Bellringer for 10/10/12

1. Bellringer for 10/10/12 • What do you know about Greek mythology. • If you don’t know anything, why would this religion be important to the Greeks. • 3-5 sentences.

2. Bellringer for 10/11/12 • Which 3 Greek gods/goddesses do you think were most important?

3. Greek Civilization Chapter 5

4. The Culture of Ancient Greece Section 1

5. Greek Mythology • Myths • Traditional stories about gods and heroes • Mythology expressed people’s belief in many gods and goddesses • Believed the gods and goddesses affected people’s daily lives and shaped events • The reason the most impressive buildings were temples

6. Greek Gods and Goddesses • Greeks believed gods and goddesses controlled nature • Zeus • Ruled the sky and threw lightning bolts • Demeter • Made the crops grow • Poseidon • Caused earthquakes

7. Greek Gods and goddesses • The 12 most important gods and goddesses lived at Mount Olympus, the highest mountain in Greece. • Zeus chief god/ god of sky, rain, and lightning • Athena goddess of wisdomand crafts • Apollo god of the sun/light and poetry • Ares god of war • Aphrodite goddess of love • Poseidon god of the seas and earthquakes • Hera goddess of marriage • Artemis goddess of the hunt and wild animals; twin sister of Apollo • Hermes messenger of the gods; god of the market • Hestia goddess of the home • Hades god of the underworld

8. Zeus

9. Athena

10. Apollo

11. Ares

12. Poseidon

13. Hermes

14. Hades

15. Greek Gods and Goddesses • Greek gods and goddesses were not thought to be all powerful • According to Greek myths, even though gods had special powers, they looked like human beings and acted like them • They married, has children, fought, and played tricks on one another and fought wars • Greeks sought the favor of the gods • As a result, they followed many rituals • Prayed to gods • Gave gifts to gods • They hoped the gods would grant good fortune in return

16. Greek Gods and Goddesses • Greeks also believed in an afterlife • Believed once they died, their spirits would go to a gloomy world beneath the earth ruled by Hades

17. What Was A Greek Oracle? • Greeks believed each person had a fate • Believed certain events would occur regardless • Believed in prophecy (prediction about the future) • To find out about the future, many Greeks visited an oracle a sacred shrine where a priest or priestess spoke for a god or goddess • The most famous oracles was at the Temple of Apollo at Delphi • The oracle room was deep inside the temple. • The room had an opening in the floor where volcanic smoke hissed from a crack in the earth.

18. Oracles • A priestess would sit on a tripod and listen to questions • A priest would translate their answers • The answers were often in the form of riddles • Croesus • Asked oracle if Greece should go to war with Persia • Oracles replied that if he attacked the Persians, he would destroy a mighty empire • Croesus declared war on the Persians • The Persians crushed the Greeks

20. Poetry and Fables • Epics earliest Greek stories that told about heroic deeds • Homer • Wrote the Iliad and the Odyssey • These were based upon stories from the war between Greece and the city of Troy

21. Iliad • A prince of Troy kidnaps the wife of the king of Sparta • The kidnapping outrages the Greeks • The king of Mycenae and the brother of the king of Sparta lead an attack on Troy • The battle lasted 10 years • The Greeks eventually build a huge wooden horse with Mycenaean warriors inside and give it as a gift to the Trojans • The Trojans begin to celebrate and the Greeks come out of the wooden horse and capture the city.

22. Odyssey • Tells the story of Odysseus • Describes his journey home from the Trojan War • He faces storms, witches, and giants before returning to his wife • This journey took 10 years. • Homer would become a role model for Greek boys

23. Aesop • Aesop wrote fables • Fables are shorts tales that teach a lesson • In most of his fables, animals talk and act like people • “The Tortoise and the Hare”

24. Greek Drama • Drama a story told by actors who pretend to be characters in the story • in a drama, actors speak, show emotion, and imitate the actions of the characters they represent • Tragedy a person struggles to overcome difficulties but fails • Comedy the story ends happily

25. Famous Playwrights • Aeschylus • Oresteia • Describes what happens when the king of Mycenae returns home from the Trojan War • Teaches that evil acts cause more evil acts and suffering • The moral people should not seek revenge • Sophocles • Used three actors in his stories instead of one or two • Placed painted scenes behind the stage as a backdrop • Oedipus Rex • Antigone

26. Famous Playwrights • Euripides • More down-to-earth characters • Showed war as cruel and women and children as victims • Aristophanes • Made fun of leading politicians and scholars • Encouraged the audience to think as well as laugh.

