290 likes | 479 Views
西方文明史. 第 三 講: 希臘. 劉 慧 教授. 【 本著作除另有註明外,採取 創用 CC 「姓名標示-非商業性-相同方式分享 」 臺 灣 3.0 版 授權釋出 】. The Earliest Civilizations of Europe; Greek Civilization. The Good Life Minoan period 2000-1500-1400 BCE Mycenaean period 1600-1200 The Greek Dark Ages 1150-800 The Greek Archaic Age 800-480
E N D
西方文明史 第三講: 希臘 劉 慧 教授 【本著作除另有註明外,採取創用CC「姓名標示-非商業性-相同方式分享」臺灣3.0版授權釋出】
The Earliest Civilizations of Europe; Greek Civilization The Good Life Minoan period 2000-1500-1400 BCEMycenaean period 1600-1200 The Greek Dark Ages 1150-800 The Greek Archaic Age 800-480 Greek colonization Athenian Democracy The Persian Wars 490, 480-79 The Classical Age 480-338 BCE 2
1. Minoan andMycenaeanCivilizations • Rediscovered in the 19th c • Heinrich Schliemann: inspired by the Iliad • 1870 Troy; 1876 Mycenae • Arthur Evans: looking for king Minos of Crete • 1899 Knossos • Influence on later classical Greek culture? • How similar to neighbouring areas?
Mycenaean Civilization • 1600-1200 BCE • Trading relations • City-states: Mycenae, Pylos, Tiryns. • Bureaucracy • Heavily fortified hilltop forts • Linear B 1500-1400 • Mycenaeans ruled Crete • 1250 Trojan war • 1150-800 the Dorians ruled Greece • Minoan Civilization • 2000-1500-1400 BCE • Writing not yet deciphered • City-states: Knossos, Kato Zakros • Bureaucracy • No protective walls
Society • Mycenaean Civilization • Ostentatious royal graves • Inlaid bronze daggers • Minoan Civilization • Prosperity and equality • Flush-toilet, swimming pool, parquet floors in the palace • Dwellings in the poorest quarters were well built and spacious • Women could participate in public activities and enter into many occupations (bullfighters, boxers) • Recreations • Dancing, running races, boxing • Stone theaters
Art • Minoan Civilization • A people dedicated to elegance • Painting • Fresco • Delight in the beauty of the natural world • Delicacy, spontaneity and naturalism • Joie de vivre • Sculpture • Smaller than life-size • Household objects • Mycenaean Civilization • Not as elegant, delicate or graceful – stiffer, more symmetrical • Inlaid daggers were original • Little direct influence on later Greece • Homer entirely forgot the bureaucracy: destruction by the Dorians = a blessing in disguise? • Art; devotion to comfort, love of amusement: • different from Mesopotamia (and from Egypt to a lesser degree)
2. The Greek Dark Ages 1150-800 • Written records disappeared • Political patterns • Autonomous villages; village leader commanded local army (and worked on land); village assembly = informal gatherings of warriors; no formal legal institutions • Social and economic life • No trading, little specialization • Inferences drawn from the Iliad and the Odyssey • Evolved from oral traditions during this period • 9th century developments: • Learned from the Phoenicians: the alphabet and seafaring • Reinvent urbanism: the polis (pl. poleis)
Religion • Polytheistic system for 1) explaining the workings of the physical world • Myth of Persephone, Hades and Demeter • and 2) obtaining earthly benefits • Gods behaved like humans and needed to be placated. sacrifices and prayers • No professional priesthood; Greek temples were places where gods reside temporarily • Fate after death • Shades in Hades gradually faded away • Life was for living for its own sake; glory resided in practicing human virtues • Bravery, wisdom (cunning), service to family and community • Humanism
3. Archaic Greece (800-480 BCE) • Writing and trade • Village → town (hilltop fortification with marketplaces) → (population growth) city, polis • City + surrounding countryside and villages. Kinship • Colonization • Early 8th c: commercial; c.735-600: farming • Each colony was an independent foundation, with emotional ties only to its ‘metropolis’ • Forms of government • General assembly, executive counciland magistrates • Oligarchy. Tyranny. Democracy
