The Geography of Greece

Landscape & ClimateLandscape

Covered by Mountains

No large rivers

Lots of coastline

How did the land influence the government?

Climate

Mild, rainy winters

Hot summers

AgricultureOnly a small part of the region good for farming

Over ½ of Greeks were farmers and herders

Most farming in the valleys

Established agricultural colonies in Anatolia (modern-day Turkey)

ResourcesLacked natural resources like precious metals

Plentiful stone for buildings

Coastline with many good harbors

A Seafaring People“Highways of Water”

Mediterranean Sea: to the South

Ionian Sea: to the west

Aegean Sea: to the east

Greeks became expert sailors

Fish a large part of the Greek diet

Trade & CommerceMajor trading partners: Egypt & Rome

Exported:

olive oil, wine, wool, and pottery

Imported:

grain, timber, animal hides, and slaves

Mycenae: The First Greek CivilizationBuilt on the Peloponnesus

Wealthy civilization; mostly traders

Created writing, gold jewelry, bronze weapons, and pottery

Collapsed around 1200 BC

Little is known about Greece from 1200 BC – 750 BC

Greece Comes BackGreeks learned much by trading with the Phoenicians

Picked up the Phoenician alphabet between 900-800 BC

Learned about coins from Anatolians by 500 BChttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLHNh4caX4Y

Greek GodsPolytheistic

Divine qualities with human emotions

Jealous, loving, angry, competitive

Zeus & 11 major gods lived on Mt. Olympus (Olympian gods)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WP_NeirFIkM (gods)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMzNPEHNxcc (goddesses)

Greek Mythology- The stories of the Greek gods and goddesses, often

as they interact with humans.

- Two purposes

Arachnehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qW3Bbav7w4A

Honoring the GodsBuilt statues and temples

Days were set aside to honor different gods & goddesses

Festivals held to honor the 12 Olympian gods

The Parthenon was a temple in Athens, built in honor of the city’s patron goddess, Athena

The OlympicsHeld every four years (oldest record: 776 BC)

Part of a festival to honor Zeus

Only men

Events: foot race, wrestling, long jump, javelin and discus throw.

Unmarried girls raced to honor Zeus’ wife, Herahttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FdgvKpUSaTs

Early Greek Literature

HomerBlind poet (c. [about] 8th Century BC)

Composed epics

Oral tradition

The Iliad

The Odyssey

Major influence in Western literature

The IliadStory of Greek heroes during the Trojan War

Included story of Achilles

Legend has it that the baby Achilles was dipped into the river Styx as a way to protect him. The only part that didn’t get wet was his heel.

The OdysseyStory of Greek hero Odysseus and his trip home after the Trojan War

Included the Cyclops and the sirens

Video – first 12 minutes

The Cyclops, a one-eyed monster, is one of the creatures that stops Odysseus from getting home to his wife, Penelope.

Aesop’s Fables- Aesop was believed to be a Greek slave

- Today, we believe it was a pseudonym

- Used animals to tell moral lessons

- Tortoise & the Hare- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2DrKmpuKhKE

The City-State & Democracy

City-StatesBasic form of government

Greek word for “city”= polis

Most less than 20,000 people

Athens & Sparta largest

Agora Open space for business and public meetings

Center of city life

AcropolisFortified (protected) hillside

Literally means: “high city”

Military purpose

Later, temples and palaces built here

Types of Government

Monarchs & AristocratsMonarchy:

Aristocracy:

By 700’s BC, most city-states had moved from monarchy to aristocracy

Do you think this was a good move?

OligarchyOligarchy:

What is the difference between an aristocracy & an oligarchy?

TyrantsLeader who took power illegally

Not of noble birth – often a general

Urged the poor to support him

Why would the poor do this?

Some helped the poor

What is a “tyrant” today?

Nicias was an Athenian general and later Tyrant

Athenian Democracy: It’s a startBy 500’s poor citizens demanded a voice in government

Who is a “citizen”?

Gradual reform led by Solon & Cleisthenes

SolonRuled 594 – 560 BC

Freed people who had been enslaved due to debt

Reorganized Athenian Society –How?

All citizens could serve in the assembly.

