Ancient GreeceAncient Greece

2000 B.C.E.-1000 B.C.E.2000 B.C.E.-1000 B.C.E.

Overview of GreeceOverview of Greece

• Physical Setting– Northeast End of the Mediterranean– Consists of Small Peninsulas– Geography

• Short mountain ranges cut through mainland• Separate communities• Prevents Unity among Greeks

– No clear river system• No unifying meeting place• Prevents Unity

– Mild climate, good soil, sufficient rainfall• Farmers can grow grain, grapes, olives• Sheeps, Goats raised in mountains• Not enough to live on

The Importance of GeographyThe Importance of Geography

• Geography encourages trade– Long coastline allows all of mainland to be

near sea– Islands surrounding have many good

harbors

• Question: What types of occupations might Greek citizens develop?

– (Farmers, fishermen, sailors, traders, explorers)

The Predecessors of the GreeksThe Predecessors of the Greeks

• The Minoans – Existed on Crete before Greek Civilization– Legendary in Greek culture, verified in 1900 AD

• Archaeologists discover Knossos (palace of King Minos)• Ruins, artifacts discovered since back up finding

• Characteristics– Writing: “Linear A” (Not been deciphered yet), “Linear B” (early

form of Greek)• Well established by 2000 BC

– Art: created Frescoes (Wall paintings on plaster)

• Dominated the Aegean Islands– 1500 BC: Volcano destroys much of Minoan civilization

The Palace of King MinosKing Minos’ palace:

built as a labyrinthlegendary home of the

Minotaur

Outside King Minos’ palace today

King Minos' governmental throne room.

The MycenaeansThe Mycenaeans

• 2000 BC: Groups from the North (Indo-European)

• Culture develops around 1600 BC-1200 BC

• Warlike group, conquered other areas• Conquered Crete, adopted much of

Minoan civilization• 1200 BC: Earthquakes destroy much of

civilization

The palace in Mycenae was

surrounded by massive walls with a huge

gateway called the Lion Gate

Mycenaen CivilizationMycenaen Civilization

• Palaces in the city of Mycenae– served as the centers for government and

economy

• Government– Role of Tax collectors:

• kept track of the wealth of the people living in the kingdom

• collected taxes on: wheat, livestock, honey etc.

The Mycenaean Civilization

The Mycenaean Civilization

Mycenaen CivilizationMycenaen Civilization

• Economy– tanned leather, sewed clothes, made jars for

honey and olive oil, created bronze shields etc.

• What did they learn from the Minoans?– used Minoan architecture as a model for their

palaces

– Metalworking--------shipbuilding– navigation------lead by the sun and stars– Religion- worshipped Earth Mother

Mycenaen CivilizationMycenaen Civilization

• Why does the civilization come to an end?– Two Theories:

1. Infighting amongst the kingdoms

2. Invasion by the Dorians

DoriansDorians

• Came in armed with iron weapons

• called the “dark age”:– Why?

• Trade ended, poverty increased, literacy declined

• refugees fled to Ionia

• 750 B.C.- reintroduced culture, crafts, etc.

• Founding of Hellenic Civilization – 700’s B.C.- 350 B.C.

Homer’s OdysseyHomer’s Odyssey

Ch. 5 Sect. IICh. 5 Sect. II

Greek Systems of GovernmentGreek Systems of Government• Monarchy- is a government by a royal family-in ancient

Greece a King. established a dynasty.– Autocracy- (rule by one person who has total control over all others)

• Aristocracy- (government ruled by the wealthy or upper class) was comprised of the nobility, or landowning class that ruled the city-state.

• Oligarchy - absolute rule by a few• Tyranny - (Tyrant) seized power, gaining popular support by

promising to defend the poor from the aristocracy.• Democracy- the council of citizens helped form laws and

limited the power of rulers.• Theocracy- government in which the clergy rules or in which a

“god” is the civil ruler.

Athenian GovernmentAthenian Government

• In early times ruled by kings

• Later, the aristocracy, selected representatives called archons

• Merchants later replaced some of the nobility

Athenian social classesAthenian social classes

• Nobility

• Merchants, Artisans

• Peasant

• Slaves – common Athenian practice to free their slaves

• Metics – foreigners allowed to live in Athens but could not become citizens

Evolution of the system to a democracyEvolution of the system to a democracy• Draco

– Wrote harsh code of laws

• Solon– Canceled debts of the poor– Set up a court of appeals for citizens– Stopped debt slavery

• CLEISTHENES – Determined that all male citizens over age 20 could be in the

Assembly– Set up the Council of 500

• PISISTRATUS– Created a following among lower classes – Exiled nobles who disagreed with his policies

Citizen RightsCitizen Rightsa) access to courts

b) no enslavement (but the very creation of citizen class makes the distinction that other people are slaves - that's what makes citizenship a privilege)

c) religious and cultural participation

d) death penalty was rare

e) becoming a citizen was nearly impossible

f) citizen duties - taxes, military service

Geographic and historical influences in the development of Greek city Geographic and historical influences in the development of Greek city statesstates

• Sparta was located on the Peloponnesus Peninsula, an area that was good for growing grain but did not provide the protection of an acropolis.

