Chapter 7 The Greek Adventure

1. Chapter 7The Greek Adventure Three epochs of ancient Greek history Mycenaean Age Hellenic period Hellenistic Age

2. Geography and Political Development

3. Geography and Political Development • Little suitable land, no large flat areas for large-scale farming • No place is farther than 80 miles from the sea • Has always been easier to travel and trade by sea than by land • Geography also encouraged political fragmentation • Own sense of community and identity • Only secondarily shared common culture and language

4. Mycenaean Civilization • Mycenaeans were nomadic Indo-Europeans, settled into towns • Our knowledge comes from archaeological excavations and epic poems, the Iliad and the Odyssey • Trojan War – probably caused by Mycenaean trade rivalry with Troy • Minoan culture was wide-ranging empire • Both partner and rival of Mycenaeans • Mycenaeans destroyed settlements • Minoan civilization disappeared • Mycenaeans engaged in extensive internal warfare • Fell to the Dorians • Dark Ages then began as culture declined

5. Early Hellenic Civilization • The Polis (pl poleis) • Community of adult free persons making up a town • Could be any size – Athens had nearly 300,000 population • Each polis saw itself as political and cultural unit, but also as part of distinct “Greek” culture • Polis was the frame of reference for all public life

6. Early Hellenic Civilization • Not everybody was a citizen • Women were excluded • Many resident aliens • Many slaves • Included only free males over age 20 • Each polis had roughly same economic and demographic design • Town of varying size, surrounded by farms, pasture, woods • Artisans, traders, import-export merchants, intellectuals, artists etc. • Most Greeks were peasants, workers

7. Athens and Sparta • Two poleis dominated Greek life and politics • These came into conflict • Four types of government known to the Greeks • Monarchy • Aristocracy • Oligarchy • Democracy

8. Early Athens • Original monarchy forced aside by aristocrats • Aristocrats gave way to oligarchs • Most important oligarch was Solon • Oligarchs gave him supreme power to deal with discontent • He established a constitution • Pisistratus made himself sole ruler, gave concessions to common people • Cleisthenes • True founder of Athenian democracy • Believed the people should have the last word in their government

9. Athenian Democracy • Ekklesia – town meeting • All free male Athenians, met on ad hoc basis • All could speak freely • All could be elected • Boule • Council of 500 citizens, served 1-year terms • Day-to-day legislature, executive • Supervised civil and military affairs • All male citizens would serve at least one term • Deme • Territorial unit • Could select certain number of boule members

10. Athenian Democracy • Ostracism • “Pushing out” of citizen who did not conform to will of others • Person had to go into exile, lost all rights of citizenship • Democracy • Was actually a very abnormal system of government • Quite daring when introduced • Not used again until 18th century • Probably some poleis adopted similar governments • There was resistance even within such poleis

11. Spartan Militarism • Sparta differed from Athens in almost every way • Messenian Wars – Sparta fought with nearest neighbors, won • Defeated people became near-slaves – helotry • Sparta became nation of soldiers and their helpers • Economic needs largely met by captive helots • Worked the fields, did all crafts, commerce • Spartans devoted all their energies to military arts

12. Spartan Militarism • Spartans held arts in contempt, rejected individualism • Public life meant total obedience • Government headed by ephors – elected officers • Most Greeks admired Spartan way of life • Self-discipline, courage, rigid obedience, physical vigor • Single-minded patriotism • Sparta was conservative, non-aggressive state • Army was so large, feared, that rarely had to be used • Actually became peaceable polis

13. Persian Wars • Through 5th century, Athens and Sparta were both concerned with keeping independent of foreign threat – Persia • First Persian War • Athenian victory • Athens went to aid of rebellious Persian colonies • Persian emperor Darius sent army to Greece • They were defeated at Marathon in 490 BCE

14. Persian Wars • Second Persian War • Even more decisive Greek victory • Other poleis helped Athens • Spartan troops defeated Persians at Thermopylae in 480 • Athenian navy defeated Persians at Salamis • By end of these wars, Greece had decisively turned back Persia • Crucial turning point for western civilization

15. Peloponnesian War431-404 BCE • No harmony among Greeks after Persian Wars • Athenians under Pericles in conflict with Corinth, a Spartan ally • When Sparta defended them, Pericles responded with war • Athens thought they could defend against Sparta indefinitely • War was an intermittently fought deadlock • In 404 Spartans defeated Athenian navy with Persian help • War was actually a loss for all concerned

16. Final Act in Classical Greece • Greeks continued to fight intermittently for two generations • Macedonians took over from north • Philip of Macedonia turned it into effective, aggressive state • Took over most of mainland • City states became provinces of Macedonian Empire • From now on, Greece would almost always be under foreign rule