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It all starts on Crete
• The people of the Aegean Sea developed civilizations independent from any specific river or river system.
• Instead they looked to new farming techniques that allowed them to settle – as well as their ability to use the sea for their needs.
• The first large civilization started on the island of Crete.
• The ancient people of Crete are known as Minoans – after their legendary king MINOS.
• Minos and other Minoan rulers lived in great palaces at KNOSSOS.
• From the palace at Knossos, they built a cultured and wealthy civilization.
• The Minoans developed a tremendous appreciation for art – often decorating their homes with large frescoes and mosaics.
• The Minoans developed a complex writing system known as Linear A and Linear B.
• Archaeologists are now able to translate Linear B – which shows us that the Minoans had great contact with Indo-Europeans from the mainland of Greece.
• The great Minoan world was destroyed by earthquakes, floods, and volcanoes.
• Their civilization migrated to the islands of Greece where it continued to develop – now influenced by the people of the Greek islands.
MYCENAE
• Ca. 2000 B.C.E. – Indo-Europeans moved into the area today known as Greece.
• These people developed strong fortress cities – the most important was at Mycenae.
• All of these ancient Greeks are now referred to as Mycenaeans. They were influenced by the Minoans.
The Works of Homer
• Perhaps the best description of the glories of Mycenaean civilization may be found in the works of the blind poet Homer
• The Iliad• The Odyssey
The Trojan War
• The Iliad is the story of the Greek attack on the city of Troy in Asia Minor.
• The story…..• The story is of insult,
pride, love , warfare and death.
• The King of Sparta – MENELAUS – is the host to PARIS – the son of the king of Troy – PRIAM and the Trojan queen HECUBA.
• Paris is a “bad” guest and when he returns to Troy he takes with him the wife of Menelaus – HELEN.
• Menelaus is pushed by his brother AGAMEMNON the king of Mycenae to attack Troy and bring Helen back.
• Helen – the face that launched a thousand ships…
• For ten years the Greeks laid siege to the city of Troy – finally destroying it through subterfuge and use of the TROJAN HORSE.
• Troy was destroyed and the Greeks returned home – except for the king of Ithaca – ODYSSEUS who takes an additional ten years to get home THE OYDSSEY.
Other Characters in The Iliad
• Achilles – part man – part nymph – the greatest Greek warrior - his weakness is his “Achilles heel”
• Ajax - Greek – second in ability only to Achilles
• Hector – Trojan prince
The Greek Gods
• The stories of Homer reflect the Greek notion of their gods – gods with powers but also egos who fight among themselves. The Greek gods played with humans as if they were toys for the amusement of the gods.
• Athena – grey eyed goddess of wisdom
• Daughter of Zeus – she sprung full formed from his head at her birth.
The Rise of the Polis
• The 700s B.C.E saw the end of the Greek Dark Ages and the rise of the social/political dominance of the POLIS – the city-state. All aspects of Greek life revolved around the polis and an individual’s connection to his polis.
POLIS
• Center was the ACROPOLIS – defensive position – in Athens the acropolis was topped by the PARTHENON
• Most geographically small with about ten thousand inhabitants– Citizens (male)– Non-citizens (foreigners, children, and female
relatives of citizens)– Slaves
• Ionic
Polis
• No separation between citizens who worked for the government and those who did not (bureaucracy)
• All citizens were thought of as citizens of the polis first and individuals second.
• Male dominated society built on slave labor.
Aristocrats
• The polis were originally ruled by warrior chieftains or kings.
• The kings relied on wealthy land owners to help in times of war.
• The wealthy land owners were called ARISTOCRATS “best men”.
• Over time, the aristocrats took power away from the kings and they then dominated Greek political life.
• All political and religious life was controlled by the aristocrats.
The Greek Army
• Costly bronze weapons meant that aristocrats made up the bulk of the Greek army.
• As trade and colonies prospered – new citizens were able to become wealthy and buy land – challenging the power of the aristocrats.
• The development of cheaper and more useful iron weapons allowed more non-aristocrats to become soldiers.
• The power of the aristocrats was weakened!!!
The Phalanx
• Greek infantry men – HOPLITES – fought in a close, lock stepped formation known as the phalanx.
• Greek success with the precision and unity required for a phalanx made the Greeks a powerful fighting force.
Greek Colonies
• The Greek city-states grew in size and wealth.• As most were near the sea, they developed into
seafaring societies trading with the peoples of the Mediterranean.
