Ancient World History

Ancient World History Chapter 5 Ancient Greece 1750 – 133 B.C.

Section 1 • Early people of the Aegean

2 Ancient Greece

Minoan Civilization • Europa, Phoenician princess, married the king of Crete, then spread her name to a new continent – Europe • Crete, near the Aegean Sea was home to a brilliant early civilization • Named after Minos, a legendary king of Crete • Success was based on trade • Acquired ideas and technology through trade contact with Egypt and Mesopotamia

Minoan Civilization (Con’t) • The Palace of Knossos • Housed the rulers of Crete • included religious shrines dedicated to the honor of gods and goddesses • Walls covered with colorful frescoes • worshipped bulls and a mother goddess • A Civilization Disappears • By about 1400 B.C. civilization disappeared • Likely invaded by Mycenaeans, first Greek-speaking people of whom we have a written record

Rulers of Mycenae • Mycenaean civilization was an Indo-European people • Successful Sea Traders • Mycenaean civilization dominated the Aegean world for about 200 years • Absorbed Egyptian and Mesopotamian influences, which were passed on to the Greeks • Built separate city-states • The Trojan Wars • Took place around 1250 B.C. • An economic rivalry between Mycenae and Troy • Troy controlled the vital straits, or narrow water passages, connecting Mediterranean and Black Seas • Considered initially by many as legend, however proven fact with the last 100 years

The Age of Homer • Fall of the Mycenaean civilization led to the rise of the Dorians from the north • Also a Greek-speaking peoples • Epic Poems, Iliad and Odyssey, which described the life the Greek people from 1100 – 800 B.C. • Tradition say Homer wrote told these stories through oral history • Later written down after Homer died

The Age of Homer (Con’t) • Iliad is the chief source of information about the Trojan War • Achilles, mightiest Greek warrior, stubbornly avoids joining the war until friend killed • Odyssey • Struggles of Greek hero Odysseus return home to his faithful wife, Penelope, after fall of Troy • These writings reveal Greek beliefs • Heroes display honor, courage, and eloquence

Looking Ahead • Dorians, though not major sea traders initially, evolve into one of the most influential civilizations

Section 2 • The Rise of Greek City-States

Geography of the Greek Homeland • Mountains and Valleys • Greece is part of the Balkan peninsula, into the Mediterranean Sea • Built many small city-states, cut off from one another • Fiercely defended their independence from each other

Geography of the Greek Homeland (Con’t) • The Seas • Seas were a vital link to the outside world • contains many safe harbors for ships • Became skilled sailors, carrying materials and ideas • Expanded the Phoenician alphabet, creating base for all western languages • Greeks traveled all over the Mediterranean Sea

Governing the City-States • City-States (called polis) were designed with a hilltop acropolis and walled main city below • Many cities were small, allowing people to be involved in community triumphs and ills • Early Governments • Initially ruled by monarchies • Eventually moved to an aristocracy • rule by a landholding elite • However as trade expanded, and middle class arose, an oligarchy style government resulted • power by a small, powerful elite people

Governing the City-States (con’t) • Change in Warfare • Creation of iron weapons, allowed ordinary people to become involved in warfare • Evolution of warfare to Phalanx • massive formation of heavily armed foot soldiers • Led to the creation of two opposite cities • Sparta • Stressed military virtues and stern discipline • Athens glorified the individual and extended political rights to more citizens

Sparta: A Nation of Soldiers • Dorians who conquered Laconia, or Peloponnesus • Southern part of Greece • Turned the conquered people in helots • State-owned slaves that worked the land • Spartan government included two kings and a council of elders who advised the monarchs • Citizens were male, native-born Spartans over the age of 30 • The Rigors of Citizenship • Age of seven, boys began training for a lifetime in the military • age 20, man could marry, but continued to live in the barracks for another 10 years

Sparta: A Nation of Soldiers (Con’t) • Women • Expected to produce healthy soldier boys • Given the opportunity to inherit property • Sparta and its neighbors • Looked down on trade, travel, new ideas and wealth

Athens: A Limited Democracy • Worked its way from a monarchy style government to an aristocracy • Demands for Change • While an aristocracy, there was a great deal of discontent over the power of the nobles • Slowly began moving towards a democracy • government by the people

Athens: A Limited Democracy (Con’t) • Solons Reforms • Appointed archon (chief official, in 594 B.C. • He outlawed debt slavery and freed those who had already been sold into slavery for debt • basically expanded rights to more people • Encouraged more trade of wine and olive oil • Led to the rise of tyrants • people who gained power by force

