The Greek World

The Greek WorldCrash Course World History: Perisans and Greeks

Take the How Greek Are You SurveyAdd up your score and check against the scale.If you scored between 60 and 8060 80 Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Archimedes, and Homer are you best buds! You value scepticism and have a healthy questioning of authority. You are a romantic that can see the beauty of all things, even painful or hurtful things and you emphasize dialogue and discussion rather than force and action.

If you scored between 40 and 6040 60 You are very much like a modern person. You are a product of the modern worlds blending and exposure to other philosophies and experiences. Some of the Greek ways of thinking are just not possible in a polis the size of Winnipeg and even less possible in a country the size of Canada so its understandable you are not totally Greek.

If you scored between 20 and 4020 40 Still somewhat in the Dark Ages, you are more action oriented and living in the here and now. You are focussed and efficient and that which does not concern your daily life does not clutter your attention.

If you scored less than 200 20 You, sir, are a barbarian. You live a life of hedonism and action, you are totally in the moment and you do not worry about the past and even less about the future. Peter Griffin, Bart Simpson, and Steve-O are more your philosophical inspirations. Get your finger out of your nose and open a window cause you are all about the party!

The Mediterranean Civilizations Greece and RomePart 1 The Greek World

GeographyGreece rugged rocky terrain, variable rainfall amounts unpredictable growing conditionsOnly 10% of land is arable, and it must be fallowed often. Poor, chalky, acidic soil.Heavy reliance on the Mediterranean Triad grains, olives, wine specifically, beans, barley, and wheat.

Maritime CultureNo place in the islands or the southern mainland is more than 32 miles from the seaRelatively calm waters and inlets along the coast make sailing relatively safe and reliable. This means that trade becomes important.This combination of terrain, weather, and soil conditions leads to the formation of separate, small, farming communities that are periodically forced to trade amongst each other early forms of city-states

The history of settlement in Greece can be divided into 8 distinct periods:Stone Age 1000,000 c3500 BCE Early Bronze Age (Cycladic) c3500 BCE 2000BCEMiddle Bronze Age (Minoan) c2000 BCE 1600 BCELate Bronze Age (Mycenaean) - 1600 BCE 1100 BCEDark Ages 1100 BCE 700 BCEArchaic Period 700 BCE 480BCEClassical Period 480 BCE 323 BCEHellenistic Period 323 31 BCEStone AgeDivided into three eras Paleolithic, Mesolithic, and NeolithicPaleolithic hunting and gathering, no permanent settlements and stone tools.Mesolithic agriculture begins gradual formation of permanent settlements FrancthiNeolithic agricultural revolution is complete, permanent settlements begin to form, social stratification develops, political class is formed, public works indicate civic organization palaces

The Bronze AgeThere are three dominant Bronze Age cultures found in ancient Greece:Cycladic 2500 BCE to 1900 BCEMinoan 2000 BCE to 1400 BCEMycenaean - 1600 BCE to 1100 BCEEarly Bronze AgeDevelopment of metallurgy - Bronzemultiplier effect a single event that triggers a chain reaction of developments in a societyArms race begins and trade follows city-states fight and trade for new innovations in weaponry

Social changes Early Bronze AgeCraft specialization trade skills for staples allows for specialized craftsmen in urban centers.New professionsNew social strataPower/wealth shiftsSpatial distribution of settlements change fewer, larger settlements that control larger areas - markets

Social changes of the Early Bronze AgeSocial stratification becomes more complexAccumulations of wealth occurAs trade becomes more important, certain settlements along the coast become more important than others.Urbanization increasesCommerce emphasizedThe cities begin to rise Aegean Sea and the west coast of Turkey - TroyCycladic Period Centered in the scattered, rocky islands in the Eastern Mediterranean Ios, Naxos, MelosSkilled metalworkers and craftsmenNot concentrated in towns, not warlike had no defences for their settlementsReligion focussed on female deitiesNo emphasis on scale all art is small, figurines, etc.

