City States of GreeceCity States of Greece

Geography of GreeceGeography of Greece

• Peninsula into the Peninsula into the Mediterranean Sea Mediterranean Sea

• Made up of over Made up of over 4000 islands4000 islands

• Surrounded by three Surrounded by three seasseas– Mediterranean SeaMediterranean Sea– Ionian SeaIonian Sea– Aegean SeaAegean Sea

• The Greeks became The Greeks became great sailorsgreat sailors

The Land of GreeceThe Land of Greece• Rugged mountains, Rugged mountains,

deep valleysdeep valleys• Terrain shaped Terrain shaped

politics of Grecianspolitics of Grecians– Divided cities from Divided cities from

each other (physical each other (physical independence)independence)

– Led to many different Led to many different forms of governmentforms of government

– Made communication, Made communication, overland trade overland trade difficultdifficult

• Only 16-18% of land Only 16-18% of land was good for farmingwas good for farming

• Like the Minoans, Like the Minoans, trade was lifeblood!trade was lifeblood!

Central Greece – very ruggedterrain, not good for agriculture

Rise of City StatesRise of City States•Terrain was

very difficult (no roads)

Polis were ind. citiesMade their own FPAcropolis – fortified hill

Acropolis ofAthens

Political Structures of PolisPolitical Structures of Polis“Different strokes for

different folks”– Tyranny: one

person w/ absolute power to rule

– Monarchy / Aristocracy: king w/ advisor nobles

– Oligarchy: small group rules

– Democracy: people rule

Armies of GreeceArmies of Greece• Iron weapons were Iron weapons were

cheap; very common, cheap; very common, owned by everyoneowned by everyone

• Led to the rise of the Led to the rise of the citizen-soldiercitizen-soldier

• Called “hoplite”Called “hoplite”– Armed with long (6-8’) Armed with long (6-8’)

spear (no other weapon)spear (no other weapon)– Armored with breast Armored with breast

plate, helmet, shieldplate, helmet, shield– Fought together with Fought together with

friends from young age friends from young age (lower chance to run (lower chance to run away)away)

Phalanx: Fact . . . Phalanx: Fact . . .

• Group of hoplites fighting Group of hoplites fighting in formationin formation

• Formation essentially a Formation essentially a solid block of spears, mensolid block of spears, men

• Each man protected the Each man protected the man to his left with his man to his left with his shieldshield

• Formations tended to drift Formations tended to drift to the rightto the right

• Battles between phalanxes Battles between phalanxes became shoving matchesbecame shoving matches

• Relatively few casualtiesRelatively few casualties

Phalanx: . . . and FictionPhalanx: . . . and Fiction

The PhalanxThe Phalanx The 300 phalanx

The City State SpartaThe City State Sparta• Located in Peloponnese Located in Peloponnese

peninsula, made up of peninsula, made up of five villagesfive villages

• Dominated neighboring Dominated neighboring Messenans, enslaving Messenans, enslaving themthem

• Around 600 BC, they Around 600 BC, they revoltedrevolted– Spartans almost defeatedSpartans almost defeated– Made radical changes to Made radical changes to

government, way of lifegovernment, way of life– Purpose: rule conquered Purpose: rule conquered

peoplepeople– State was supreme, made State was supreme, made

all decisions for citizens all decisions for citizens

Territory of Sparta

The City State SpartaThe City State Sparta

• Class structure: two Class structure: two classesclasses– Helots = MesseniansHelots = Messenians

• Conquered people were Conquered people were property of stateproperty of state

• Subject to cruel, brutal Subject to cruel, brutal treatment by alltreatment by all

– Spartans Spartans (“Spartiates”)(“Spartiates”)• Any resident of original Any resident of original

five villages who want five villages who want through through agogeagoge

• Life was dedicated to Life was dedicated to protecting the stateprotecting the state

The City State SpartaThe City State Sparta• Government

– Two kings (hereditary rulers; agoge; military, political, religious leaders

– Five Ephors• Any spartiate

• Responsible for best interests of state

• Indep. of king, senate, assembly (beat king)