Athens: A Limited Democracy (Con’t) • Later Reforms • Athenian tyrant Pisistratus gave land and loans to farmers • Reformer Cleisthenes broadened citizen roles in government • created a genuine legislature • law making body • debated laws before deciding to approve or reject them

Athens: A Limited Democracy (Con’t) • Limited Rights • Compared to other civilizations during this time period, Athenians were very active in the political process • Though by today’s standards, there were no many rights for individuals

Athens: A Limited Democracy (Con’t) • Women • Lacked status under the Athenian culture • They did “womanly things” and were relatively secluded • Education for Democracy • Boys attended school if their families could afford it • Girls were not able to attend school • Studied to become skilled speakers, military training, and athletics

Forces for Unity • Despite divisions, Greeks spoke same language, honored the same ancient heroes, participated in common festivals and prayed to the same gods • Religious Beliefs • Polytheistic • Believed that gods lived on Mount Olympus • Most powerful Olympian was Zeus • Aphrodite goddess of love • Ares god of war • Athena, goddess of wisdom (mother of Athens) • built temples and festivals • consulted oracles, priests or priestesses

Forces for Unity (Con’t) • View of Non-Greeks • Greeks held high regard for themselves compared to other civilizations • called them barbaroi, which is the root for barbarian • Including Phoenicians and Egyptians

Section 3 • Victory and Defeat in the Greek World

The Persian Wars • King Darius of Persia demanded the Athenians and Spartans to surrender to Persia • Both Greek city-states threw the messengers into a well • Athens was the wealthiest Greek city-state • However Persia was a very powerful empire as well

The Persian Wars (Con’t) • Victory at Marathon • Darius wanted to punish Athens for interfering with Ionian Greek city-states (who were under the rule of the Persians) • Darius sent a fleet of fighters to punish Athens • They met at the city of Marathon • Athenians, though greatly outnumbered, drove the Persians back to their ships • Began the Persian Wars

The Persian Wars (Con’t) • Renewed Attacks • Darius’ son Xerxes, sent a bigger army back to Greece in 480 B.C. • The Greek states were more united this time • Battle of Thermopylae • Spartan King Leonidas, held out against the Persian forces • However, ultimately losing the battle • Battle of Themistocles • Athenians filled their fleet of ships, and ultimately took down the naval fleet of the Persians

The Persian Wars (Con’t) • Results • Greek victories against the Persians, renewed the own uniqueness • Athens emerged as the most powerful city-state of Greece • Athens organized the Delian League, an alliance with the order to protect Greece from Persia • Alliance is a formal agreement between two or more nations or powers to cooperate and come to one another’s defense • Ultimately Athens used the Delian League to rebuild Athens and force control over other Greek City-States

Athens in the Age of Pericles • Years after Persian Wars led to the golden age for Athens with Pericles as the head statesman • Political Life • Direct Democracy • a large number of citizens take direct part in the day-to-day affairs of government

Athens in the Age of Pericles (Con’t) • Political Life (Con’t) • Periclean Democracy • All male citizens should take part in government • pay stipend for members who participated • fixed salary • Serve on juries • A panel of citizen who have the authority to make the final judgment in a trial • Also received stipends • Athenians would ostracize citizens who posed a threat to the democracy • Send away

Athens in the Age of Pericles (Con’t) • The Funeral Oration • Pericles gave a speech praising democracy • still considered by many as the earliest and greatest expressions of democratic ideals • The Economic Cultural Life • During Pericles reign, they rebuilt the acropolis • new temples and colossal statues were built

The Peloponnesian War • Resentment toward Athenians pride, created a rival to the Delian League • Sparta started the Peloponnesian League, which supported an oligarchy style government, as opposed to democracy • Greek against Greek • Sparta had a geographical advantage against Athens in the war • Sparta was inland, able to avoid the powerful Athenian navy fleet • Ultimately Sparta allied with Persia and defeated the Athenian army

The Peloponnesian War (Con’t) • The Aftermath of War • Athenian economy was revived, however corruption and selfishness ruined many of the ideas of service from government • Greek city-states continued to battle between each other, until a leader from Macedonia rose and took control

Section 4 • The Glory that was Greece

Greek Philosophers • Philosophers challenged the idea that Gods were in control of the universe • “Lovers of Wisdom” • They used a great deal of Logic • Rational Thinking • Ethical Issues • Greatly questioned ethics versus morality • developed skills in rhetoric • the art of skillful speaking