• The Greeks sold their wine and olive oil and brought back to Greece products from as far as India.
• In order to develop their trade even further, the Greeks established colonies from modern France to Russia.
• Greek culture spread throughout the world – CULTURAL DIFFUSION.
ATHENS
• The richest and most powerful polis was Athens – the center of new political, philosophical and artistic movements.
• After the drastic harsh laws of DRACO – (draconian – adjective) – came SOLON THE LAWGIVER ca. 594 B.C.E.
Solon
• Canceled debts and abolished enslavement for debts.
• Opened Athens to trade and industry – olive oil.• Citizenship based on wealth no longer based on
aristocratic birth.• Society divided into four groups based on
wealth:– Top three classes eligible for public office– Last class could be part of assembly that elected
officials – but could not be officials themselves.
Peisistratus the tyrant
• Ca. 564 B.C.E., there was social and political turmoil in Athens.
• Peisistratus appealed to the masses for support. Using popular opinion, he assumed sole political power. This was against the law but it had the support of the people – TYRANT.
• He used public money to beautify the city and establish festivals – the people loved it!
• As social tensions between aristocrats and non-aristocrats subsided – the people grew tired of the rule of the tyrants.
Cleisthenes
• Cleisthenes tried to reorganize Athenian society by dividing Athens into ten tribes.
• Each tribe had people from the city – the countryside and the seaside.
• Council of 500 – 500 citizens represented the tribes in the Council – they prepared the material that would be examined by the assembly of citizens.
• DIRECT DEMOCRACY – the popular assembly voted on all laws – each citizen voting.
Sparta – the opposite of Athens???
• The city-state of SPARTA developed differently than Athens.
• Sparta is located on the PELOPONNESUS – the Peloponnesian Peninsula – far more geographically isolated than Athens.
• The Spartans developed a society based on military conquest of their neighbors.
Sparta
• Spartan society was divided into:– Spartan citizens “equals”– Half-citizens: people of surrounding areas who were
dependent on the Spartans – they paid taxes and could serve in the army but had no political rights. They ran the commercial aspects of Sparta.
– Helots – state slaves given to citizens. The helots farmed – leaving the Spartans free to devote time to the military.
– 7 non-citizens for each citizen – how do you keep down revolts? Threats of terror!!!!
Sparta – all aspects of life revolved around the military
• Education: physical and military – women too physically educated
• Selection of “fit” children – infants thought to be weak and a drain on society were left to die.
• Males – 7-18 military boot camp– 18-20 trained for war– 20-30 full time soldiers living in barracks– +30 soldiers could go home at night– Until 60 soldiers had to eat at least one meal with the
other soldiers– COHESION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
• Women in Sparta – known for their wealth and independence – why????????
• Spartan women vs. Athenian women…..
• Spartans had little interest in art or philosophy…..military, sports, physical activities – men and women.
• spartan – adjective ……
The Growing Greeks face the Persian Empire
• Greek city-states existed on the coast of Asia Minor in what is now Turkey.
• When the Persian Empire took control of Asia Minor – the Greeks living there came under Persian control.
• When Persian emperor DARIUS I began to raise taxes – the Asian Greeks revolted – with the help of Athens.
• 490 B.C.E. – after they defeated the Asian Greeks, the Persians sailed across the Aegean Sea and attacked the Athenians.
• 490 B.C.E. the Greeks defeated the Persians at the Battle of Marathon.
• The Persians planned a massive naval and land attack on Greece – BUT Darius died and was succeeded by XERXES.
• Internal problems meant that Xerxes spent time organizing his own internal power before he could attack the Greeks.
• 480 B.C.E. – the Persians crossed the Hellespont and marched south.
• While the Persians eventually won – they were held back by the Spartans under the leadership of LEONIDAS at the BATTLE OF THERMOPYLAE.
• Even though destroyed by the Persians, the Athenians organized the Greeks and helped to destroy the Persian navy at the BATTLE OF SALAMIS.
• Eventually, the Greeks pushed the Persians out of Greece – although the Persians were a constant threat until the reign of Alexander the Great.
The Golden Age of Athens
• 478 B.C.E. after the defeat of the Persians – most of the Greek city-states and Greek lands in Asia Minor, the Aegean Sea and the Black Sea – organized under the leadership of Athens in the DELIAN LEAGUE
• Over time, the Delian League was transformed by Athens into a virtual empire for Athens. Athens grew rich and far more powerful than the other members of the Delian League.
