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Classical Greece,2000 B.C.–300 B.C.
The history and culture of classical Greece has a significant impact on the modern world.
Cultures of the Mountains and the Sea
The roots of Greek culture are based on interaction of the Mycenaean, Minoan, and Dorian cultures.
Ancient Greece
Cultures of the Mountainsand the Sea
Geography Shapes Greek Life
• Ancient Greece is a collection of separate lands where Greek-speaking people live.
• It includes mainland Greece and about 2,000 islands.
• The Sea shaped Greek civilization.
• Its proximity to sea and lack of resources encouraged sea travel and trade .
• The Land: mountains slowed travel and divide the land into regions.
• The lack of fertile land led to small populations and the need for colonies.
• The Climate: A moderate climate promoted outdoor life.
• Greek men, especially, spent much of their time outside. They met often to discuss public issues and take an active part in civic life.
Greek City-States
Mycenaean Civilization Develops
• Origins: The Mycenaeans—Indo-Europeans who settled on Greek mainland in 2000 B.C.
• They took their name from their leading city, Mycenae.
• Mycenaean warrior-kings dominated Greece from 1600–1100 B.C.
The Lion’s Gate
Mycenaeans
The Minoans
• Contact with Minoans: After 1500 B.C., Mycenaeans adopted Minoan sea trade and culture.
• The Trojan War—was fought by Mycenaeans against the city of Troy in 1200s B.C.
• Once thought to be fictional, archaeological evidence has been found that suggests the stories of may have been based on real cities, people, and events.
Epics of Homer
• An oral tradition grew, especially the epics of Homer—a blind storyteller.
• Epic—a narrative poem about heroic deeds.
• Homer’s epic the Iliad, about Trojan War, showed Greek heroic ideal.
Achilles & Odysseus
Trojan Horse
Epic Heroes
Greek Culture Declines Under the Dorians
• Mycenaean civilization collapsed around 1200 B.C.
• The Dorians—possibly relatives of the Bronze Age Greeks—moved into Greece.
• Less advanced than Mycenaeans, the Dorians left no written records.
Mycenaean Decline
• By 1200 BC, the Mycenaeans were in trouble.
• Earthquakes and fighting between the kingdoms destroyed the hilltop forts.
• The years between 1100 – 750 BC, were difficult for the Greeks because overseas trade slowed and poverty took hold.
• Farmers grew only enough to meet the needs of their families.
Greek Dark Ages• Although Mycenaeans won the Trojan war
they used many of their resources and were greatly weakened after the war.
• A series of earthquakes furthered weakened the Greeks during this period.
• People stopped teaching others how to write or do craftwork.
• As the Greeks forgot their written language and how to make things, they fell into a Dark Age.
Population Shift
• A huge population shift occurred as thousands of Greeks left the mainland and settled on islands in the Aegean Sea.
• Other Greeks moved to the western shores of Asia Minor.
• This wave of movement expanded the reach of Greek culture.
Dorians
• Greek-speaking people known as the Dorians who lived in Greece’s northern mountains, began to move south and settled in the Peloponnesus.
• Dorians brought iron weapons with them giving Greece more advanced technology.
• Iron weapons and farm tools were stronger and cheaper than those made of bronze.
Phoenicians
• As people began to farm again and produce a surplus of food, trade revived.
• To ease trade, a new way of writing was developed.
• The Greeks picked up the idea .of an alphabet from their trading partner, the Phoenicians.
Phoenicians
Greek Alphabet
• The Greek alphabet had 24 letters that stood for different sounds.
• It made reading and writing Greek much simpler than ever before.
• Soon people were writing down tales that had been passed down by storytellers for generations.
Greeks Create Myths
• Greeks developed their own myths—traditional stories about gods.
• Greeks sought to understand mysteries of life through myths.
• Greeks attributed the human qualities—love, hate, jealousy—to their gods.
• Zeus, ruler of Gods, lived on Mount Olympus with his wife, Hera.
• Zeus’s daughter Athena was goddess of wisdom and guardian of cities.
