for one leader to take control of empire
Julius Caesar Took control with Crassus, a wealthy Roman and Pompey, a
popular general Dominated Rome as a triumvirate (group of three leaders) Later they disbanded and begin to fight one another Eventually Caesar would gain control 44 BC he was declared emperor for lfe
Caesar’s Reforms
Granted citizenship to manyExpanded the Senate
Created jobsIncreased pay for soldiers
The Peak of Roman Power 27 BC to 180 AD Known as Pax Romana-Roman Peace Efficient government and able rulers Agriculture was most important industry Rome also had a vast trading network, both by
sea and land Complex system of roads
Enslaved conquered people Very similar to colonial system of slavery
Early Romans worshipped Gods and Goddesses Government and religion were linkied
The Life and Teachings of Jesus Born in Bethlehem in Judea Raised in Nazareth (Northern Palestine) Baptized by John the Baptist Carpenter At 30, Jesus began his public ministry Most of what we know about Jesus comes from the
Gospels Growing popularity worried Roman and Jewish
leaders Was crucified
Jesus’ birth, life and death gave rise to Christianity
Christianity Spreads After the death of Jesus,
Christianity spread Many Christians were
persecuted by the Romans, because they refused to worship the Roman Gods
312 AD: Roman emperor Constantine announced an end to the persecution of the Christians in Rome
Early Christian Church: Pope Bishop Priests
Roman Crisis Economy
Entered period of inflation
Harvests were meager because soil lost fertility
War had destroyed other farmland
Military Soldiers less disciplined
and loyal Government recruited
mercenaries from other countries, who felt little loyalty to empire
Reform in Rome 284 AD Diocletian
became new emperor Ruled with iron fist Restored order and
increased strength of empire
Divided the empire into sections, to make it easier to govern
His reforms were in vain, because after his death, Civil War began
Fall of the Western Roman Empire
Took place over several years Germanic invasions began as people
attempted to escape the Huns Western empire could not field and army to
stop them & Rome was plundered Soon, the Huns became a direct threat
United under Attila Terrorized Western and Eastern Empire
The Legacy of Rome Arts
Sculpture Mosaics Painting
Literature Similar to Greek literature Myths
Language Latin
Architecture Arch Dome Aqueducts Roads