CleisthenesBy 500 BC took power away from nobles

Reorganized citizens into 10 tribes based on geography

Each tribe elected 1 of the 10 military commanders

The Council of Five HundredHow many?

From where?

Who was eligible?

How selected?

How often?

Direct DemocracyThe type in Athens

Citizens make political decisions directly

How is this different from democracy in the US?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J315e03RkOA

How was Athenian Democracy limited?

Ostracism: the assembly could vote a person out of Athens for up to 10 years

The Responsibilities of a CitizenMilitary service

Serve on juries

SpartaPeloponnesus

Militaristic society

Spartan GovernmentRuled by 2 kings

Council of Elders proposed laws

All Spartan citizens part of the Assembly

Assembly elected officials & voted on laws

Social Groups of SpartaCitizens:

Free noncitizens:

Helots:

Spartan EducationAt age 7 boys moved to military barracks

During what ages did all male citizens serve in the army?

Spartan WomenWhat was expected of Spartan women?

Girls were given athletic training & expected to be strong

Women could own property

Athenian SocietyWhat four classes existed in Athens?

1/3 of population enslaved

Where did the Athenians find slaves?

Athenian EducationWhat was the purpose of education in Athens?

Studied logic, oratory, reading, writing, math, poetry, and music

Athenian WomenWhat were the expectations for Athenian women?

Girls did not attend school.

The Persian Wars490 BC: Persians invade Athens to punish a colonial revolt

Athenians defeated the Persians

480 BC: Persians invade Greece again

Sparta helps Athens by fighting for two days at Thermopylae. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AuihHUFEqPM

ClassZone

Classical Greece

PericlesWealthy citizen of Athens

By 460 BC, the strongest ruler in Athens

What three goals did Pericles have for Athens?

How was Pericles able to persuade people to back his ideas?

Changing Athenian Democracy“Everybody is equal under the law.”

Should we pay public officials?

Expanding the EmpireDelian League: an alliance of Greek City-States

Organized by Athens; headquartered on Delos

By 454 BC treasury moved to Athens

Why did this make other city-states unhappy?

The alliance became an Athenian Empire

Beautifying AthensWhere did Pericles get the money?

The Parthenon

Built on the Acropolis in Athens

Temple to Athena

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xP-FsX0QW88

Peloponnesian WarWhy did city-states fear and resent Athens?

Sparta created the Peloponnesian League as a rival to Athens

431 BC: Sparta declares war on Athens

Sparta AthensAdvantages

Strategy

Peloponnesian War430 BC: a plague kills 1/3 of all Athenians

421 BC: truce signed

415 BC: war breaks out again

411 BC: Persians join the Spartans

404 BC: Athens surrenders

Philip II & Alexander

Philip IILeader of Macedonian kingdom (North of Greece)

23 years old

As a hostage in Thebes, studied Greek military

338 BC: conquers a weakened Greece

336 BC: assassinated and succeeded by his son, Alexander

Alexander the GreatKing at 20

Crushed a rebellion in Thebes

Defeated the Persians by invading Persian-controlled Egypt

How was Alexander received in Egypt?

Conquered land as far east as India

Died of a fever at 32

Legacy of AlexanderSpread Greek culture and language

encouraged local cultures to blend with Greek

Hellenistic culture

Alexandria, Egypt

Founded in 332 BC

Housed the greatest library of the Classical world

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LsrkWDCvxg

(2 min mark – 5:50)

Culture of Classical Greece

The Arts & ArchitectureWealthy citizens sponsored tragic & comedic plays

Greek sculpture aimed at capturing the “ideal” form

Greek architects made use of columns

Ancient Classical

3 types of Greek Columns

Greek PhilosophyLogical study of basic truths about the world

Socrates

used questions to encourage examination

Put to death by Athens

Plato

Follower of Socrates

Started a school that lasted 900 years

Aristotle

Student of Plato

Created the Lyceum

Tutored Alexander the Great for three years

Greece -- Netflix

Science & TechnologyGreek contributions to Astronomy

Accurate estimation of the circumference of Earth

Theory that the sun revolved around the earth; disproved in 1500s

Greek contributions to Math & Physics

Euclid organized knowledge of geometry

Archimedes created the lever