Mount Olympus
Colonial Expansion
Rule and Order in Greek City-States
The City-State
• By 750 B.C. the Greek city-state, or polis was the formal government.
• A polis was a city and its surrounding villages. Most controlled between 50 to 500 square miles.
• The population of a city-state was often less than 10,000 people.
Acropolis
• The main gathering place in the polis was usually a fortified hilltop called the acropolis.
• It provided a safe refuge in case of attacks.
• It could also serve as a religious center.
• Temples and altars were built there to honor the Greek gods and goddesses.
Agora
• Below the acropolis was an open area called an agora.
• This space had two functions:
-market place
-meeting place to debate issues
Citizenship
• Each city-state was run by its citizens.
• When we mean members of a political community who treat each other as equals and who have rights and responsibilities.
• This was very different from ancient Mesopotamia or Egypt.
• These subjects had no rights or say in government.
Qualifications of Citizenship
• The Greeks were the first people to develop the idea of citizenship.
• In most Greek city-states, only free native-born men who owned land could be citizens.
• From their point of view, the city-state was made up of their lands, and it was their responsibility to run it.
Rights & Responsibilities
• Greek citizens gathered in the agora to choose their officials and pass laws.
• They had the right to vote, hold office, own property, and defend themselves in court.
• Citizens had a duty to serve in government and to fight for their polis as citizen soldiers.
Citizen Soldiers
• In early Greece, wars were waged by nobles riding horses and chariots.
• As the idea of citizenship developed, the military system changed.
• By 700 BC, the city-states had begun to depend on armies of ordinary citizens called hoplites.
Weapons of War
• Unable to afford horses, the hoplites fought on foot and went into battle heavily armed.
• Cheaper iron replaced bronze, and made arms and armor cheaper.
• Each soldier carried a round shield, a short sword, and a 9-foot spear.
A New Kind of Army Emerges
• The phalanx—feared by all, was a formation of soldiers with spears and shields.
• Row upon row of soldiers marched forward together, shoulder to shoulder, with their shields creating a protective barrier.
Loyalties
• Hoplites made good soldiers because, as citizens, they took pride in fighting for their city-states.
• City-state loyalties also divided the Greeks and caused them to distrust one another.
• A lack of unity always existed among the Greek city-states.
Hoplite Soldiers
Warring City-States
The growth of city-states in Greece led to the development of several political systems, including democracy.
Greek Political Structures
• City-states had different forms of government.
• Monarchy—rule by a king; aristocracy—rule by nobility
• Oligarchy—rule by small group of powerful merchants and nobles.
Monarchs
• Kings ruled the first Greek communities.
• By the end of the Dark Age, the nobles who owned farms had seized power from the kings.
Aristocracy
• Rule by nobles was also short-lived.• The small farmers often needed money to
live on until they could harvest and sell their crops.
• Many borrowed money from the nobles, promising to give up their fields if they could not repay the loans.
• Some lost their land and had to work for the nobles or become laborers in the city.
• Some had to sell themselves into slavery.
Merchants & Artisans
• By 650 BC, small farmers began to demand changes in the power structure.
• Merchants and artisans also wanted to share in governing.
• Both groups had become wealthy from the trade between the city-states.
• Because they did not own land they were not citizens and had no say in running the polis.
Tyrants
• The growing unhappiness led to the rise of tyrants.
• A tyrant takes power by force and rules with total authority.
• Today they are thought of as oppressive rulers, but most Greek tyrants acted wisely and fairly.
Tyrants Seize Power• Tyrants—nobles and wealthy citizens won
the support of common people.
• Key support came from the hoplites in the army.
• They seized control and ruled in the interests of ordinary people. Once in power they often set up building programs to provide jobs and housing for their supporters.
Tyrants Loose Power
• Tyrants became popular by building new marketplaces, temples, and walls.
• Despite their popularity, most Greeks longed for rule by law with all citizens participating in the government.
• By 500 BC, tyrants fell out of favor and most city-states became oligarchies or democracies.
Sparta
• The oligarchy of Sparta and the democracy of Athens became the two most powerful governments of early Greece.
• Sparta was created by the Dorians during the Dark Age.