Pericles
• Athenian democracy was at it height under the leadership of PERICLES – 460-429 B.C.E.
• One citizen – one vote rule• All legislative and electoral matters controlled by
all citizens• Proposals needed COUNCIL OF 500’s approval
– but any citizen could propose laws or give opinion on laws in the assembly.
• Citizens could approve, change or veto proposals that came from the council.
• Many people received positions by lot.
• Paid public servants – allowed poorer people to participate.
• Jurors picked from citizens
• Paid juries
• Prosecution and defense could each present cases to juries.
• All of this is great for Athens – BUT how can you have your identity by connection to a polis – IF that polis is considered part of an empire controlled by Athens?????
• You can’t!!!!!!!!!!!!!• Historian THUCYDIDES reported the fear
“Your empire is a tyranny… your leadership depends on superior strength and not on any goodwill of theirs.”
The Peloponnesian War
• Under the leadership of Sparta – many of the Greek city-states revolted against the power of Athens.
• Constant warfare and even plague weakened all of the Greek city-states.
• 404 B.C.E. – Athens surrendered – never to reach its glory days again.
Greek Culture – Its Greatest Legacy
• Poetry: Pindar and the ode
• Drama – usually performed in open amphitheaters – often as parts of competition:– Aeschylus– Sophocles– Euripides– Aristophanes
Science
• ARCHIMEDES – levers and fulcrums - water screw
• “Give me a place to stand on and I can move the world.”
• EUCLID – geometry
• ARISTARCHUS – heliocentric universe
Philosophy
• The Sophists: argued that there was no absolute truth – everything was relative.
• Useless to try to understand the world – just try to improve yourself and your polis through reason.
• Used RHETORIC to develop thought and debate.
• Sophists questioned all Greek values• Reaction against the Sophists as people such as
DEMAGOGUES feared Sophist thought would destroy society.
• Socrates: while not a true Sophist – Socrates influenced many Sophists the band of rulers who assumed power in Athens after the defeat by Sparta – OLIGARCHY.
• SOCRATIC METHOD – teach by questioning – forcing people to think deeply.
• Socrates believed in knowledge and truth• 399 B.C.E. – Socrates sentenced to death by
the Athenian authorities for corrupting youth with his philosophy and by denying the gods.
• Plato: a student of Socrates• Taught through “dialogues” – discussions and
conversations Socrates and others had.• Taught in his ACADEMY• He looked for a perfection beyond the senses.• His book THE REPUBLIC – rejected
individualism and believed people should be placed in society by natural skills.
• Aristotle – student of Plato
• Tried to bring philosophy from Plato to something more down to earth.
• Broadened his interests beyond pure philosophy into medicine, natural sciences, etc.
• Was the tutor of Alexander, prince of Macedonia – ALEXANDER THE GREAT.
• CYNICISM – founded by DIOGENES in the 300s B.C.E.
• Believed humans should live according to nature
• Rejected pleasure, wealth, social responsibilities, social customs, customs dealing with morality.
• “cynic” – Greek for “like dogs”
• SKEPTICISM – belief that sure knowledge was impossible – beliefs are only opinions
• “You will never know how things truly are”• Achieve peace of mind and let the rest go..• EPICUREANISM – Epicurus – avoid pain
and pursue pleasure• STOICISM – stoics – everyone must be
equal because everyone has a spark of the divine – control emotions and fears.
MACEDON/MACEDONIA
• The people of northern Greece were the Macedonians – thought by many of the southern Greek city-states to be semi-barbaric and not Greek.
• Macedonia was ruled in 359 B.C.E. by king PHILIP II.
• Philip conquered all of Greece – supported by many who thought a united Greece could defeat the constant threat of the Persians.
Alexander the Great
• Philip II of Macedonia was assassinated and succeeded by his twenty year old son ALEXANDER.
• Alexander conquered the Persian king DARIUS III and took the title “King of Kings”
• A brilliant general – Alexander conquered the eastern Mediterranean, the Middle East and western India all before he was 33 years old.
Hellenistic
• Alexander and his armies spread Greek culture throughout his empire.
• The blending of Greek culture and the cultures of the conquered peoples (CULTURAL DIFFUSION) is given the term HELLENISTIC.
• After Alexander’s death, his generals divided his empire.
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