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Ancient Greece. Chapter 4. The Physical Environment. Peninsulas, mountains, & islands = isolated city-states Tectonic activity (earthquakes & volcanoes) Warm, Mediterranean, climate = outdoor activities. The Minoan Civilization. 2700-1450 B.C. on the Island of Crete
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Ancient Greece Chapter 4
The Physical Environment • Peninsulas, mountains, & islands = isolated city-states • Tectonic activity (earthquakes & volcanoes) • Warm, Mediterranean, climate = outdoor activities
The Minoan Civilization • 2700-1450 B.C. on the Island of Crete • Named after King Minos • Palace at Knossos (NAH SUHS) • Traded with Egypt & Greece • Murals (Frescos) of sports & nature • Suddenly ended: • earthquake on the island of Thera? • invaded by the Mycenaeans?
Myths & Legends • The Minoans ascribed religious or magical power to dancing and to the remarkable athletic performance now known as bull leaping. • Minoan reverence for the bull is probably reflected in Greek myths of later days • The interrelated tales of Minos and of Theseus and the Minotaur, or the tale of Hercules and the Cretan bull.
Pithoi The people of ancient Crete’s Minoan culture used many-handled jars called pithoi for the storage of oils or grains. Minoans also used the jars as vessels for human burial.
Mycenae (MY SEE NEE) • 1600-1100 B.C. in Southern Greece (Peloponnesus) • The first “Greek” city-state • Indo – Europeans • Each city had its own Monarch • They lived in fortified palaces that were built on hills & surrounded by walls • Were buried in beehive shaped tombs called Tholos • Ended because of civil war & invasion from the north • Greece enters a “dark age”
The Trojan War???? • The Trojan War was supposed to have been fought between Mycenae (Greece) and Troy (Turkey) • There really was a King Agamemnon @ 250 B.C. • We have found the ruins of Troy (modern Turkey) • We don’t know if there really was a war • If there was a war, it would have probably been fought over the Dardanelles, not over a woman
The Iliad & the Odyssey • Homer (“The blind poet”) given credit • Epic Poems = heroism (Arête = excellence) • Recited from memory, the Greeks did not use writing at the time • The Iliad: the Trojan War (10 years) • Agamemnon = brother of the King of Sparta • Paris = Prince of Troy, & “kidnapper” of Helen • Helen = the most beautiful women in the world, wife of the king of Sparta who fled Sparta with Paris • “she was the face that launched a thousand ships” • The Odyssey: ten years to travel home from the Trojan • Odysseus = hero of the Trojan War trying to get back home: • Penelope = wife of Odysseus
The Dark Ages of Greece • Cause & effect: • the Mycenaean civilization is destroyed - the population & food production decrease • the population & food production decrease - people began to migrate & set up colonies • Settling colonies = more trade & sharing culture • Ionia = Asia Minor (Anatolia) • Aeolia = North & Central Greece & islands • Doria = Southwest Greece (Peloponnesus) & the Aegean islands (including Crete) • the most famous colony is the city-state of Byzantium • Byzantium = Constantinople = Istanbul • Becomes the capital of the Byzantine Empire AKA the Eastern Roman Empire)
The City - State • Polis= city • Independent from each other • Controlled the surrounding territory • Political, social, & religious centers • Acropolis = fortified refuge, usually located at the top of a hill • Agora = open area in the middle of town, usually used as a market place or a place to assemble
Greek Military • cavalry soldiers = aristocracy • infantry = peasants = Hoplites • Round shield • Short sword • 8 ft. spear • Helmet with a mohawk of feathers • Marched in phalanx (FAY LANX) = shoulder to shoulder in a rectangular formation
The People • Adult males = citizen • Had the right to vote in assembly • Greek Women & Children = citizens • without the right to vote • Slaves & resident aliens = non-citizens • no rights
Types of Greek Government • Aristocratic rule • a few rich landowners controlled everything • Tyranny = seized power from the aristocrats by force • supported by the rich merchants & the poor landowners that owed money to the aristocracy • Kept control with paid soldiers (mercenaries) • Oligarchy = rule by the few (Sparta) • Democracy = rule by the many, or rule by the people (Athens)
Tyranny • Cause & effect • A Lack of farmland = colonization • Colonization = increased trade/wealth • increased trade/wealth = tyranny • The people liked the Tyrants • Hired solders to maintain order, & built markets, temples, & city walls to keep the people happy • Most of the Tyrants were replaced soon after they came to power, because the Greeks believed in the rule of law
Sparta • Located on the Peloponnese Peninsula • Conquered neighbors & made them serfs (Helots) • Military government • wanted to remain isolated so that outside ideas could not pollute the minds of the people • Women had more freedoms than anywhere else in the ancient world because they ran the households & farms while their men lived in the barracks
Spartan Oligarchy • Military state: • Ephors • 5 (annually) elected officials in charge of education & conduct of citizens • Council of elders • 2 kings + 28 male citizens over 60 • Got to debate issues • The assembly • all male citizens over 30 • Could vote but did not get to debate issues • Stratified society: • Citizens = Spartan men, women, & children • Helots = slaves (people the Spartans conquered)
Military State • All babies were inspected by government officials when they were born, if the weren’t good enough they were “exposed” on the side of a mountain • All males citizens had to join the army: • entered training when they were 7 • joined the army when they were 20 years old • They were required to get married at 20, but lived in the military barracks until they were 30 • had to eat all meals at the public dining hall (black broth) • they couldn’t retire until they were 60
Athens • Located on the Attica peninsula • an oligarchy of aristocrats took control of politics • 594 B.C. They aristocrats appointed Solon as ruler • an attempt to avoid civil war • many peasants could not pay their debts to the wealthy landowners • He was replaced with the tyrant Pisistratus who gave all the land to the poor peasants • the peasants rebelled & put Cleisthenes in power • he created a council of 500 & gave more power to the assembly • established the basis of Athenian Democracy • Democracy = “the rule of the many,” government by the people, either directly or through their elected representatives
The Persians are Coming!!! • Ionia (the Greek Colony on the coast of Anatolia) was taken over by the Persian Empire (Darius I) • 499 B.C., Athens tried to help the Ionians rebel (they failed) • 490 B.C. Persia attacked Greece (to pay them back) • The Athenians won the battle at Marathon • Pheidippedesran 26 miles to Athens to tell everyone the good news, then died • 480 B.C., Xerxes, Darius’ I son, invaded Athens • 7,000 Greeks v. 180,000 Persians • Thermopylae Pass • 300 Spartans were especially brave, but they were betrayed • the people of Athens abandoned their city • The unified Greeks army called the Delian League defeated the Persians
Classical Greece • The Delian League continued to “protect” all of the Greek city-states after the Persian but Athens had all the power • Pericles was the democratically elected leader of Athens • “The Age of Pericles” & “the school of Greece” • Direct Democracy • paid public officials = poor people could take part in government • rebuilt Athens including the Acropolis (Delian $) • 10 elected generals ran policy in Athens • Ostracism = banned for 10 years
