Download - Chapter 5 Ancient Greece
Ancient Greece
Chapter 5
Geography
• Land & islands, many miles of coastline, inlets, bays, deep harbors
• Seas – Aegean, Mediterranean, Ionian• Poor resources on land (couldn’t farm)• Led to increased sea travel, trade,
imports
Geography
• Land - very mountainous (Mt. Olympus)
• Difficult to unite under one government, divided the people, became fiercely independent
• Climate – moderate (Mediterranean) temperature, led to outdoor activities – shopping, civic meetings, athletics, interaction
First Greeks• Minoans from
Crete• Wealthy traders,
large homes, fancy clothes, jewelry
• Ended by earthquake, volcano, tidal wave?
Mycenaeans• Mycenae – built on
steep hills• Fortified with stone
walls, bronze age• Trojan War (1200 BCE)• Greek kings attacked
Troy in Asia Minor• Greek’s wife stolen by
Trojan man• Archaeological
evidence that this was true
Dorians• 1200 BCE – 800 BCE• Mycenaean
civilization collapsed• From North of Greece
came with iron weapons
• Little skill, less advanced
• Trade and progress at a stand still
• Skill of writing lost• Dark Ages
Homer• Blind poet• Depended on spoken word (bards –
storytellers)• Wrote long epics – ideals of heroism,
excellence , courage, honor• Interested in individuals; heroes
compete for glory• The Iliad and The Odyssey (750 BCE)
about the Trojan War
Early Greek Leaders
• Draco – 621 BC - codified Athenian laws provided severe punishments (“draconian” = harsh or severe)
• Solon – 594 BC – canceled land mortgages, freed people enslaved for debt, allowed male citizens to serve on juries, granted commoners right to vote in Assembly
Leaders cont.
• Cleisthenes – 508 BC – expanded democracy by extending citizenship; began practice of ostracism – banishing any citizen deemed dangerous to the state
• Pericles – 461 BC – popular leader; opened government to all men, paid salaries to public officials – The Age of Pericles or The Golden Age – height of democracy; art, science, trade, manufacturing thrived
Types of governments in Greece
• Monarchy – one-man rule (king)• Aristocracy – rule by a small group
of nobles• Oligarchy – rule by few• Tyranny – rule by one man who
seized power, favored by some people (unlike today’s definition)
• Democracy – rule by the people
Athens
Polis - city-state (basic political unit)Acropolis – hill, central meeting placeAgora – below hill, open place for meetingsCitizens - those who took part in govt.Hoplites – heavily armed infantry soldiersPhalanx – marching formation shoulder to shoulder
Ruins of Ancient Sparta
http://www.history.com/videos/deconstructing-history-the-acropolis
Athens cont.
Democratic society The Assembly was the major
political body All male citizens belonged; all were
equal & had freedom of speech Jury system for court cases Had to educate sons - participate in
govt. 2 years military service at age 18
SPARTA Military society & aristocracy Harsh life Invaded other cities to fulfill needs;
greatest warriors in Greece If a child was born sickly or
deformed, they were left in hills to die
SpartaAt age 7, boys were sent to military;
at 60 they could retire; girls got rigorous physical training also
Women were strong and fit to become mothers
Suspicious of new ideas - NO CHANGE
Sparta lagged far behind other cities in economic development
http://www.history.com/videos/spartans
Acropolis
Temple Athena Nike
Temple of Olympian Zeus
Sanctuary of Athena at Delphi
Amphitheater of Epidaurus
Persian Wars• 499 BC Persians control largest empire• Persians want revenge for Greek support
of Ionian revolt (Greeks burned capital)• Darius attacks Greece at (1) MARATHON
• Greeks outnumbered but win battle• Pheidippides ran from Marathon to Athens
(26 miles) to announce victory – died; modern day “marathon”
• Minor defeat for Persia but showed they could be beaten
Greek hoplite (soldier)-6th c. BC
Persian Wars
480 BC-Xerxes, son of Darius, invades
Sparta leads the Greeks (united) To delay Persia, the Spartans
slow them at (2) THERMOPYLAE (a mountain pass)
Persian War cont.
