The Legacy of Ancient Greece & Rome

The Legacy of Ancient Greece & Rome Chapter Two

Section 1 ~ Ancient Greece • Ancient Greeks are believed to have developed the 1st democracy • Democracy = “rule of the people” • The Greeks est. city states (aka polis; about 20,000 ppl) and the governments of these city states took several different forms…

Monarchy – a single person; usually ruled by a king • Aristocracy – government ruled by a small group of nobles. • Oligarchy – government ruled by a small group of very powerful people; usually merchants & nobles

Athens was the most powerful city-state… • Adult male citizens elected three nobles to run the city state • Thus representative democracy was born • After a year of service they became part of a council • About 600 BC – depression in Athens • Farmers began to pledge their crops, then land, & then themselves to pay debts • People became restless & aristocracy became concerned for their safety ~ Solon chosen to rule

Solon initiated limited reforms594 BC • Outlawed slavery based upon debt • Cancelled the farmer’s debts • Est. classes of citizens based upon wealth NOT heredity ~ citizens from the 3 highest classes could hold public office ~ all citizens could vote • Created the council of Four Hundred • Est. the legal principle that any citizen could bring charges against another person

Cleisthenes ~ 508 BC • Known as the Founder of democracy in Athens • Reorganized the assembly to be balanced b/t the rich & poor • Allowed citizens to submit laws for debate • Created the Council of 500… ~ proposed laws & counseled the assembly ~ members were chosen at random

Pericles • Leader after the Persian Wars • Increased number of paid public officials; including paying jurors • Athens becomes a direct democracy ~ citizens began to rule & make laws themselves; not through representatives

The Peloponnesian War • Athens vs. Sparta • Athens was the strong naval power • Sparta had a strong military • Sparta won … • plague struck Athens & wiped out somewhere between 1/3 & 2/3 of the population • Athens surrendered

Effects of War • Confidence in democracy was weakened • Weakened city-states made Athens vulnerable to the attack of Macedonians by Philip II (Alexander the Great’s father)

Philosophers • 400 BC intellectual movement began in Greece • Look at world through common set of assumptions… • Universe is put together in an orderly way & is subject to absolute – unchanging laws • Laws could be understood through logic & reasoning • B/c of logic, reasoning, and respect for intelligence democracy emerged & flourished

Socrates • Developed the Socratic Method • Challenged his students to challenge their beliefs

Plato • Studied under Socrates • Wrote “The Republic” – his version of the ideal government/society where the most capable would rule

Aristotle • Studied under Plato • Interested in studying the nature of the world & human beliefs • Most famous pupil was Alexander the Great • He taught ATG… philosophy, ethics, politics & had a great impact on his life

Religion • POLYTHEISTIC and did not all worship the same gods. • Some small villages worshiped the main gods and their own village gods. • There were hundreds of Greek gods (perhaps around 1,000). • Some of the most famous gods were Zeus, Hera, Apollo, Artemis, Poseidon, Aphrodite, Athena, Demeter, Hermes, Ares, and Hades. • ZEUS surpassed all other gods in spirit, wisdom and justice and his wife HERA was the queen of the gods.

SACRIFICES to please the gods were a major part of every Greek's religion. • Animal sacrifice -- generally a DOMESTICATED ANIMAL like a chicken, goat or cow. • When an animal was sacrificed, it was burned on top of an altar. After it was fully cooked, it had to be EATEN ON THE SPOT • Ancient Greeks believed that the god's spirit was within the animal sacrificed, and by eating the animal, the worshippers CONSUMED HIS POWER.

Architecture • The Greeks were “lovers of the beautiful” • The Parthenon—the temple to the goddess Athena--built on the summit of the Acropolis in Athens—best exemplifies classical Greek architecture • built under the rule of Pericles • Started 447 B.C. and finished 432 B.C. • Classical is characterized by beautiful simplicity and graceful balance.