• Sparta needed more land as it grew, but its people did not set up colonies. Instead, they conquered and enslaved their neighbors.
Sparta Builds a Military State• Sparta was isolated from much of Greece and
unlike other city-states, they built a military state.Sparta Dominates Messenians
• Around 725 B.C., Sparta conquered Messenia.• Messenians became helots—peasants forced
to farm the land and give half of their crops to Sparta.
• Harsh rule led to a Messenian revolt. Shocked at their vulnerability, the Spartans dedicated themselves to build a stronger state.
Military Training
• At seven, boys left their family to live in barracks. They were harshly treated to make them tough.
• At 20, Spartan men entered the regular army and remained in military barracks for 10 more years.
• They ate their meals in dining halls with other soldiers.
Spartan Women
• Spartans returned home at 30 but stayed in the army until age 60.
• They were expected to either win on the battlefield or die, but never surrender.
• Girls in Sparta were trained in sports—running, wrestling, and throwing the javelin.
• They were kept fit to become healthy wives and mothers.
Spartan Wives
• Wives lived at home while their husbands lived in the barracks.
• As a result, Spartan women were freer than other Greek women.
• They could own property and to where they wanted.
Spartan Government
• The Spartan government was an oligarchy.
• Two kings headed a council of elders.
• The council, which included 28 citizens over age 60, presented laws to an assembly.
Spartan Politics
• All Spartan men over age 30 belonged to the assembly.
• They voted on the council’s laws and chose five people to be ephors each year.
• The ephors enforced the laws and managed tax collection.
Mind Control
• To keep anyone from questioning the Spartan system, the government discouraged foreign visitors.
• It also banned travel abroad for any reason but military ones.
• It even frowned upon citizens who studied literature and the arts.
Strengths & Weaknesses
• The Spartans succeeded in keeping control over the helots for nearly 250 years.
• Their soldiers were strong and swift and played a key role in defending Greece.
• By focusing on military training, the Spartans fell behind other Greeks in trade.
• They also knew less about science and other subjects.
Athens Vs. Sparta
• Athens was a 2 day trip away from Sparta.
• The two cities were miles apart in their values and systems of government.
• Athenians raised their children very differently than from Spartans.
Athenian Education• Schooling was only for sons of wealthy
families. At age 7, boys began to study reading, grammar, poetry, history, mathematics, and music.
• To become good citizens they received training in logic and public speaking.
• Part of each day was also spent in athletic activities. Older boys went to military school to prepare to defend Athens.
• Girls learned from mothers and other female members of the household.
Athenian Democracy Begins
• Early Athens was ruled by landowning nobles during the 600’s.
• An assembly of all citizens existed, but had few powers.
• The early government was an oligarchy, as in Sparta.
• Around 600 BC, the Athenians began to rebel against the nobles.
Solon
• Most farmers owed the nobles money, and many sold themselves into slavery to pay their debts.
• Farmers began to demand an end to all debts, along with land for the poor.
• In 594 BC, the nobles turned to Solon.
• Solon canceled all the farmers’ debts and freed those who had become slaves.
Solon’s Reforms
• Solon’s reforms were popular among the common people.
• The farmers continued to press Solon to give away the wealthy nobles’ land which he refused to do.
• After Solon, there were 30 years of turmoil.
Peisistratus
• Finally, a tyrant named Peisistratus seized power in 560 BC.
• He won the support of the poor by dividing large estates among landless farmers.
• He also loaned money to poor people and gave them jobs building temples and other public works.
Cleisthenes
• The most important leader after Peisistratus died was Cleisthenes.
• When he came to power in 508 BC, he reorganized the assembly to play a central role in governing.
• All male citizens could belong to the assembly and vote on laws.
Assembly
• Members also had new powers
-Debate matters openly
-Hear court cases
-Appoint army generals
Council of 500
• Cleisthenes created a new council of 500 citizens to help the assembly carry out daily business.
• They council proposed laws, dealt with foreign countries, and oversaw the treasury.
• Athenians chose the members of the council each year in a lottery.
Athenian Democracy
• Cleisthenes’ reforms did not bring all Athenians into the political process.