– Council of Elders (Senate)• 28 spartiates, 60+ years• Day to day decisions

– Assembly• All spartiates, 18+ • Vote yes or no only

2 SpartanKings

Ephors(Overseers)

Assembly of Spartiates

Council of Elders(Senate)

Non Spartans (Periokoi, Helots) – no political rights

The City State SpartaThe City State Sparta• Education (“Agoge”)Education (“Agoge”)

– Male education dedicated Male education dedicated to developing physical, to developing physical, mental, moral, social mental, moral, social SpartanSpartan

– Brutal training lasted 13 Brutal training lasted 13 yearsyears

– Left home at age 7 to begin Left home at age 7 to begin trainingtraining

– Taught how to fight, steal, Taught how to fight, steal, live off land, endure live off land, endure terrible hardship terrible hardship

– They were simply the best They were simply the best in Greecein Greece

– Spartiates = 9000 out of Spartiates = 9000 out of 225,000 225,000

pop.pop. Women were Women were

t treated = to t treated = to menmen

The City State AthensThe City State Athens

• Located on Located on mainland, near mainland, near coastcoast– Oldest continuously Oldest continuously

inhabited city in inhabited city in Europe (3000+ Europe (3000+ years)years)

– Originally a Mycenae Originally a Mycenae hill fort that survived hill fort that survived Dark AgesDark Ages

• City was a port, only City was a port, only 8 km from sea8 km from sea

“Long Wall” fortification betweenAthens, Piraeus – port of Athens

City State of AthensCity State of Athens

• Frequent clashes Frequent clashes between aristocrats between aristocrats and poorand poor

• Led to rise of the Led to rise of the occasional peasant occasional peasant revolt, put down revolt, put down harshly by king, noblesharshly by king, nobles

• Developed into an Developed into an oligarchy (landowning oligarchy (landowning nobles replaced king)nobles replaced king)

The City State AthensThe City State Athens• Written code of law Written code of law

around 621 BCaround 621 BC– Unfair law written by Unfair law written by

Draco (“Draconian”)Draco (“Draconian”)• Aristocrats favoredAristocrats favored• Most punishments = Most punishments =

deathdeath– People reject, threaten People reject, threaten

warwar• New code written in New code written in

594 BC by Solon594 BC by Solon– Allowed more land to Allowed more land to

poor farmerspoor farmers– No more debt slavery No more debt slavery – Encouraged trade, Encouraged trade,

commerce (middle commerce (middle class)class)

Draco - Lawgiver

Solon – lawgiver

The City State of AthensThe City State of Athens• Rebellion of

farmers finally brought new government

•Tyranny = one person who seizes power by force

The City State of AthensThe City State of Athens• Tyranny not a Tyranny not a

negative idea in negative idea in GreeceGreece

• Series of tyrants rule, Series of tyrants rule, starting with starting with Peisistratus in 541 BCPeisistratus in 541 BC

• Very popular ruler Very popular ruler who built up Athenswho built up Athens

• Rival invited Spartans Rival invited Spartans in to fight against his in to fight against his successors (family)successors (family) PeisistratusPeisistratus

Athenian DemocracyAthenian Democracy• Spartans: fix your government!!!Spartans: fix your government!!!

• Athenian Democracy resultedAthenian Democracy resulted– All citizens split into ten “tribes”All citizens split into ten “tribes”– Each tribe elected 50 Each tribe elected 50

representatives to central assemblyrepresentatives to central assembly– Assembly was both a legislature and Assembly was both a legislature and

a supreme courta supreme court– Offices filled by lot (random chance)Offices filled by lot (random chance)– Ten Ten StrategosStrategos (generals) elected for (generals) elected for

1 year terms1 year terms– Assembly had power to ostracize, or Assembly had power to ostracize, or

banish, citizens for 10 yearsbanish, citizens for 10 years

The City State AthensThe City State Athens

Organization of Athenian DemocracyOrganization of Athenian Democracy

Other City StatesOther City States•Thebes

– Often fought with Athens– “Sacred Band”

•150 homosexual couples

•Professional soldiers

•Beat Spartans twice

•Corinth– Strategic location astride

isthmus– Often allied with Sparta