• The ruling class of citizens of Sparta was small in numbers compared with the slaves, or helots.

• Due in part to a constant fear of outside invaders and of inside slave revolts, the Spartan aristocracy empathized military strength and uniformity.

• The government controlled all phases of life for both citizens and slaves.

• By doing so, art, literature, philosophy, and science were present only as they supported the military and only in a practical nature. Military might, as shown by strength, courage, endurance, and cleverness, along with devotion to Sparta were the most important values.

• Individual freedoms were sacrificed.

Persian WarsPersian Wars

• Greek colonization brought the city states in conflict with the Persian Empire– Remember from Lesson 6

• Result was the Persian Wars (500-479 B.C.)

Ionian RebellionIonian Rebellion

• As Persian emperors Cyrus and Darius tightened their grip on Anatolia, the Greek cities on the Ionian coast became increasingly restless

• In 500 B.C., they revolted and expelled the Achaemenid administrators

• Athens sent a fleet in support of their fellow Greeks and commercial partners

• In 493, Darius repressed the rebellion

Cyclades Islands

Persian WarsPersian Wars

• To punish the Athenians and discourage future interference, Darius attacked Athens in 490

• The Athenians repelled the invasion– Marathon

Battle of MarathonBattle of Marathon• The Persians landed at

the Plains of Marathon on September 9, 490

• For eight days, the two armies faced each other

• On the ninth day, the Persians started to advance, forcing Miltiades, the commander in chief of the Athenian army, to deploy his army of 10,000 Athenians and 1,000 Plataeans for battle

Battle of MarathonBattle of Marathon• The Athenians

surrounded the Persians in a double envelopment– Although the

Athenians were outnumbered, their spears were superior to the Persians’ bows and short lances

• The Persians fled to their ships

• Persians lost 6,400 men and seven ships

• Athenians lost 192

Battle of MarathonBattle of Marathon• However, Miltiades realized that the

Persian fleet could sail and attack the undefended city of Athens

• According to legend, he called upon Phidippides to run to Athens to tell them of the victory and warn them of the approaching Persian ships

• Phidippides ran the 26 miles from Marathon to Athens in about three hours, successfully warning the Athenians who repelled the Persian invasion

• Phidippides was exhausted from the fight at Marathon and the 26 mile run and died upon announcing the warning

Miltiades

Olympic MarathonsOlympic Marathons• The marathon was part of

the 1896 Olympics– The course was from

Marathon to Athens (24.85 miles or 40 km)

• At the London Olympics in 1908, the Olympic marathon course was set at 26 miles, 385 yards (42.195 km) to accommodate the Royal Family’s viewing

• In 1921 the International Amateur Athletic Foundation made 42.195 km the official distance of a marathon

XerxesXerxes

• Darius’ successor Xerxes tried to avenge the Persian losses by launching another attack in 480– Thermopylae

ThermopylaeThermopylae

• The Greeks sent an allied army under the Spartan king Leonidas to Thermopylae, a narrow mountain pass in northeastern Greece 

• The point was to stall the Persians long enough that the city states could prepare for later major battles after the Persians broke through

Persians attempting to force the pass at Thermopylae

ThermopylaeThermopylae

• Twice the Greeks repelled the Persians• Then Ephialtes, a local farmer, traitorously led

a force of Persian infantry through a mountain passage and the next morning they appeared behind the Greek lines

• Leonidas ordered the rest of the army to withdraw and held the passage with just 300 Spartans

• As true Spartans, they chose death over retreat– Remember Lesson 17

• All died but they did hold off the Persians long enough to ensure the safe withdrawal of the rest of the Greek army. Leonidas

ThermopylaeThermopylae

• “Stranger, go tell the Spartans that we lie here in obedience to their laws.”(Inscription carved on the tomb of Leonidas’ Three Hundred)

Leonidas at Thermopylae by David

After After ThermopylaeThermopylae

• The Persians captured and burned Athens but were defeated by the Athenian navy at Salamis

• In 479 the Persians were defeated at Plataea and forced back to Anatolia

Delian LeagueDelian League

• After the Persian threat subsided, the Greek poleis had conflicts among themselves

• The Athenians formed an alliance called the Delian League– Athens supplied most of the military force and the

other poleis provided financial support– In the absence of the Persian threat, eventually the

other poleis came to resent financing Athens’ bureaucracy and construction projects

• The resulting tensions led to the Peloponnesian War (431-404) in which the poleis divided up into two sides led by Athens and Sparta

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