• Non-citizens were still excluded.
• Nonetheless, Cleisthenes is credited with making the government of Athens a democracy.
Persia Attacks the Greeks
Terms To Know
• Persia Cyrus The Great
• Marathon Darius
• Thermopylae Xerxes
• Salamis Themistocles
• Plataea Satrapies
Zorastrianism
The Persian Empire
• The people of Persia lived in what is today southwestern Iran.
• Early Persians were warriors and nomads who herded cattle, and for a time, were dominated by others.
• Cyrus the Great managed to unite the Persians into a powerful kingdom.
• Under his rule, Persian began to build an empire.
The Rise of the Persian Empire• In 539 BC, Cyrus’s armies swept into
Mesopotamia and captured Babylon.• Then they took control over northern
Mesopotamia, Asia Minor, Syria, Canaan, and the Phoenician cities.
• Cyrus treated his subjects well. He even allowed the captive Jews in Babylon to return home.
• His merciful rule helped hold his growing empire together.
New Style of Leadership• Even more than his
military genius, Cyrus’s most enduring legacy was his method of governing.
• His kindness toward conquered peoples revealed a wise and tolerant view of governing.
Cyrus the Great
Cyrus’ Tomb
• Cyrus was killed as he fought nomadic invaders on the eastern border of his empire.
• This is the tomb of Cyrus the Great.
The Royal Road
• The leaders who followed Cyrus continued to add to Persian territory.
• They conquered Egypt, western India, and Thrace, a region northeast of Greece.
• To connect their vast holdings, the Persians built the Royal Road.
• The road stretched from Asia Minor to Susa, the Persian Capital.
King Darius
• Along the way, the Persians set up roadside stations to supply food, shelter, and fresh horses to the king’s messengers.
• As the Persian Empire grew bigger, it became very difficult to manage.
• When Darius came to the throne in 521 BC, he reorganized the government to make it work better.
Protector of the Kingdom
• Darius divided the empire into 20 provinces called satrapies. Each was ruled by an official with the title of Satrap.
• The Satraps acted as tax collector, judge, chief of police, and head recruiter for the Persian army.
• All the satraps answered to the Persian king.
Professional Army• The king’s power depended upon his
troops.
• By the time of Darius, Persia had a large army of professional soldiers.
• In Persia the government paid people to be full-time soldiers.
• 10,000 specially trained soldiers guarded the king. They were called the Immortals because when a member died, he was immediately replaced.
Ten Thousand Immortals
The Persian Religion
• The Persians practiced Zorastrianism.
• Its founder, Zoroaster began preaching after seeing visions as a young man.
• He believed in one god, and viewed this supreme being as the creator of all things.
• He taught that humans had the right to choose between right and wrong, and that goodness would triumph in the end.
Persian Wars• As the Greeks set up colonies they often
clashed with the Persians.• By the mid-500’s, Persia already controlled
the Greek cities in Asia Minor.• In 499 BC, the Athenian army helped the
Greeks in Asia Minor rebel against the Persian rulers.
• The rebellion failed, but King Darius decided the mainland Greeks had to be stopped from interfering in the Persian Empire.
The Battle of Marathon• In 490 BC, a Persian fleet landed 20,000
soldiers on the plain of Marathon, only a short distance from Athens.
• For several days, the Persians waited there for the Athenians to advance.
• The Athenians, however, did not take the bait.
• They only had 10,000 soldiers and knew that attacking the Persians was too dangerous.
Battle at Marathon
• Persian Wars—between Greece and the Persian Empire—began in Ionia
• The Persian army attacked Athens and was defeated at Marathon in 490 B.C.
Greek Strategy
• Tired of waiting, the Persian commander decided to sail south and attack Athens directly.
• He ordered his troops back onto the ships, and it was then that he made his mistake.
• The first to board were the horsemen in the cavalry and the strongest part of the army.
Persian Mistake
• The Athenian army of 10,000 was outnumbered and refused to make the first strike against the Persians.
• Tired of waiting the Persian commander decided to sail south and attack Athens directly.
