Ancient Greek Civilization

Ancient Greek Civilization 500-323 B.C Arko Bagchi

Geography • Greece is a peninsula about 189 times bigger than Singapore in the Mediterranean Sea. • It’s very close to Egypt & the old Persian empire (includes Turkey) and Rome.

Geography • Greece is mountainous • Ancient Greek communities often developed independently because of the mountains, thus they were diverse • As a result, they fought each other a lot for power & resources

Technology results from necessity • Since Greek coastal cities were sandwiched between the ocean and the sea, they developed an awesome navy for trading and fighting. • They fought amongst themselves and with other nations for power & wealth.

Technology results from scarcity • All cities need fresh water. This is a Greek aqueduct, basically a brick water pipe for distribution of water in the areas away from source.

Terrace farming designed by the Greeks saves water and soil in mountainous environments where there was shortage of good water supply and fertile land Technology results from scarcity

Greek Inventions • The Greeks invented dice. (They use to play lot of board games and gamble a lot : )

Greek Invention • The Greeks invented the crane and many other equipment still used in modern days .

Greece – The Birth of Olympics According to history the first OLYMPICS took place in 776 BC. They became a central aspect of Greek culture and in many ways were the most important factor uniting the Greeks, except for their language and mythology.

Greece – The Birth of Olympics The Greeks were the original Olympians. Their scientists studied the best way to perform sports!!

Greek Architecture • Greeks invented arches and columns. • This obviously took advanced mathematics to design and construct.

More Greek Architecture The Parthenon

The Acropolis of Athens Erechtheion Erechtheum King’s Shrine Theater of Dionysius Pinakotheke Parthenon Stoa of Eumenes Odeum of Herodes Atticus (Roman) Sanctuary of Asclepius More Greek Architecture

Greek Military- Art of warfare • This is a catapult, a Greek invention. • It could throw 300 pound stones at walls and buildings to demolish enemy habitats

Greek Military • The picture of a Hoplite, a Greek infantry soldier. • Hoplites were middle-class freemen who had to pay for their own weapon and shield.

Greek Military • This is a phalanx. • Soldiers got in a tight box. They each had a large shield and a 9 foot long spear.

Flame-thrower!!!!!

Greek religion was polytheistic. Polytheism is the worship or belief in multiple gods

Political: Athens was the first democracy. • Democracy: type of government where people vote. • Well, actually, Athens was a direct democracy where people voted on everything.

Political: democracy In the Assembly, every male citizen was not only entitled to attend as often as he pleased but also had the right to debate, offer amendments, and vote on proposals. Every man had a say in whether to declare war or stay in peace. Basically any thing that required a government decision, all male citizens were allowed to participate .

Political terms • All of Greece wasn’t a democracy. • Most of Greece was a monarchy a type of government ruled by a king or queen. • At right is Pericles, a good king of Athens.

Sparta • Sparta was an isolated city-state that was culturally and politically different from Athens. • Sparta was an oligarchy, government ruled by a few. They had 2 kings. • During the Peloponnesian Sparta sacked Athens.

Sparta • Spartan society was obsessed with war. • Boys were sent to military school at a young age. • Boys who are born unhealthy were left to die on mountainsides

Athens • Athenians were tough but were encouraged to engage in activities like art, philosophy, music.

Alexander the Great • Alexander was not from Athens, but Macedonia. • Alexander was a brilliant military strategist. • He was one of the greatest ruler of all times

Alexander conquered the Persian empire and controlled the largest empire the world has ever seen.

Alexander spread Hellenistic culture throughout Asia. • Hellenistic is a fancy word for Greek. • Alexander spread Greek technology and ideas throughout his empire

Greece – The rise and fall Greek civilization started around 2000 B.C. By 1600 B.C., the Greek people had built fortified cities in the major valleys and many people were educated. Greece then had several wars, including the Trojan War around 1200 B.C., which threw them into what is known as the Dark Age. During the DARK AGE, knowledge of writing was lost and most people lived in isolated villages. The Dark Age ended in about 800 B.C when the Greeks started to write again with an alphabet based on that of the Phoenicians. During that time, many city-states emerged and struggled with each other for power for hundreds of years after that. In 480 B.C., the Greeks UNITED to defeat the invading Persians, but the alliance didn’t last long. Around 477 B.C., two city-states, ATHENS AND SPARTA, became the dominant powers in that region and constantly fought each other for power. Greece had its GOLDEN AGE in Athens around 477 - 431 B.C.

Greece – The rise and fall In 334 B.C., ALEXANDER THE GREAT, leader of the country of Macedonia to the north, conquered the Greeks and started what is called the HELLENISTIC AGE. Greece unwillingly remained under Macedonian control until the Romans conquered both Macedonia and Greece around 140 B.C. The ROMANS then spread the knowledge of the ancient Greek philosophers throughout their empire. The Roman Empire lasted as a unified empire until 395 A.D. when it was split into the eastern and western empires. Greece became part of the eastern or BYZANTINE EMPIRE and Greek literature became the basis for learning in Byzantine institutions, especially in Constantinople, its capital. When Constantinople was destroyed by the Turks in 1453 A.D., the Greek literature stored there spread to the rest of Europe and helped start the RENAISSANCE.

Thank you!

Ancient Greek Civilization