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Ancient Greece: Rise and Fall of Mediterranean Societies

Explore the development of Greek society from Minoan and Mycenaean cultures to the emergence of city-states like Athens and Sparta. Learn about pivotal events such as the Persian Wars and the Peloponnesian War. Discover the influence of Greek colonization and the impact of Alexander the Great's empire. Dive into the Hellenistic period and the economic integration of the Mediterranean basin. Uncover the social structures, political turmoil, and cultural achievements that shaped this fascinating era.

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Ancient Greece: Rise and Fall of Mediterranean Societies

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  1. Chapter 9 Mediterranean Society: The Greek Phase

  2. Classical Greece, 800-350 BCE

  3. Early Development of Greek Society • Minoan Society • Island of Crete • Major city: Knossos • C. 2200 BCE center of maritime trade • Scholars unable to decipher Linear A script

  4. Decline of Minoan Society • Series of natural disasters after 1700 BCE • Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tidal waves • Foreign invasions • Foreign domination by 1100 BCE

  5. Mycenaean Society • Indo-European invaders descend through Balkans into Peloponnesus, c. 2200 BCE • Influenced by Minoan culture • Major settlement: Mycenae • Military expansion throughout region

  6. Chaos in the Eastern Mediterranean • Trojan war, c. 1200 BCE • Homer’s The Iliad • Sequel: The Odyssey • Political turmoil, chaos from 1100 to 800 BCE • Mycenaean civilization disappears

  7. The Polis • City-state • Urban center, dominating surrounding rural areas • Highly independent character • Monarchies • “Tyrannies”, not necessarily oppressive • Early Democracies

  8. Sparta • Highly militarized society • Subjugated peoples: helots • Serfs, tied to land • Outnumbered Spartans 10:1 by 6th c. BCE • Military society developed to control threat of rebellion

  9. Spartan Society • Austerity the norm • Boys removed from families at age seven • Received military training in barracks • Active military service follows • Marriage, but no home life until age 30 • Some relaxation of discipline by 4th c. CE

  10. Athens • Development of early democracy • Free, adult males only • Women, slaves excluded • Yet contrast Athenian style of government with Spartan militarism

  11. Athenian Society • Maritime trade brings increasing prosperity beginning 7th c. BCE • Aristocrats dominate smaller landholders • Increasing socio-economic tensions • Class conflict

  12. Solon and Athenian Democracy • Aristocrat Solon mediates crisis • Aristocrats to keep large landholdings • But forgive debts, ban debt slavery • Removed family restrictions against participating in public life • Instituted paid civil service

  13. Pericles • Ruled 461-429 BCE • High point of Athenian democracy • Aristocratic but popular • Massive public works • Encouraged cultural development

  14. Greek Colonization • Population expansion drives colonization • Coastal Mediterranean, Black sea • Sicily (Naples: “nea polis,” new city) • Southern France (Massalia: Marseilles) • Anatolia • Southern Ukraine

  15. Classical Greece and the Mediterranean basin 800-500 BCE

  16. Effects of Greek Colonization • Trade throughout region • Communication of ideas • Language, culture • Political and social effects

  17. Persian Wars (500-479 BCE) • Revolt against Persian Empire 500 BCE in Ionia • Athens supports with ships • Yet Greek rebellion crushed by Darius 493 BCE; routed in 490 • Successor Xerxes burns Athens, but driven out as well

  18. The Delian League • Poleis create Delian League to forestall more Persian attacks • Led by Athens • Massive payments to Athens fuels Periclean expansion • Resented by other poleis

  19. The Peloponnesian War • Civil war in Greece, 431-404 BCE • Poleis allied with either Athens or Sparta • Athens forced to surrender • But conflict continued between Sparta and other poleis

  20. Kingdom of Macedon • Frontier region to north of Peloponnesus • King Philip II (r. 359-336 BCE) builds massive military • 350 BCE encroaches on Greek poleis to the south, controls region by 338 BCE

  21. Alexander of Macedon • “the Great,” son of Philip II • Rapid expansion throughout Mediterranean basin • Invasion of Persia successful • Turned back in India when exhausted troops mutinied

  22. Alexander's Empire, ca. 323 B.C.E.

  23. The Hellenistic Empires • After Alexander’s death, competition for empire • Divided by generals • Antigonus: Greece and Macedon • Ptolemy: Egypt • Seleucus: Persian Achaemenid Empire • Economic integration, Intellectual cross-fertilization

  24. The Antigonid Empire • Smallest of Hellenistic Empires • Local dissent • Issue of land distribution • Heavy colonizing activity

  25. The Ptolemaic Empire • Wealthiest of the Hellenistic empires • Established state monopolies • Textiles • Salt • Beer • Capital: Alexandria • Important port city • Major museum, library

  26. The Seleucid Empire • Massive colonization of Greeks • Export of Greek culture, values as far east as India • Bactria • Ashoka legislates in Greek and Aramaic

  27. Trade and Integration of the Mediterranean Basin • Greece: little grain, but rich in olives and grapes • Colonies further trade • Commerce rather than agriculture as basis of much of economy

  28. Panhellenic Festivals • Useful for integrating far-flung colonies • Olympic Games begin 776 BCE • Sense of collective identity

  29. Patriarchal Society • Women as goddesses, wives, prostitutes • Limited exposure in public sphere • Sparta partial exception • Sappho • Role of infanticide in Greek society and culture

  30. Slavery • Scythians (Ukraine) • Nubians (Africa) • Chattel • Sometimes used in business • Opportunity to buy freedom

  31. The Greek Language • Borrowed Phoenician alphabet • Added vowels • Complex language • Allowed for communication of abstract ideas • Philosophy

  32. Socrates (470-399 BCE) • The Socratic Method • Student: Plato • Public gadfly, condemned on charges of immorality • Forced to drink hemlock

  33. Plato (430-347 BCE) • Systematized Socratic thought • The Republic • Parable of the Cave • Theory of Forms/Ideas

  34. Aristotle (389-322 BCE) • Student of Plato • Broke with Theory of Forms/Ideas • Emphasis on empirical findings, reason • Massive impact on western thought

  35. Greek Theology • Polytheism • Zeus principal god • Religious cults • Eleusinian mysteries • The Bacchae • Rituals eventually domesticated

  36. Tragic Drama • Evolution from public presentations of cultic rituals • Major playwrights (5th c. BCE) • Aeschylus • Sophocles • Euripides • Comedy: Aristophanes

  37. Hellenistic Philosophies • Epicureans • Pleasure, distinct from Hedonists • Skeptics • Doubted possibility of certainty in anything • Stoics • Duty, virtue • Emphasis on inner peace

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