The Greek World

1. The Greek World

2. Geography Greece is very mountainous • 75% of Greece is covered by mountains • Difficult to farm Surrounded by seas • Greece is located on the Balkan Peninsula • Made trade easier

3. Factors of Greece location Cut off by mountains and the seas • Isolated • Led to the formation of city-states • Limited interaction and unity of Ancient Greece • Created fierce rivalries • Sea became a vital link • Hundreds of bays to provide safe harbor for ships • Skilled sailors • Traded olive oil, wine, and marble • Returned with grains, metals, and ideas • Adapted the Phoenician alphabet • Became basis for all Western alphabets

4. Minoans • First Greek civilization • Located on the island of Crete • Palace of Knossos • Religion included animal sacrifices and offerings • Written script (Linear A) • Invading Mycenaean ended Minoan rule.

5. Mycenaean • First Bronze Age • More warlike than Minoans • Military adventures recounted in the poetry of Homer • Agamemnon, King of Mycenae (Troy) • Linear B (adopted from Linear A) • Declined due to war among rival kings or Dorian invaders

6. Homer • Ionian poet • Facts are debated • Epic poem • Iliad • Odyssey (Final days of Trojan War and ten years afterward)

7. Trojan War • Around 1260 BC • Troy was attacked • Due to Spartan King Menelaus’ wife abduction • Combined forces with brother, Agamemnon (King of Mycenae) War ended when a gift horse was delivered in to the walls of Troy

8. City States • Greece consisted of city states or “polis”. • Small communities • Clusters of farms and houses • Surrounding a fortified citadel or (acropolis) • Functioned as a unity against external enemies • Greatest city states • Athens • Sparta

9. Government • Political rights adult males • No political rights • Women & children • Slaves • Laborers • Resident aliens

10. Athens • Largest city state • Quarter of a million people • Came under control of tyrants • Pisistratus • Ruled for more than 30 years • Boosted trade abroad • Fostered the arts • Encouraging religious and cultural festivals

11. Athens • Located on the peninsula of Attica • Early Athens • Ruled by a king • 7th Century BC  oligarchy w/ aristocrats • A small group of people having control over a country, organization, or institution • Owned the best land and controlled political life

12. Athens • End of 7th Century • Political turmoil due to economic problems • Farmers were sold to aristocrats as slaves if they could not pay their debt  caused cries to give land to poor (Civil War in the near future?) • 594 BC – Solon takes control • Reform-minded aristocrat • Given power by the aristocrats • Cancelled all land debts

13. Athens • Solon (cont’d) • Freed people who had fallen into slavery • Refused to take land from rich to give to poor • Despite reforms, aristocrats were still powerful • Poor peasants could not obtain land • Reforms led to internal strife, leading to tyranny

14. Athens • 560 BC – Peisistratus now the leader • Athenian trade to please merchants • Unlike Solon, gave aristocrats’ land to poor to gain favor • 510 BC – Athenians rebelled against Peisistratus’s son • Two years later, Cleisthenes (backed by aristocrats) now leads

15. Athens • Cleisthenes (cont’d) • Created a council of 500 that dealt w/ foreign affairs, treasury, and proposed laws • Assembly (of men) given final authority to pass laws after open and free debate • Created foundation for Athenian democracy

16. Sparta • Did not gain new lands by starting them, but by conquering them • 730 BC – took over Messenia (larger size and population) • Messenians became serfs for Spartans • An agricultural laborer bound under feudal system to work on his lord’s land • Also known as Helots (Greek word for “capture”) • Thus creating a military state

17. Sparta • 800-600 BC – Spartans lived a very structured life style • Creating term of “spartan” meaning “highly self-disciplined” • Males: • Spent childhood learning military discipline • Enrolled in army at 20 • Allowed to marry but lived in barracks till 30 • At 30, allowed to vote in assembly

18. Sparta • Males (cont’d) • After 30, could live at home but stayed active in military duty till 60 • Females: • Lived at home (creating greater freedom of movement and power w/in household) • Expected to remain fit to bear and raise healthy children • Expected husbands and sons to be brave in war • “Come back carrying your shield or being carried on it”

19. Sparta • Government • Oligarchy (headed by two kings) • Ephors – group of five men responsible for education of youth and conduct of citizens • Council of elders (two kings and 28 citizens over 60) decide on issues that are presented to an assembly made of citizens • Not a debate, only voting

20. Sparta • Culture • Turned back on the outside world • Foreigners were discouraged from visiting • Not allowed to travel • Discouraged from studying philosophy, literature, and art (studying Art of War was ideal)

21. Sparta • Military state • Leadership of Lycurgus • Maintained a primitive monarchical government. • Relied solely on army for protection

22. Trade • Athens were excellent mariners • Colonies in Emporium (northern Spain) • Phasis (on the Black Sea) • Traded with the Etruscans in Italy • Phoenicians to the east • Stimulated economic growth and political development • Elite class and the city of Athens

23. Politics • Athens enter a democratic period for 200 years. • Liberty and equality • Excluded women and slaves • Three organs of government. • Areopagus • Council of Five Hundred • The Assembly

24. Crime and Punishment • The first use of juries in Athens coincided with the founding of Athenian democracy in 590 B.C. • A council ran both the government and the court system(the aristocrats). • Greek were as litigious as we are today! • Litigious: Quarrelsome, tending or wanting to take legal action.