• He boarded his horsemen in the cavalry first onto the ships.
Victory At Marathon
• As soon as the cavalry was out of fighting range, the Greeks charged down from the hills and onto the plain of Marathon.
• They caught the Persian foot soldiers standing in the water waiting to board the ships.
• Unable to defend themselves, the Persians were easily defeated.
Pheidippides Brings News
• A young runner Pheidippides raced to Athens to announce the Greek victory.
• He dashed 26 miles from Marathon to Athens, delivered the message, and died.
• The Persian army sailed into the harbor
and found the city heavily defended. The Persians quickly retreated the city.
Pheidippides Brings News• A young runner Pheidippides raced to
Athens to announce the Greek victory.
• He dashed 26 miles from Marathon to Athens, delivered the message, and died.
• The Persian army sailed into the harbor and found the city heavily defended.
• The Persians quickly retreated the city.
Second Persian Strike
• After Darius died in 486 BC, his son Xerxes became the Persian king.
• Xerxes vowed revenge against the Athenians.
• In 480 BC, he launched a new invasion of Greece, this time with about 180,000 troops and thousands of warships and supply vessels.
Greek Alliance
• To defend themselves, the Greeks joined forces.
• Sparta sent the most soldiers, and their king, Leonidas served as the commander.
• Athens provided the navy.
• The Athenian general, Themistocles, came up with the plan to fight the Persians.
Themistocles
• The Greeks knew that as the huge Persian army marched south, it depended on shipments of food brought in by boat.
• Themistocles argued that the Greeks’ best strategy would be to attack the Persians’ ships and cut off food supplies to the army.
Thermopylae
• To ready their fleet for battle, the Greeks needed to stall the Persian army before it reached Athens.
• They decided the best place to block the Persians was at Thermopylae.
• It was a narrow pass through the mountains that was easy to defend
A Traitor In The Ranks
• About 7,000 Greek soldiers held off the Persians there for two days.
• The Spartans in the Greek army were especially brave.
• Unfortunately for the Greeks, a traitor directed the Persians to a mountain path that led them around the Greeks.
A Fight To The Death
• As the Persians mounted a rear attack, King Leonidas sent most of his troops to safety.
• He and several hundred Spartans stayed behind and fought to the death.
• The Greeks lost the battle but the Spartans’ valiant stand gave Athens enough time to assemble 200 ships.
Salamis• The Greek fleet attacked the Persian fleet
in the strait of Salamis, not far from Athens.
• The Greeks expected to have the upper hand in the battle because their ships could maneuver well in tight spaces.
• Greek ships were smaller, faster, and easier to steer than the big Persian ships, which became easy targets.
The Persian Fleet Destroyed
• The Greek plan worked.
• After a ferocious battle, the Greeks destroyed almost the entire Persian fleet.
• Still, the Persian army marched on.
• When their troops reached Athens, the Greeks had already fled.
Athens Burns
• The Persians burned the city.• This only stiffened the resolve of the
Greek city-states.• In early 479 BC, they came together to
form the largest Greek army ever assembled.
• With solid body armor, longer spears, and better training, the Greek army crushed the Persian army at Plataea.
Persians Retreat
• The battle was a turning point for the Greeks, convincing the Persians to retreat to Asia Minor.
• By working together, the Greek city-states had saved their homeland from invasion.
The Persian Empire Falls
• When the Greeks defeated the Persian army, they helped to weaken it.
• The empire was already facing internal problems.
• As these problems worsened, the empire would gradually lose its strength.
Wasted Wealth
• Persia remained intact for almost 150 more years.
• After Darius and Xerxes, other Persian rulers raised taxes to gain more wealth.
• They spent the gold and silver that flowed into the treasuries on luxuries for the court.
Palace Plots
• The high taxes angered their subjects and caused many rebellions.
• At the same time, the Persian royal family fought over who should be king.
• Many of the later Persian kings were killed by other family members who wanted the throne.
• The sons had almost no power so they were constantly plotting to take over the throne.
Persian Family life
• Persian kings had many wives and children.
• The sons had little power so they were constantly plotting to take over the throne.
