essential question : what role did geography play in the development of classical greece? warm-up...
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Essential Question : What role did geography play in the development of classical Greece? Warm-Up Question : What do you think of when I say “Greece”? . After the river valley era, a number of classical civilizations developed in the Mediterranean and in Asia. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
■Essential Question:–What role did geography play in the
development of classical Greece?
■Warm-Up Question:–What do you think of when I say
“Greece”?
After the river valley era, a number of classical civilizations developed in the Mediterranean and in Asia
Classic cultures created high levels of achievement in art, science, & technology that impacted future
ages
The first major classical civilization was ancient Greece
Impact of Geography on Greece:Identify 1 geographic feature & propose
how it might impact the culture of Greece
Impact of Geography on Greece:Identify 1 geographic feature & propose
how it might impact the culture of Greece
Greece’s lack of natural resources & location on the Mediterranean Sea encouraged
Greek trade with neighboring societies
Mountains covered about 75% of Greece which divided the people & made unifying
the Greek people nearly impossible
The Greeks developed
independent city-states,
called polis, within each valley & its
surrounding mountains
A city-state is when a city acts like its own country
with its own government, laws, military, customs, and
culture.
Greek Culture ■Despite their lack of unity,
the Greeks shared some common characteristics:–Greeks shared the same
language–Greek writing was
influenced by the Phoenician alphabet & became the basis for Latin
Literature
■ The Trojan War forms the backdrop of the blind poet Homer’s the Iliad. An epic is a narrative poem that celebrates heroic deeds. The heroes in the Illiad are the fierce Achilles of Greece and the noble and courageous Hector of Troy.
Invincible except for his left Achilles heal
Greeks were polytheistic & believed that the gods were immortal but had human qualities; Religion
became the basis for Greek mythologyZeus
King of the godsAthena
Goddess of wisdomAphrodite
Goddess of loveApollo
God of sun & music Ares
God of war Hades
God of underworld Hera
Goddess of family Poseidon
God of the seas
Most Greek city-states had an agora that was the center for trade & government
City-states had an acropolis, a temple on
a hill dedicated to a sacred god
Despite similar language & religion, the
Greek polis were very different
from each other, especially
how they were governed
Differences Among Greek City-States
Differences Among Greek City-States
Some polis had a monarchy, a gov’t
ruled by a king
Differences Among Greek City-States
Some polis had an aristocracy, a gov’t
ruled by elite nobles
Practiced in Corinth
Differences Among Greek City-StatesSome polis like Sparta
had an oligarchy, a gov’t ruled by a small
group of citizens
Differences Among Greek City-StatesSome polis like Athens
had a direct democracy, a gov’t ruled by citizens who vote on decisions
The Greek city-states Athens & Sparta represented the differences among polis
■Athenian society focused on wealth & culture:–Athens had a
direct democracy in which both rich & poor citizens could vote & hold public office
Under the leadership of Pericles, Athens
grew to be a powerful city-state that flourished both
culturally and economically
Athenian society focused on wealth & culture
Architects built the Parthenon to honor the goddess Athena
Athenian society focused on wealth & culture
Artists created realistic sculptures
Theater had both comedies & tragedies
Olympic Games
■Held every four years at Olympia to honor their Gods, began in 776BCE
■Events included long distance running, wrestling, the long jump, the javelin, and the discuss throw.
Women were
allowed to compete against other
women
Most events tested the skills
that were necessary for
battle
The Greek city-states Athens & Sparta represented the differences among polis
■Spartan society focused on military strength, not freedom & learning–Spartan men served
in the military until 60 years old
–Boys began military training at age 7
–Women ran family estates while men trained or fought
Spartans society did have slaves called Helots.
These slaves were responsible for farming duties.
Because of the presence of slaves, women were also given a military training so that when the
men were away, they could protect the city.
King Leonidas:"Spartans! Prepare for glory!"
Daxos:"Glory? Have you gone mad? There is no glory to be had now! Only retreat, or surrender or death."
King Leonidas:"It's an easy choice for us, Arcadian! Spartans never retreat! Spartans never surrender! Go spread the word. Let every Greek assembled know the truth of this. Let each among them search his own soul. And while your at it, search your own."
Athenian society focused on wealth & culture
Philosophers Socrates, Plato, & Aristotle questioned assumptions & the use of logic
to find answers to questions
Later became teacher to
Alexander the Great
Athens & Sparta competed for influence in Greece & developed a strong rivalry that eventually led to the Peloponnesian War
Sparta defeated Athens, but the war
weakened the Greeks
Spartans showed their strength during the Persian Wars
Closure Activity
■Where would you rather live: Athens or Sparta? Why?