Athens • Probably in the 8thc, Athens and Attica were united into a city-state: sunoikismos • Political changes in reaction to social and military changes • Oligarchy • Hereditary aristocracy based on family ties • 594- based on income • Tyranny • Peisistratus (546-527) • Democracy • Cleisthenes 508
Athens: Social changes • Conflict between various groups of aristocracy; • between coastal and mountain areas; • between rich and poor • Owner farmers • hektemorioi or tenant farmers paying 1/6 of their produce to the landowner • debt slavery
Athens: Oligarchy • Draco, 621BCE – stern ‘draconian’ punishment for criminal acts – restoring order by LAW • Solon, 594 BCE was granted emergency powers to forestall class warfare – restoring order by CONSTITUTION • Economic/Social • Cancelled debts; loans could not be secured on the person • Olive oil and wine, but not wheat, were allowed to be exported; encouraged ceramic industry • Political • Classified the citizenry into 4 grades in terms of wealth (500/300/200 bushels p.a. of produce) • Archonship open to men of 1st and 2nd ranks • A Council of 400 to be drawn from the top 3 ranks • Legal – ended Draco's laws • A popular Council of Appeal: all citizens were included as jurors
Athens: Tyranny • In the short term Solon failed – in 546 Peisistratus established a tyranny • Tyrants: a member of the elite obtained support from the larger population. Unconstitutional. • State loans. Paid out of a 10% tax on all produce • Poetry, arts, building projects, popular festivals • 527-510: Peisistratus was succeeded by his son Hippias, who was later overthrown
Athens: Democracy • Sudden change from one-man rule • In 507 Cleisthenes defeated rivals with help from the lower classes, ‘father of Athenian DEMOCRACY’ • Ephialtes (461 BCE), Pericles (443-429 BCE) etc; navy (483-) • Sovereign power resided in the Assembly (ekklesia) • Council (boule) of 500; standing committee (prytaneis) • 100 magistrates • 6000 citizens acting as both jurymen and judges (dikastes) a year • 9 Archons; Council of Aeropagus - ex archons
Use of lot • Set up 30 regions and 10 new ‘tribes’ for nominating councilors and magistrates; every free man participated in regional selection process • Selection was based on geography rather than on family connections • Decision-making was based on argument and debate, rather than local/kinship ties and custom • Citizens were paid for attending meeting and holding office • Ostracism - honourable exile to forestall the rise of tyrant • The system matured by 487; worked well for a century • Strict majority rule
Women, foreign residents and slaves were excluded • Otherwise fully participatory: • Everyone could, should, and had the right to participate in public affairs • Making the right decision for the common good did not require specialist expertise • Everyone had the ability to chose for themselves • A high regard for the dignity and worth of the individual • The danger of unreflective emotionalism
The Persian Wars 490, 480-479 • Herodotus (485-425) • Cyrus the Great (559-529): extended his rule to Asia Minor • Ionian revolt 499-494 • Darius I: Battle of Marathon 490 • Themistocles built a fleet 483 • Xerxes: Battles of Thermopylae and Salamis 480, battle of Plataea 479 • Greek myths about the event • The 300 at Thermopylae in 480 • struggle for liberty against despotism • Confidence
Persia, 559-331 BCE • Cyrus 559-529 • Cambyses 529-522 • Darius I the Great 521-486 • Xerxes 485-465 • Medes, Lydia, Babylon, Egypt • Satrapy, satrap • Vassal states: local religious and legal institutions remained • Standardized currency, weights and measures; roads, ‘postal system’ • Allowed conquered peoples considerable self-determination; title: King of Kings, (instead of ‘True King’) • Universalism, eclecticism • Governmental instability by 4th c BCE • The Parthian dynasty in Iran from ca. 238 BCE