• As a result of such plots, six of nine rulers after Darius were murdered.
Persia Falls
• All of these problems made Persia vulnerable to attack.
• By the time Alexander the Great invaded the empire, the Persians were no match for his troops.
• By 330 BC, the last Persian king was dead and Alexander ruled the old Persian Empire.
Pericles
Pericles’ Plan for Athens
• Pericles was a skillful politician, inspiring speaker, and respected general.
• He dominated life in Athens from 461 to 429 B.C.
• Pericles hired more public officials and create a direct democracy.
• Direct democracy—citizens rule directly, not through representatives.
Athenian Empire• Pericles took over the Delian League and
used the money to strengthen the Athenian navy and make it the strongest in the Mediterranean.
• Prosperity depended on gaining access to the surrounding waterways and Athens needed overseas trade to obtain supplies of grain and other raw materials.
• Sparta and other cities resented Athenian power.
Athens’ Golden AgeGlorifying Athens
• Pericles also used money from the Delian League to beautify Athens.
• The Athenian assembly voted huge sums of the league’s money to buy gold, ivory, and marble and hired artisans to beautify Athens.
Architecture and Sculpture• Pericles built the Parthenon—a large
temple to honor goddess Athena.
• Within temple, the sculptor Phidias crafted 30-foot statue of Athena
• Sculptors created graceful, strong, perfectly formed figures.
• Classical art—valued harmony, order, balance, proportion, beauty
Tragedy and Comedy• Greeks invented drama as an art form
which included chorus, dance, and poetry.• Two forms of drama: tragedy and comedy• Tragedy—tells story of heroes’ downfall;
themes of love, hate, war • Comedy—makes fun of politics and
respected people and uses slapstick humor. The fact that Athenians could listen to criticism of themselves showed the freedom and openness of public discussion that existed in Athens.
Tragedy and Comedy
History• Historians Herodotus and Thucydides
recorded and studied past events.• Herodotus’ book on the Persian Wars is
considered the first work of history. He is famous for his writings on The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
• Thucydides was considered the greatest historian of the classical age. He believed that certain events and political situations reoccur over time, and by studying these events people could better understand the present.
The Hanging Gardens of Babylon
The Great Pyramids of Giza
The Colossus of Rhodes
The Pharos
Temple of Artemis
Mausoleum of Halicarnassus
Statue of Zeus at Olympia
War Begins
• As Athens grew in wealth, prestige, and power, other city-states grew resentful. Ill will was especially strong between Athens and Sparta.
• The leaders of Sparta and Athens pushed for war to begin because they both believed their own city had the advantage.
• In 431 B.C., Sparta and Athens were at war—Peloponnesian War.
Peloponnesian War• Sparta had a better army and Athens had
a better navy.
• Eventually, the Spartans marched into Athenian territory and burned their food supply. Pericles brought his citizens inside the city walls where they were safe.
• Plague struck Athens in 430 B.C., and killed many—including Pericles.
• Sparta and Athens signed a truce in 421 B.C.
Sparta Gains Victory• 415 B.C. Athens renewed war and
attacked Sparta’s wealthiest ally Syracruse. Athens was defeated in 413 B.C.
• Athens and allies surrender to Sparta in 404 B.C.
• Athens lost its empire, power, and wealth.
Rise of Great Philosophers
• After the war Greek city-states saw the rise of philosophers—thinkers, "lovers of wisdom."
• They believed the universe was subject to absolute and unchanging laws.
• People could understand these laws through logic and reason.
• Sophist philosopher Protagoras questions the existence of Greek gods.
Socrates• Socrates—believed in
questioning and self-examination of values and actions.
• “The unexamined mind life is not worth living.”
• He was convicted of corrupting young people and sentenced to death in 399 B.C.
Death of Socrates
Plato• Plato—a student of Socrates. He wrote
The Republic—describing an ideal society.All citizens would fall naturally into 3 groups: farmers/artisans, warriors, and the ruling class. The person with the greatest wisdom would be chosen as a philosopher-king.
• In 387 B.C., he establishes a school in Athens, the Academy which lasted 900 years.