The Parthenon’s graceful proportions perfectly balance width, length, and height, exemplifying the Greek ideal of the “golden mean” • This was part of the “Golden Age” of Greece • Greeks understood perspective • Columns thicker in middle…appear straight from all angles • Steps lower in center--appears straight • Creating perception of perfection

Art • Copied by the Romans • Set lasting standards • Other achievements in literature, art, drama, etc., many considered classics today. • Many Europe’s traditions/cultural standards began with “Golden Age”

Greeks emphasized the individual—thus excelled at portraying the human form • In both painting and sculpture • They painted murals but none survived. • Their works are captured on vases • Painting on vases were everyday scenes

Greek sculpture, like Greek architecture, reached its height in Athens during the time of Pericles • Before the Peloponnesian War, artists carved only deities and heroes • After the Peloponnesian War… • Sculptures were life-size, graceful, not powerful • Ordinary people • Myron sculpture’s depicted what people should look like rather than actual persons • Praxiteles carved ordinary people into life-sized statues

Drama & Theater • Were the first people to write and perform plays, presented twice a year to honor Dionysus • Earliest Greek plays were tragedies • Eventually the Greeks also wrote comedies, plays with humorous themes and happy ending

The Olympic Games • Believed healthy bodies made best use of nature’s gifts • First one took place in 776 BC • Held in Olympia every 4 years • Religious festival in honor of Zeus • Athletes came from all over Greek-speaking world

There were individual rather than team events • Foot races at first. Later, broad jump, discuss, jumping, boxing, javelin, etc. • Wives and daughters were NOT ALLOWED TO WATCH THE OLYMPIC GAMES as the participants in the games did not wear clothes. • Winners were crowned with wreaths of olive leaves • Parades held in honor of winners

Section 2 ~ Ancient Rome • As Greece was declining, a new civilization to west was emerging • Three groups fought to control the Italian Peninsula… • Greeks, Etruscans, & Latins • Latins won and became the Romans • Influence on the Romans… • Greeks – grapes, olives, & religion (gods) • Etruscans – architecture, alphabet, Kings, & rituals

509 BC, Roman aristocrats overthrew the last Etruscan King & set up the Republic (indirect democracy) • Patricians (aristocrats) & Plebeians (farmers, artisans, & merchants) fought for political struggle • Patricians (the senate) inherited wealth, power, & social status. • Plebeians (majority of population) had right to vote, but couldn’t hold impt. gov’t positions • The senate eventually allowed the Plebeians to form their own assembly & elect members called Tribunes.

Tribunes were able to get Roman law written down onto 12 tablets & hung in the Forum. Purpose?… protection under law & fair administration of law • Roman gov’t had separate branches… • Two Consuls – 1 over army & other over gov’t • Senate – had both legislative & administrative responsibilities • 300 members, from upper class, served for life • Assemblies – appointed consuls, & made laws • Had less power than Senate • Tribal – elected Tribunes & made laws for common people, later made laws for Republic • Dictator – used only in times in crisis, served only for 6 months, chosen by consuls & elected by Senate

Roman Law • Laws should be based on reason, justice, & protect citizens & their property • 528 BC, Emperor Justinian assembled legal scholars to create the Justinian Code, which consisted of 4 books: • The Code – contained Roman law • The Digest – opinions of Rome’s great scholars • The Institute – a textbook • The Novella – new laws passed It lasted for 900 years & is bases for some of our civil laws

Religion • Romans were influenced by the Greeks and adopted many of their Gods and gave them Roman names • But the Romans left their personalities intact • Early Romans were an agrarian society & the gods fit the daily needs of everyday life • They believed that gods lived everywhere & in everything • Jupiter, ruler of the other deities and spirits, was responsible for the rain

Impressive temples all over the Roman Empire • Every day, the ancient Romans brought offerings of meat and other items to at least one nearby temple. • Usually they visited more than one temple every day • Each home had a personal household god that kept things running smoothly

Roman Baths • Like a visit to a leisure center/spa than a quick scrub • Good place to meet people &business could be conducted

Games & Theater • Board games with counters and dice were very popular with the Romans • People in the countryside would hunt animals for fun as well as food • They went to the theatre to watch plays or listen to music • Actors often wore masks to show whether their character was sad or happy

Amphitheaters • Animals and people were sometimes killed for entertainment as part of shows • Specially trained slaves called GLADIATORS would fight each other • Sometimes they would fight wild animals like lions or bears • When a gladiator lost a fight the audience would decided whether he should die or live. • thumbs out if they wanted them to die. • to live they kept their thumbs in their hands so they couldn't be seen

The Legacy of Ancient Greece & Rome