Around the Aegean

1. Around the Aegean Foundations Classical Era

2. What were the geographic influences in the development of the Greek city states and later empire? • Greece depended entirely on rainfall for agriculture • rocky terrain - overland travel, trading, and communication very difficult • Small city-states developed - commerce was linked to the sea

3. In what way are the geographical influences different for the development of Greek civilization than river valley civilizations and those in the Americas? • Crete and Greek mainland civilizations were the results of the fertilizing influence of previously established civilizations • Few natural resources & unsuitable farming land = import lots of food • Seaborne trade results in commercial and political relations with other peoples in the region

4. How was Persian religious experience different than other early civilizations? • Persians believed that water was not to be damaged and worshiped fire at special altars • continued to worship some major deities from their pagan past • Zoroastrianism fostered the belief in one supreme deity, encouraged moral and ethical virtues, and promised salvation • Believed that individuals would be rewarded or punished in the afterlife for their actions

5. Democracy in Greece? Accidental or Inevitable? • Citizenship was eventually extended to all free, adult males • Greek democracy was not truly “democratic” because a sizable portion of the population (women, slaves, and immigrants) were not citizens • It was a daring and influential experiment with non-monarchal government

6. What is the relationship between the trade and wealth of the Athenians and their acknowledged legacy to knowledge? • Athenian wealth supported the arts and sciences, and traveling teachers • Athenians trained by Sophists had an advantage in politics and the courts • Socrates was brought to trial for corrupting Athenian youth and introducing unorthodox religious beliefs • His trial revealed intellectual, social, and political divisions in Athens and changed the course of intellectual life. • Plato’s Academy became an institution for higher education. The “Socratic method” of question and answer became a new way of reaching a deeper understanding of intellectual issues

7. What connection do you see between the ancient battle of Greece and Persia and present day conflicts? • The Persian Wars began when Persia responded to a revolt of Greeks in Persian-controlled territories • Today the western world and the Middle East still have conflicts of belief surrounding religious, cultural and social ideals

8. How was the culture of Greece dispersed and allowed to become their greatest legacy? • The Hellenistic Age - from about 323 to 30 B.C.E. • During the Hellenistic Age, Greek culture acted as the dominant influence on northeastern Africa and western Asia • The city of Alexandria in Egypt epitomized the Hellenistic Age through its art and architecture, its great library, and its cosmopolitan culture • Greeks culture remained a powerful influence on these areas

9. How do the political strengths of the Persian Empire contribute to its expansive nature over time and space? • The empire was divided into twenty provinces, each ruled by a Persian satrap or governor. • The Persians also maintained their control by building patrolling the royal roads • Darius was also famous for his law code, “law of the King.” • The Persians succeeded because they were willing to adapt to local circumstances, to learn from those with experience, and to utilize the skills of non-Persians.