Greek Philosophers (Con’t) • Socrates • An Athenian stonemason and philosopher • Most of what we know about Socrates comes from his student Plato • Used the Socratic Method, • pose a series of questions to his students and challenge them to examine the implications of their answers • help students to seek truth and self-knowledge • Ultimately was tried and received the death penalty for a crime of “corrupting the youth”

Greek Philosophers (Con’t) • Plato • Death of Socrates led Plato to dislike Democracies • Setup a school called the “Academy” • emphasized the importance of reason • Wrote the book The Republic describing his vision of an ideal state • argued that the state should regulate every aspect of its citizens’ lives in order to provide for their best interests

Greek Philosophers (Con’t) • Aristotle • Plato’s most famous student • Analyzed all governments and decided that a single strong and virtuous leader was the best • Reason should be the guiding force for learning • Set up a school for the study of all branches of knowledge • same pattern used 1,500 years later for the development of colleges

Architecture and Art • Architecture • Greek architects sought to convey a sense of perfect balance to reflect the harmony and order of the universe • Parthenon was a temple dedicated to the goddess Athena • Sculpture and Painting • By 450 B.C. Greek sculptors had developed a new style to emphasized natural poses • trying to show individuals in their ideal/perfect form

Poetry and Drama • Greek literature began with the epics of Homer • Beginnings of Greek Drama • Literature was from the field of drama, that evolved out of religious festivals • performed outside with little to no scenery • Great deal of use of masks to show emotions

Poetry and Drama (Con’t) • Tragedy • Plays that told stories of human suffering that usually ended in disaster • purpose was to stir emotions of pity and fear • Antigone • Sophocles explored what happens when an individual’s moral duty conflicts with the laws of the state • Ultimately the playwrights stressed that people, not gods, were the cause of human misfortune • Comedy • Humorous plays that mocked people or customs • Generally sharply criticized society, much as political cartoonists do today

The Writing of History • Herodotus was called the “father of history” in the western world • Live through and wrote about the Persian Wars and the Peloponnesian War • He stressed the importance of research and to avoid bias

Section 5 • Alexander and the Hellenistic Age

Alexander the Great • To the Greeks, Macedonia was a backwards area • Phillip’s Dream • Phillip of Macedonia hired Aristotle to teach his son Alexander • Phillip used threats, bribery, and diplomacy to gain power and influence • In 338 B.C. he brought all of Greece under his control • He dreamed of taking over the Persian empire, however he was assassinated • murder of a public figure, usually for a political reason • Then Alexander ascended to the throne

Alexander the Great (Con’t) • Conquest of Persia • At the age of 20, Alexander amassed an army to take on the famed Persian Empire • Alexander won his first victory against the Persians at the Granicus River • Led to more and more victories across the Persian Empire, until all of the Persian Empire was under Alexander’s control • Onward to India • Crossed the Hindu Kush into northern India • though they did not lose a battle, Alexander’s soldiers forced him to retreat back to Babylon

Alexander the Great (Con’t) • Sudden Death • While planning another conquest, Alexander died of a sudden illness • Leaving no one to take over his empire • For 300 years, their descendants competed for power over the lands Alexander had conquered

The Legacy of Alexander • His most lasting achievement was the spread of Greek culture • A Blending of Cultures • Created many new cities, many of them named after himself • Built Greek Statues and temples from Greece, Egypt to India • Local people assimilated Greek Ideas, and spread the eastern ideas back to Greece • absorbed • The Hellenistic Culture emerged following Alexander’s death • Blending of Greek, Persian, Egyptian, and Indian Influences

The Legacy of Alexander (Con’t) • Alexandria • The heart of Hellenistic Civilization was the city of Alexandria in Egypt • Home of great diversity of goods and peoples • Also home to the Pharos or “Lighthouse of Alexandria” • They built a museum which contained laboratories, lecture halls, and a zoo • Also had a library that housed many of the scrolls from the ancient world • However it burned in a fire

The Legacy of Alexander (Con’t) • Opportunities for Women • Women were no longer restricted to their homes during the Hellenistic period • Even Cleopatra came to power in Egypt

Hellenistic Civilization • New Schools of Thought • Political turmoil allowed the rise of Stoicism philosophy • accept calmly whatever life brought to you • preached high moral standards and rights of fellow humans

Ancient World History