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Ancient Greece. Heroes, Epics and City States. Geography – Mountains & Seas. Ancient Greece was divided by mountains Ancient Greece was united by the Aegean Sea. Mycenae. The first Greeks centered their culture on the city of Mycenae
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Ancient Greece Heroes, Epics and City States
Geography – Mountains & Seas Ancient Greece was divided by mountains Ancient Greece was united by the Aegean Sea
Mycenae • The first Greeks centered their culture on the city of Mycenae • Mycenaean culture was dominated by a warrior elite equipped with bronze weapons • Mycenaean culture valued personal heroism • These cultural ideas were taught to young Greek men through the Epic poetry of Homer
The Dark Age • Mycenaean culture declined during the Dark Age • Learning, trade, food production and population declined • The dark Age ended when… The Greeks developed iron technology • This allowed for better tools and more food More food led to growing population and colonization • Colonization led to increased trade and the adoption of an alphabet (alpha – beta) based on the sophisticated Phoenician alphabet Colonies were created in many places • Southern Italy and Sicily • The Black Sea coast • Southern France • The North African Coast
Iron and Political Participation • The advent of Iron technology led directly to Iron Weapons and the rise of broader political participation • Hoplites demanded power in exchange for their military service • This political participation was always centered on a single polis – never on Greece as a whole • Greece developed several types of government, including Monarchies, Aristocracies, Democracies, and Oligarchies
The Polis • The Polis was the center of Greek life • Individual identity was attached to particular poleis • The beating heart of the Polis was the Agora and the Acropolis • The Agora was a marketplace were products were bought and sold and ideas were exchanged • The Acropolis was a fortress and the home of political assemblies • Citizens enjoyed certain privileges and also were required to fulfill certain responsibilities • The most important responsibility was to serve in the army as a Hoplite
Sparta • Sparta developed a unique expression of Greek culture • Sparta dominated the Peloponnese • Sparta was small but conquered Messenia • Messenians were enslaved and called helots • Messenians outnumbered Spartans 8 to 1 • Spartans were taken by the state at age 7, became soldiers at age 18, lived in the barracks until 30 and remained part of the army until age 60
Athens • Athens also was unique • Athens was the largest Polis in Greece • The government was controlled by the Aristocracy – the rich • Eventually a tyrant called Cleisthenes seized power and changed the government of Athens • Cleisthenes allied himself with the common people, and received in exchange their support He threw out the aristocrats and created a a new government • Cleisthenes is considered the father of Athenian democracy