POLITICAL CHARACTERISTICS

Ancient Greece:Impact of Geography & Economy on

Impact of Geography

Greece is mountainous Traveling was difficult

People settled in the valleys between the mountains The mountains kept the groups of people

apart. Greece was not one country.

But spoke one language, and all believed in the same Gods

Independent states

“Polis”

City-States

Polis

Each polis had it’s own laws, rulers, money, and customs.

A polis typically included a city and surrounding villages, fields, and orchards.

Impact of Economy

By 700 B.C.E., the farmers could not grow enough grain to feed the population. So people from each polis began to

settle outside the Greek peninsula, in coastal regions, like Ionia.

They supplied their homeland with the grain they needed and traded the exports of Greece like olives and wine.

Merchants

These merchants expanded trade throughout the Mediterranean Sea and became wealthy. They replaced their bartering system

with a money system.

IoniaGreece

Rebellion

Economic growth changed Greek political life; where once kings had ruled, landholding aristocrats took power. Disputes arose between the aristocrats and

farmers, who demanded political reforms. Merchants and artisans , who wanted to

advance business interests, also began demanding change.

Rebellions broke out in many city-states.

Political Reform

After the rebellions, most city-states become either oligarchies or democracies .

The most famous democracy in Greece was Athens, and the most famous oligarchy was Sparta.

Athens

1st Democracy

All citizens were equal under the law.

Each citizen had the right to speak and to vote in the assembly.

Each citizen could become the leader.

Citizens

Not everyone could be a citizen.

Responsibilities of a citizen

Males over the age of 18 Born in the polis

Take active part in government

Attend Assembly meetings to vote on issues

Serve in the military to defend the polis.

WHO WERE NOT CITIZENS?Males 18 and up born in the polis were citizens…

How their democracy worked-2 branches of government Ten Generals

Members of the Assembly (10)

In charge of the military

Served as judges

Council of 500 Members of the

Assembly (500) Randomly chosen

Proposed laws Advised the

Assembly Ran day-to-day

business of the assembly

Famous Political Leaders of Athenian Democracy

Cleisthenes Leader in Athens Wrote the first

democratic constitution in 509 B.C.E.

Pericles Leader during the

“Golden Age”; ruled for more than 30 years. Responsible for full

development of democracy in Athens.

Encouraged art, literature, and philosophy Had Parthenon and

other temples built to rebuild after Persian War.

Independent states

“Polis”

City-States

Acropolis

At the center of the city (acropolis) was a temple.

Below the temple was the agora.

The Parthenon was the temple to Athena.

The Parthenon was the center of the Acropolis.

The Agora was the marketplace and gathering place.The agora was a place of activity. It was the marketplace, the courts, the place for entertainment.

Explore Ancient Athens

Rugged coastline made it difficult for other countries to invade Greece.

Wars and Expansion

Persian Wars

The Persians tried to conquer Greece.

The people of Athens fought for 20 years to win the war against Persia.

Peloponnesian Wars Sparta & Athens

each expanded their territory.

Sparta did not like Athens having so much power.

Sparta & Athens fought for control and power for more than 30 years.

These wars weakened the Greek city-states.

Invasion & ExpansionAlexander the Great (from Macedonia) invaded many lands and expanded the Greek Empire.

Cultural Borrowing

Alexander the Great brought Greek culture to the lands he ruled. Persian buildings were built to look like

Greek buildings. People all over the empire started to use

Greek money. The empire became a mixture of many

cultures.