The Legacy of Ancient Greece & Rome

Chapter Two

Ancient Greeks are believed to have

developed the 1st democracy Democracy = “rule of the people”

The Greeks est. city states (aka polis; about 20,000 ppl) and the governments of these city states took several different forms…

Section 1 ~ Ancient Greece

1.Monarchy – a single person; usually ruled by a king

2.Aristocracy – government ruled by a small group of nobles.

3.Oligarchy – government ruled by a small group of very powerful people; usually merchants & nobles

Athens was the most powerful city-state… Adult male citizens elected three nobles to run

the city state

Thus representative democracy was born

After a year of service they became part of a council

About 600 BC – depression in Athens Farmers began to pledge their crops, then land,

& then themselves to pay debts

People became restless & aristocracy became concerned for their safety ~ Solon chosen to rule

1. Outlawed slavery based upon debt2. Cancelled the farmer’s debts3. Est. classes of citizens based upon wealth

NOT heredity ~ citizens from the 3 highest classes could hold public office ~ all citizens could vote

4. Created the council of Four Hundred5. Est. the legal principle that any citizen could

bring charges against another person

Solon initiated limited reforms594 BC

Known as the Founder of democracy in

Athens

1. Reorganized the assembly to be balanced b/t the rich & poor

2. Allowed citizens to submit laws for debate3. Created the Council of 500…

~ proposed laws & counseled the assembly~ members were chosen at random

Cleisthenes ~ 508 BC

Leader after the Persian Wars

Increased number of paid public officials; including paying jurors

Athens becomes a direct democracy ~ citizens began to rule & make laws themselves; not through representatives

Pericles

Athens vs. Sparta Athens was the strong naval power Sparta had a strong military Sparta won …

plague struck Athens & wiped out somewhere between 1/3 & 2/3 of the population

Athens surrendered

The Peloponnesian War

1.Confidence in democracy was

weakened

2.Weakened city-states made Athens vulnerable to the attack of Macedonians by Philip II (Alexander the Great’s father)

Effects of War

400 BC intellectual movement began in Greece Look at world through common set of

assumptions…1. Universe is put together in an orderly way & is

subject to absolute – unchanging laws2. Laws could be understood through logic &

reasoning3. B/c of logic, reasoning, and respect for

intelligence democracy emerged & flourished

Philosophers

Developed the

Socratic Method

Challenged his students to challenge their beliefs

Socrates

Studied under

Socrates

Wrote “The Republic” – his version of the ideal government/society where the most capable would rule

Plato

Studied under Plato Interested in studying the nature of

the world & human beliefs Most famous pupil was Alexander the

Great He taught ATG… philosophy, ethics,

politics & had a great impact on his life

Aristotle

POLYTHEISTIC and did not all worship the same gods.

Some small villages worshiped the main gods and their own village gods.

There were hundreds of Greek gods (perhaps around 1,000).  Some of the most famous gods were Zeus, Hera, Apollo,

Artemis, Poseidon, Aphrodite, Athena, Demeter, Hermes, Ares, and Hades.

ZEUS surpassed all other gods in spirit, wisdom and justice and his wife HERA was the queen of the gods.

Religion

SACRIFICES to please the gods were a major part of every Greek's religion. Animal sacrifice -- generally a

DOMESTICATED ANIMAL like a chicken, goat or cow.

When an animal was sacrificed, it was burned on top of an altar. After it was fully cooked, it had to be EATEN ON THE SPOT

Ancient Greeks believed that the god's spirit was within the animal sacrificed, and by eating the animal, the worshippers CONSUMED HIS POWER.

The Greeks were “lovers of the beautiful”

The Parthenon—the temple to the goddess Athena--built on the summit of the Acropolis in Athens—best exemplifies classical Greek architecture built under the rule of Pericles Started 447 B.C. and finished 432 B.C. Classical is characterized by beautiful

simplicity and graceful balance.

Architecture

The Parthenon’s graceful proportions perfectly balance width, length, and height, exemplifying the Greek ideal of the “golden mean”

This was part of the “Golden Age” of Greece

Greeks understood perspective

Columns thicker in middle…appear straight from all angles

Steps lower in center--appears straight

Creating perception of perfection

Copied by the Romans

Set lasting standards

Other achievements in literature, art, drama, etc., many considered classics today.

