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Chapter 10

Chapter 10. Mediterranean Society: The Greek Phase. Early Development of Greek Society. Minoan Society 2000 BCE Island of Crete Major city: Knossos C. 2200-1450 BCE center of maritime trade Undeciphered syllabic alphabet (Linear A). Decline of Minoan Society.

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Chapter 10

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  1. Chapter 10 Mediterranean Society: The Greek Phase

  2. Early Development of Greek Society • Minoan Society 2000 BCE • Island of Crete • Major city: Knossos • C. 2200-1450 BCE center of maritime trade • Undeciphered syllabic alphabet (Linear A)

  3. Decline of Minoan Society • Series of natural disasters after 1700 BCE • Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tidal waves • Foreign invasions • Foreign domination by 1100 BCE (Mycenaean)

  4. Mycenaean Society • Indo-european invaders descend through Balkans into Peloponnesus, c. 2200 BCE • Influenced by Minoan culture • Major settlement: Mycenae • Military expansion throughout region • Anatolia, Italy, Sicily

  5. Chaos in the Eastern Mediterranean • Trojan war, c. 1200 BCE (Mycenaeans vs. city of Troy) • Homer’s The Iliad • Sequel: The Odyssey • Political turmoil, chaos from 1100 to 800 BCE • Mycenaean civilization disappears • “Dark Ages”

  6. The Polis • Local rule in absence of centralized state • City-state • Urban center, dominating surrounding rural areas • Highly independent character • Monarchies • “Tyrannies”, not necessarily oppressive • Early Democracies

  7. Sparta • Highly militarized society • Subjugated peoples: helots (servants to the Spartan state) • Serfs, tied to land--keep Sparta in food • Outnumbered Spartans 10:1 by 6th c. BCE • Military society developed to control threat of internal and external rebellion

  8. Spartan Society • Austerity (plainness or simplicity of style) the norm • Boys removed from families at age seven • Received military training in barracks • Active military service follows • Marriage, but no home life until age 30 • Some relaxation of discipline by 4th c. CE

  9. Athens • Development of early democracy • Free, adult males only • Women, slaves, immigrants excluded • Yet contrast Athenian style of government with Spartan militarism

  10. Athenian Society • Maritime trade brings increasing prosperity to Attica (area around Athens) beginning 7th c. BCE • Aristocrats benefit most from prosperity • Increasing socio-economic tensions • Class conflict between small landholders and aristocrats

  11. Solon and Draco Athenian Democracy • Aristocrat Solon mediates crisis • Aristocrats to keep large landholdings • But forgive debts, ban debt slavery • Removed restrictions based on lineage for participating in public life (just had to be wealthy) • Instituted paid civil service

  12. Pericles • Ruled 461-429 BCE • High point of Athenian democracy • He was an aristocrat • Massive public works • Encouraged cultural development (Philosophy, art, drama, etc.)

  13. Greek Colonization • Population expansion drives colonization • Coastal Mediterranean, Black sea • Sicily (Naples: “nea polis,” new city) • Southern France (Massalia: Marseilles) • Anatolia • Southern Ukraine

  14. Classical Greece and the Mediterranean basin, 800-500 B.C.E.

  15. Effects of Greek Colonization • Trade throughout region • Communication of ideas • Language, culture • Political and social effects (Brought the “City State”)

  16. Persian Wars (500-479 BCE) • Revolt against Persian Empire 500 BCE in Ionia • Athens support Ionians with ships • Yet Greek rebellion crushed by Darius 493 BCE; routed in 490 at Marathon • Successor Xerxes burns Athens, but driven out as well

  17. The Delian League • Poleis create Delian League (alliance) to forestall more Persian attacks • Led by Athens • Massive payments to Athens fuels Periclean expansion • Resented by other poleis

  18. The Peloponnesian War • Civil war in Greece, 431-404 BCE • Poleis allied with either Athens or Sparta • Athens forced to surrender to Sparta • But conflict continued between Sparta and other poleis

  19. Kingdom of Macedon • Frontier region to north of Peloponnesus • King Philip II (r. 359-336 BCE) builds massive military • 350 BCE encroaches on Greek poleis to the south, controls region by 338 BCE

  20. Alexander of Macedon • “the Great,” son of Philip II • Rapid expansion throughout Mediterranean basin • Invasion of Persia successful 330 BCE • Turned back in India when exhausted troops mutinied • Died of “illness” 323 BCE

  21. Alexander's empire, ca. 323 B.C.E.

  22. The Hellenistic Empires---The age of Alexander and his successors • After Alexander’s death, competition for empire • Divided by generals • Antigonus: Greece and Macedon • Ptolemy: Egypt • Seleucus: Persian Achaemenid Empire • Economic integration, Intellectual cross-fertilization

  23. The Antigonid Empire • Smallest of Hellenistic Empires • Local dissent • Issue of land distribution

  24. The Ptolemaic Empire • Wealthiest of the Hellenistic empires • Established state monopolies • Textiles • Salt • Beer • Capital: Alexandria • Important port city • Major museum, library

  25. The Seleucid Empire • Massive colonization by Greeks • Export of Greek culture, values as far east as India • Bactria • Ashoka legislates in Greek and Aramaic

  26. Trade and Integration of the Mediterranean Basin • Greece: little grain, but rich in olives and grapes • Colonies further trade • Commerce rather than agriculture as basis of much of economy

  27. Panhellenic Festivals • Useful for integrating far-flung colonies • Olympic Games begin 776 BCE • Sense of collective identity

  28. Patriarchal Society • Women as goddesses, wives, prostitutes • Limited exposure in public sphere • Sparta partial exception • Sappho--poet • Role of infanticide in Greek society and culture--male choice

  29. Slavery • Scythians (Ukraine) • Nubians (Africa) • Sometimes used in business • Opportunity to buy freedom

  30. The Greek Language • Borrowed Phoenician alphabet • Added vowels • Complex language • Allowed for communication of abstract ideas • Philosophy

  31. Socrates (470-399 BCE) • The Socratic Method • Student: Plato • Public gadfly, condemned on charges of immorality • Forced to drink hemlock • “An unexamined life is not worth living”

  32. Plato (430-347 BCE) • Systematized Socratic thought • The Republic “Philosopher Kings” • Parable of the Cave • Theory of Forms/Ideas “Our world is not genuine reality”

  33. Aristotle (389-322 BCE) • Student of Plato • Broke with Theory of Forms/Ideas • Emphasis on empirical findings, reason • Massive impact on western thought

  34. Greek Theology • Polytheism • Zeus principal god • Religious cults • Eleusinian mysteries--cults • The Bacchae--Dionysus • Rituals eventually domesticated

  35. Tragic Drama • Evolution from public presentations of cultic rituals • Major playwrights (5th c. BCE) • Aeschylus • Sophocles • Euripides • Comedy: Aristophanes

  36. Hellenistic Philosophies • Epicureans • Pleasure as the greatest good, distinct from Hedonists • Skeptics • Doubted possibility of certainty in anything • Stoics • Duty, virtue • Emphasis on inner peace

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