• His writings dominated European philosophy for 1,500 years.
per
Aristotle• Aristotle—student of Plato
who is famous for his use rules of logic for argument.
• His work provided the basis for scientific method which is still used today.
• He tutored the 13-year-old prince who became Alexander the Great.
Friday, February 25, 2005
• Greek Alphabet Quiz
• Ch. 5/2 Reteaching Worksheet
• Plague in Athens Worksheet and Health Bulletin
Monday, Feb. 28, 2005
• Ch. 5/4 Guided Reading
• The Plague In Athens
Alexander’s Empire
• Alexander the Great conquered Persia and Egypt and extended his empire to the Indus River in northwest India.
Alexander The Great
Philip Builds Macedonian Power
• Macedonia was a kingdom of mountain villages north of Greece.
• Most Macedonian nobles thought of themselves as Greek. The Greeks however, looked down on the Macedonians as uncivilized foreigners with no great philosophers, sculptors, or writers.
• King Philip II, the Macedonian ruler, was a brilliant general who dreamed of controlling Greece.
Philip’s Army
• Philip created a well-trained professional army and planed to invade Greece.
• He organized his troops into Phalanxes of 16 men and 16 deep, each one armed with an 18-foot pike.
• The phalanxes broke through enemy lines and Phillip’s fast moving cavalry crushed his disorganized opponents.
Conquest of Greece
• Demosthenes tried to warn the Greeks about the threat Philip and his army posed.
• Eventually, Athens and Thebes joined forces to fight Philip. It was too late and the Macedonians defeated the Greeks at the battle of Chaeronea.
• The defeat ended Greek independence.
Death of Philip II• At Philip’s daughter’s wedding in 336 BC,
he was stabbed to death by a former guardsman.
• Philip’s son Alexander immediately proclaimed himself king of Macedonia at the age of 20.
• This student of Aristotle learned science, geography, and literature. As a young boy he learned to ride horses, use weapons, and command troops.
Invasion of Persia
• In 334 BC, Alexander led 35,000 soldiers into Anatolia. Persian messengers raced along the Royal Road to spread news of the invasion.
• An army of 40,000 men rushed to defend Persia.
• The two armies met at the Granicus River. Alexander stuck first and smashed the Persian defenses.
King Darius III• After the Persian defeat, King Darius III
vowed to crush the invaders and he raised a huge army of between 50,000 and 75,000 men to face the Macedonians near Issus.
• An outnumbered Alexander ordered his finest troops to break through the weakest point in the Persian lines. They charged straight at Darius and forced the panicked king to flee.
Conquering the Persian Empire
• Darius tried to negotiate a peace settlement and offered Alexander all of the land west of the Euphrates River.
• Alexander rejected the offer and announced that he planned to conquer the entire Persian Empire.
Egyptian Liberator
• In 332 BC, the Egyptians welcomed Alexander as a liberator. They crowned him pharaoh.
• While in Egypt, Alexander founded the city of Alexandria at the mouth of the Nile.
Mesopotamia• After leaving Egypt, Alexander moved east
into Mesopotamia to confront Darius.• The Persian king assembled a force of
250,000 men. The two armies met a Gaugamela and Alexander launched a massive phalanx attack followed by a cavalry charge.
• As the Persian lines crumbled, Darius again panicked and fled. This defeat ended Persia’s power.
Alexander’s Other Conquests
• Alexander captured the cities of Babylon, Susa, and Persepolis.
• Persepolis was the Persian capital and he burned it burned to the ground.
• The ashes of Persepolis signaled the total destruction of Persian Empire.
Alexander’s Legacy• Alexander melded Greek and Persian
cultures by marrying a Persian wife, adopting Persian dress and customs, and including Persians and people from other lands in his army.
• Empire split three kingdoms: (1) Macedonia and the Greek city-
states was ruled by Antigonus
(2) Egypt seized by Ptolemy
(3) Old Persia was known as Seleucid kingdom
Tuesday, March 1, 2005
• Ch. 5/5 Guided Reading
• Archimedes Worksheet
The Spread of Hellenistic Culture
Hellenistic culture, a blend of Greek and other influences, flourished throughout Greece, Egypt, and Asia.