Greeks lose (betrayed) & Athens burned; all Spartans die
Greeks lure Persian navy into the shallow waters of (3) SALAMIS - Greeks victorious
(4) PLATAEA – war finally ends
Leonidas & the Spartans hold the Persians at Thermopylae pass
Battle of Salamis, 480 BC
Thermopylae
Leonidas
Persian War: Turning Point
End of Persian expansion westPersians don’t conquer EuropeUshers in the Golden Age of Athens
Classical age begins – art, literature, commerce flourish
Greek city-states maintain their independence; Athens dominates
Golden Age of Athens
Pericles led Athens in this period (461 BC) Delian League – defensive alliance; Athens
led Peloponnesian League – led by Sparta Athens stood for all that was the best in Greek
civilization Deeply committed to democracy; Assembly
The Agora
Classical Greece
• Writers• Philosophers• Pottery• Olympics• Religion• Philosophers• Historians• Sculpture• Architecture
Philosophy – “Love of Wisdom”
• Socrates – used questioning method (Socratic method)– Examine one’s life– Convicted of corrupting youth; killed
(drank hemlock)• Plato – Student of Socrates (427-
347 BC) started The Academy – The Republic – first book on political
science (did not favor democracy )
Philosophy cont.
• Aristotle (384-322 BC) wrote on philosophy, science, & govt.
• Tutored Alexander the Great.
History
• Herodotus – “father of history” – described the Persian invasion; embellished with fable and superstition; not very accurate
• Thucydides – accurate account of Peloponnesian War; eyewitness accounts; facts
Theatre
• Dramas, outdoor amphitheatres• Tragedies:
– Aeschylus – Agamemnon; Persian Wars; gods provided justice
– Euripedes – Medea, criticized war, prejudice, greed
• Comedies:– Aristophanes – satirized political
leaders
Architecture
• Parthenon – most famous; temple to Athena (Wisdom) atop the Acropolis in Athens
• Use of columns – Doric, Ionic, Corinthian (elaborate, curly)
Science and Math
• Pythagoras – important principals of geometry
• Hippocrates – father of medicine, attributed disease to natural, not superstitious causes– Hippocratic Oath – uphold medical
standards – do no harm
Amphora Vase
The Olympics
• 776 BC; held every 4 years• Athletes traveled to Mt. Olympus to
honor Zeus• Glory in athletic competition• Pentathlon most important event (5)
– long jump, javelin, discus, foot race, wrestling
• Men only (naked)• Prize – honor and fame for your city
state
Religion – The Greek Gods
• Lived on Mt. Olympus (12)• Were immortal• They were “human-like” – fought,
had human weaknesses• Oracles to worship the gods
Democracy
• GREECE• Direct Democracy
– citizens were members of legislature
• Citizenship based on Athenian ancestry
• Women denied political rights
• Slavery permitted
• U.S.• Representative
Democracy – citizens elect representatives
• Citizenship based on American birth or naturalization
• Women – equal rights
• Slavery prohibited
Peloponnesian War (431 BC-404 BC)
Series of battles between Athens and Sparta Sparta eventually wins (military superiority) Greece weakened over next century by
fighting Growing power to the North, Macedonia goes
unnoticed End of classical Greece
Alexander the GreatPhilip II of Macedonia, Alexander’s father, had conquered most of Greece by the time of his death336 BC-Alexander from Macedonia (north of Greece) becomes King (age 20)334 BC - Alexander invades Persian empire & wins major victory in Asia Minor
Alexander the Great
• Conquered Syria, Palestine, Egypt – founded Alexandria
• 331 BCE – defeated Persians again and ended Persian rule
• 327 BCE – Wants to reach Indus River – after 3 years his men have had enough!
• 323 BCE – Dies at age 32
Alexander the Great – Hellenistic Age• Global view – believed non – Greeks were
equal; encouraged men to marry Persians• Hellenistic – mix of Greek and Middle
Eastern culture (Indian too)• Alexandria, Egypt – key city; home to
poets, scholars, writers, scientists, philosophers; great library
• Built temples, baths, theatres, statues, etc.
Contributions - Hellenistic• Aristarchus – Proposed that earth
revolved around sun (not widely supported)
• Ptolemy – Earth at center of universe
• Eratosthenes – believed earth was round, computed circumference
• Euclid - basis of geometry• Archimedes – pi, lever and pulley
Hellenistic contributions cont.• Epicurianism (philosophy) – humans
were free to follow self-interest, pursuit of pleasure and happiness, virtuous conduct, absence of pain
• Stoicism – founded by Zeno; live in harmony with god; daily problems would not disturb you, bear whatever life offers (stoic)
• Sculpture – Colossus of Rhodes 100 ft. bronze