25. Religion • Polytheistic • Influenced by Asian deities • Supreme god is Zeus • Mount Olympus- home of the gods • Acropolis had own god/goddess for protection • Parthenon • Athens temple dedicated to Athena

26. Myth and Folklore • Homer • Debated if he existed • Reason for the Trojan War • Debated as mythical • Odysseus • Folklore • Known for being cunning and deceitful

27. Classical Greece • Around 900 BC (after Mycenaean civilization) • Influx of Dorians (north) • Sea peoples (south) • Greek Dark Ages • Decline in Greek palace culture • Colonization across the Ionian coast

28. Religion • Polytheistic – belief in many gods • Major Gods/Goddesses lived atop Mount Olympus (highest in Greece) • Gods intervened with humans in daily life • Oft times to teach lessons • Zeus was the top dog • Favorite Weapon: thunder bolt • Myth…

29. Religion • Greeks created gods in the image of humans • Gods constantly fought among themselves, behaved irrationally, and were oft jealous of each other • Greek religion did not have a standard set of morals (i.e. No Ten Commandments) • Explained how the world came to be (i.e. Pandora’s Box and Hercules’ Labors)

30. Literature • Gods were oft put into literature (i.e. Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey) • Iliad – an epic poem about the events of the Trojan War • Odyssey – epic poem about the travels of Odysseus • Athens threw many dramas (plays) and citizens felt it was civic duty to attend as many as possible

31. Literature • Dealt with: important issues, posed tough questions, and educated theatergoers. • Gov’t would oft times pay for tickets • Literature was passed down from generation to generation by word of mouth • Wasn’t written until years later

32. Literature • Another type of poems – lyric • Sappho most famous lyric poet • Known for her writings about the world around her and focused on love and sexuality • Word “lesbian” comes from Sappho’s island of birth, Lesbos

33. Literature • Age of Pericles • 461-429 BC • Outdoor theaters were built • Scenes of actual wilderness became backdrops of the stage • Festivals were plays competed against one another • Always tribute the gods

34. Literature • Tragic • Strong central character/hero ultimately fails and is punished by gods

35. Philosophy • Socrates – found himself on trial for his teachings • Corrupting the youth of Athens • Drank hemlock (poison) • On trial for questioning the Athenian gov’t • Plato – student of Socrates • Wrote ideas down, unlike Socrates • Wrote The Republic stating ideal state (which was not very democratic)

36. Philosophy • Aristotle – Plato’s student • Very scientific mindset • Emphasized importance of observations and gathering of data • Believed Earth was center of universe • Hippocrates – student of medicine (Hippocratic Oath) • Pythagoras - mathematician (Pythagorean Theorem)

37. Peloponnesian War • Athens and Sparta were allies against Persia • Persian King Darius lead an attack on Athens • Due to Athens support of the Ionian city-state • Athens sent 20 ships • Led to the burning of Persian city of Sardis • Persians second attack by Xerxes, son of Darius • Successfully approached through the Thermopylae pass • Defeated at the Battle of Salamis by the Athenians

38. Peloponnesian War • Athens power and influenced rose • Land and capital • Upon Persia’s defeat, rivalry sparked • Athenian naval supremacy • Increased the wealth of the city • Broke the Greek alliance that was established during the Peloponnesian War • Envy rose against Athens • Sparta proved victorious • Outbreak of the plague (Pericles ) • The battle between Athens and Sparta was a war of land verse naval power

39. Pan-Hellenism • Hellenism- Greek culture/ideas • Delphi was the sanctuary • Located at the foot of Mount Parnassos • Considered the center of the earth • Dedicated to Apollo • Oracles directed in the matters of war, love and business • Amphyctionic League • Center of the sanctuary • Powerful political organization • Consist of Delphic priest

40. Olympia • Located in the Western Peloponnese • Dedicated to Zeus • First Olympic games held 776 BC • Commemorate the victory of Pelops in a chariot race • Attributed to Heracles

41. Hellenistic Empire Rise • Sparta used Persian support to build a fleet • Won the battle of Aegospotami in 405 BC • Athens became a vassal state of Sparta • Athens restored independence • Never regained power • Sparta was defeated by Thebes • 338 BC Ancient Greece became the new Hellenistic Empire.

42. Alexander the Great • Expanded Greek rule and expanded the economy, language and cultural ideas • Known for his military strategy and ability to fight in any geographical location • Goal was to merge Greeks, Macedonians and Persians • Greek became the primary language • Business transactions • Government positions

43. HomeworkGreek Philosophies • Explain the following quotes and its significance as it pertains to you: • 1. Cleverness is not wisdom • - Euripides • 2. Of prosperity mortals can never have enough • - Aeschylus • 3. Always desire to learn something useful • - Sophocles • 4. A good decision is based on knowledge and not numbers • - Plato • 5. The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing • - Socrates