Hellenistic Culture in Alexandria• Alexander’s policies resulted in a new
vibrant culture.• Hellenistic culture was Greek blended
with Egyptian, Persian, Indian cultures.• Koine was the popular spoken language
used in Hellenistic cities. • This common language enabled educated
people and traders from diverse backgrounds to communicate in cities throughout the Hellenistic world.
Trade and Cultural Diversity• The Egyptian city of Alexandria became
the foremost center of commerce and Hellenistic civilization.
• Trade ships from all over the Mediterranean docked in its spacious harbor. This thriving trade and commerce allowed Alexandria to grow and prosper.
• This international city had a diverse population that exceeded half a million.
Alexandria’s Attractions
• The Lighthouse, called the Pharos, stood over 350 feet tall. The lighthouse contained a polished bronze mirror that, at night, reflected light from a blazing fire.
• The most famous attractions were the museum that contained art galleries, a zoo, botanical gardens, dining hall, and an institute for advanced study.
Museums and Libraries
• Alexandria’s library held masterpieces of ancient literature.
• As the first true research library in the world, it helped promote the work of a gifted group of scholars.
• They produced commentaries that explained earlier works of classical literature and learning.
Science and Technology• Alexandria’s Scholars preserved Greek
and Egyptian learning in the sciences.
• Until the scientific advances of the 16th and 17th centuries, Alexandrian scholars provided most of the scientific knowledge available to the west.
• The museum contained a small observatory in which astronomers could study the planets and stars.
Astronomy
• Astronomer Aristarchus estimated that the sun was 300 times larger than Earth.
• Although he greatly underestimated the size of the sun, he did disprove the belief that the sun was smaller than the size of Greece.
• He also proposed that the planets revolve around sun. His idea was not accepted.
Ptolemy• In the second century
AD, Alexandria’s last renowned astronomer, Ptolemy, incorrectly placed Earth at the center of the solar system.
• Scientists supported his theory for the next 14 centuries.
Eratosthenes• Erastosthenes was the
director of the Alexandria Library. He tried to calculate the Earth’s true size.
• Using geometry, he computed Earth’s circumference at between 28,000 and 29,000 miles. Modern measurements put it at 24,860 miles.
Mathematics and Physics• Eratosthenes and Aristarchus used
geometry text written by Euclid, a highly regarded mathematician who taught in Alexandria.
• His book, Elements, contained 465 geometry propositions and proofs. His work is still the basis for courses in geometry today.
Archimedes• Archimedes accurately estimated the
value of pi (π)—the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter.
• He also explained the law of the lever.
• He invented the Archimedes Screw, a device that raised water from the ground.
• Finally he invented the compound pulley to lift heavy objects.
Philosophy and Art• Two major philosophies developed during the
Hellenistic Age.
• A Greek philosopher named Zeno founded the school of philosophy called Stoicism.
• Stoics proposed that people should live virtuous lives in harmony with the will of god or the natural laws that God established to run the universe.
• They also preached that human desires, power, and wealth were dangerous distractions that should be checked.
Epicurus• Epicurus founded a school of thought called
Epicureanism. He taught that the universe was made of atoms and ruled by gods who had no interest in humans.
• Epicurus believed that the only real objects were those that the five senses perceived.
• Epicureans proposed that the main goal of humans was to achieve harmony of the body and mind. Today the word epicurean means a person devoted to pursuing human pleasures, especially the enjoyment of food.
Realism in Sculpture• During the Hellenistic age, rulers, wealthy
merchants, and cities all purchased statues to honor the gods, commemorate heroes, and portray ordinary people in everyday life.
• The largest known Hellenistic statue was the Statue of Rhodes.
• Hellenistic sculptors moved away from the balance and idealized forms of the classical age and created more natural works.
Hellenistic Decline
• By 150 BC, the Hellenistic world was in decline.
• A new city, Rome, was growing and gaining strength.
• Through Rome, Greek-drama, architecture, sculpture, and philosophy were preserved and eventually became the core of Western Civilization.