Many Europe’s traditions/cultural standards began with “Golden Age”

Art

Greeks emphasized the individual—thus excelled at portraying the human form In both painting and sculpture

They painted murals but none survived.

Their works are captured on vases

Painting on vases were everyday scenes

Greek sculpture, like Greek architecture, reached its height in Athens during the time of Pericles

Before the Peloponnesian War, artists carved only deities and heroes

After the Peloponnesian War… Sculptures were life-size, graceful, not powerful Ordinary people

Myron sculpture’s depicted what people should look like rather than actual persons

Praxiteles carved ordinary people into life-sized statues

Were the first people to write and perform plays, presented twice a year to honor Dionysus

Earliest Greek plays were tragedies

Eventually the Greeks also wrote comedies, plays with humorous themes and happy ending

Drama & Theater

Believed healthy bodies made best use of nature’s gifts

First one took place in 776 BC

Held in Olympia every 4 years

Religious festival in honor of Zeus

Athletes came from all over Greek-speaking world

The Olympic Games

There were individual rather than team events

Foot races at first. Later, broad jump, discuss, jumping, boxing, javelin, etc.

Wives and daughters were NOT ALLOWED TO WATCH THE OLYMPIC GAMES as the participants in the games did not wear clothes.

Winners were crowned with wreaths of olive leaves

Parades held in honor of winners

As Greece was declining, a new civilization to west was

emerging

Three groups fought to control the Italian Peninsula… Greeks, Etruscans, & Latins

Latins won and became the Romans

Influence on the Romans… Greeks – grapes, olives, & religion (gods) Etruscans – architecture, alphabet, Kings, & rituals

Section 2 ~ Ancient Rome

509 BC, Roman aristocrats overthrew the last Etruscan King & set up the Republic (indirect democracy)

Patricians (aristocrats) & Plebeians (farmers, artisans, & merchants) fought for political struggle

Patricians (the senate) inherited wealth, power, & social status.

Plebeians (majority of population) had right to vote, but couldn’t hold impt. gov’t positions

The senate eventually allowed the Plebeians to form their own assembly & elect members called Tribunes.

Tribunes were able to get Roman law written down onto 12 tablets & hung in the Forum. Purpose?… protection under law & fair administration of law

Roman gov’t had separate branches…

Two Consuls – 1 over army & other over gov’t Senate – had both legislative & administrative

responsibilities 300 members, from upper class, served for life

Assemblies – appointed consuls, & made laws Had less power than Senate

Tribal – elected Tribunes & made laws for common people, later made laws for Republic

Dictator – used only in times in crisis, served only for 6 months, chosen by consuls & elected by Senate

Laws should be based on reason, justice, & protect

citizens & their property

528 BC, Emperor Justinian assembled legal scholars to create the Justinian Code, which consisted of 4 books:

1. The Code – contained Roman law2. The Digest – opinions of Rome’s great scholars3. The Institute – a textbook4. The Novella – new laws passed

It lasted for 900 years & is bases for some of our civil laws

Roman Law

Romans were influenced by the Greeks and adopted

many of their Gods and gave them Roman names But the Romans left their personalities intact

Early Romans were an agrarian society & the gods fit the daily needs of everyday life They believed that gods lived everywhere & in

everything

Jupiter, ruler of the other deities and spirits, was responsible for the rain

Religion

Impressive temples all over the Roman Empire

Every day, the ancient Romans brought offerings of meat and other items to at least one nearby temple.

Usually they visited more than one temple every day

Each home had a personal household god that kept things running smoothly

Like a visit to a leisure center/spa than a quick scrub Good place to meet people & business could be

conducted

Roman Baths

Board games with counters and dice were very

popular with the Romans

People in the countryside would hunt animals for fun as well as food

They went to the theatre to watch plays or listen to music

Actors often wore masks to show whether their character was sad or happy

Games & Theater

Animals and people were sometimes killed for

entertainment as part of shows

Specially trained slaves called GLADIATORS would fight each other Sometimes they would fight wild animals like lions or bears

When a gladiator lost a fight the audience would decided whether he should die or live. thumbs out if they wanted them to die. to live they kept their thumbs in their hands so they

couldn't be seen

Amphitheaters