27. Greek Art and Architecture • Made pottery, paintings • Architecture • Parthenon • Greek columns

28. Greek Philosophy and History Section 2

29. Greek Philosophers • Philosophy “love of wisdom” • This led to the fields of history, political science, science, and mathematics • Philosophers believed the human mind could understand everything • Pythagoras • Taught pupils the universe followed the same laws that governed music and numbers • Believed all relationships in the world could be defined by numbers • Pythagorean theorem

30. Who Were the Sophists? • Sophists were professional teachers in ancient Greece • They traveled from city to city and made a living by teaching others • They did not believe the gods and goddesses influenced the people • Rejected the idea of absolute right or wrong • Believed what was right for one person might be wrong for another

31. The Ideas of Socrates • Socrates was a critic of the Sophists • He was an Athenian sculptor • Left no writing behind • Believed an absolute truth existed and all knowledge was within each person • Socratic Method • Asked pointed questions to force his pupils to use reason and to see things for themselves. • Some Athenian leaders considered the Socratic Method to be a threat to their power • 399 BC, leaders accused Socrates of teaching young Athenians to rebel against the state • Drank poison to carry out a jury’s sentence

33. The Ideas of Plato • Plato was one of Socrates’ students • Republic • Explains his ideas about government • Plato decided democracy was not a good form of government • In Republic, he describes his ideal government • Philosopher kings at the top • Warriors • Rest of the people

34. Who Was Aristotle? • Plato established a school in Athens known as the Academy • Aristotle was the best student here • Wrote more than 200 books • 335 BC, he opened his own school, the Lyceum • Here he taught the “golden mean” • a person should do nothing in excess • Ex. A person should not eat too little or too much

35. Aristotle • Wrote Politics • Divided government into three types • Government by one person, such as a monarch or tyrant • Government by a few people like an aristocracy or oligarchy • Government by many people as in a democracy • He thought the best government was a mix between government run by a few and by many.

36. Greek Historians • Herodotus wrote the history of the Persian Wars • In this book, Herodotus tried to separate fact from legend. • He asked questions, recorded answers, and checked the truthfulness of his sources • His book does contain some errors and he uses gods and goddesses to explain some events, Western historians consider him the “father of history” • Thucydides considered the greatest historian of the ancient world • He fought in the Peloponnesian War • After he lost a battle, he was sent into exile • There, he wrote his History of the Peloponnesian War

37. Alexander The Great Section 3

38. 431 BC

39. Macedonia Attacks Greece • Macedonia is north of Greece • Raised sheep and horses • Grew crops in their river valleys • Fought on horseback • Were looked down upon by the Greeks

40. A Plan to Win Greece • 359 BC Phillip II became king of Macedonia • He had lived in Greece as a young man • Admired everything about Greece • Phillip wanted to make a kingdom strong enough to defeat the Persians • Phillip wanted to unite his own kingdom with Greece • He began conquering city-states one by one • Demosthenes • Lawyer and one of Athens’ great public speakers • Gave several speeches warning Athenians that Phillip was a threat to Greek freedom • He urged other city-states to join Athens to fight the Macedonians

41. A Plan to Win Greece • The Peloponnesian War had left the Greeks weak • While some city-states joined to fight the invasion, but they were no match for Phillip’s forces. • 338 BC, Macedonians crushed the Greek allies at the Battle of Chaeronea • This battle gave Phillip control over most of Greece

42. Alexander Builds An Empire • Phillip planned to conquer the Persian Empire with the help of the Greeks, but Phillip was murdered • Alexander was 20 when he took over for his father • Phillip had carefully trained his son for leadership. • Alexander often went with his father to the battlefront • At age 16, he rose to commander in the Macedonian army.

43. Alexander’s Conquests • In the spring of 334 BC, Alexander invaded Asia Minor with about 37,000 Macedonian and Greek foot soldiers • Also had around 5,000 mounted warriors • Alexander won an early victory at Granicus • 333 BC, Alexander freed Greek cities in Asia Minor from Persian rule • Defeated a large Persian army at Issus • Winter 332 BC • Captured Syria and Egypt • Built city of Alexandria as a center of business and trade • This became one of the most important cities in the world

44. Alexander’s Conquests • 331 BC, Alexander headed east and defeated the Persians at Gaugamela, near Babylon • After this battle, his army easily overran the rest of the Persian empire • Over the next 3 years, .Alexander marched as far east as modern Pakistan • 326 BC, he crossed the Indus River and entered India • After a few bloody battles in India, Alexander’s soldiers refused to go any further.

45. Alexander’s Conquests • On the return trip, thousands of soldiers died from thirst and exhaustion as they marched through the deserts of modern day south Iran • 323 BC, Alexander returns to Babylon • He immediately began planning an invasion of southern Arabia • He then came down with a bad fever • 10 days after returning, he died.

47. Alexander’s Legacy • Alexander was a great military leader • Brave and even reckless • He often rode into battle ahead of his men • Alexander kept a copy of the Illiad under his pillow as a child • Inspired by Achilles • Because of his achievements and fame, he is now known as Alexander the Great.

48. Alexander’s Legacy • Legacy what a person leaves behind when he or she dies. • Alexander’s skill and bravery formed his legacy • He helped extend Greek and Macedonian rule over a vast area • He and his armies spread art, ideas, language, and architecture wherever they went in southwest Asia and northern Africa

49. Alexander’s Legacy • Alexander’s conquests marked the beginning of the Hellenistic Era • The word Hellenistic comes from a Greek word meaning “like the Greeks” • This refers to a time when the Greek language and Greek ideas spread to the non-Greek peoples

50. The Empire Breaks Apart • Alexander the Great planned to unite Macedonians, Greeks, and Persians in his new empire • He used Persians as officials an encouraged his soldiers to marry Asian women • After Alexander died, his generals fought one another for power • The empire Alexander had created will fall apart because of this