Cycladic cultureEarly Cycladic settlements prominent with trade and shippingLinear A style develops from the bureaucratic needs of the local central palaceEnds with the Indo-European invasions c2000BCE only surviving culture from this time is on the island of Crete Minoans

Middle Bronze AgeCycladic society faded slowly but had great influence on the cultures that would follow. Gradually pushed out from an invasion from the north - Indo-European tribes linguists show that this infiltration was gradual and assimilative they blended with local populations to form Achaeans (proto-Greeks)Only the Minoans survive on CreteEventually, Minoans retake the mainland culture flourishes/spreadsLinear A style found - simplified form of Egyptian hieroglyphics indicating trade and contactEmphasis on animals and nature loving in artMinoanCentered on the island of Crete last of the Cycladic islands, resisted the Indo-European invasionRemarkably sophisticated culture largely unknown until 1899Arthur Evans Discovered a massive palace at Knossos held 6000 people, over 800 rooms, no organized floorplan palace appears to have been added to over time labyrinthinePalace at Knossos

Minoan CultureAssumed to be the palace of King Minos from Homeric poetry. Some walls still had frescoes on them depicting bulls the bull figured prominently in Minoan culture MinotaurProminent traders Crete lies along trade routes between mainland Europe, Egypt, and the Middle East.

Minoan CultureOther large centers have been discovered on Crete at Phaestus and Hagia Triada.Depictions of Cretan life showed a peaceful people with a fully developed and prosperous middle class. Women were depicted topless, indicating they held a high status. Their style of their art emphasized time, place, and individuality over idealized and essential in Egyptian art. Naturalistic rather than stylized.

Minoan ReligionMinoan religion was centred on worship of the bull. Young females were often shown bull vaulting presumably showing reverence and mastery of the savagery and power of nature. No depictions of the warrior class, no walls or fortifications for major cities, there are no monumental depictions of the ruler and the cult of the king is absent possibly due to the high status of women in the culture There is, however, some evidence of child sacrificeMinoan Civilization

Linear A/BMinoans developed their own style of writing called Linear A this indicated a bureaucratic class that controlled trade and taxation. Well developed road systems crossed the island. Towns had streetplans, drainage, and habitations show a social stratification between upper and lower classes. First flush toilets are found in KnossosLevies and taxes were paid in the form of goods and flowed through regional centers before ending up at Knossos.A second style of writing Linear B, was found at Knossos, this later style indicated to Evans that Knossos Palace had changed hands.Minoan Collapse Beginning around 1450 BCE, Minoan civilization began to die out with the final destruction of Knossos in 1375 BCE. There are several theories as to the cause:Eruption of the volcano at Thera causing massive devastation all over the CycladesInvasion from mainland Greeks MycenaeansMinoan Collapse

Late Bronze Age Myceneans capture Knossos conquer Minoans in c1450 BCEDynamic pottery becomes static as Minoan influence endsGreece becomes divided into loose federation of city-states subject to federal capital at MycenaeDevelopment of Linear B styleAccumulation of wealth as capital gains control of trade routes through conquest/piracyMycenaeDominated the eastern Mediterranean from 1600 BCE to 1100 BCE become one of the three dominant Mediterranean cultures: 1) Egyptians2) Hittites3) MycenaeansDynasty founded in c1600 BCE Perseus (?)City is named in Homeric epics Agamemnon, Odysseus, AtreusMycenaean History and Archeology

Mycenaean cultureThe Mycenaean economy was based on small scale agriculture, including the Mediterranean Triad as well as metalworkers and craftsmen. The most important industry was textiles wool and linen.Above all, while the Minoans were based on trade and commerce, the Mycenaeans were based on piracy and conquest.The palace was the administrative center for the surrounding countryside. It would house the warrior king and their bureaucracy as well as the service craftsmen required to run the capital. Land surrounding the palace was either owned by the king and worked by slaves or leased to free farmers.

Mycenaean religionClassical Greek gods begin to arise Poseidon, Zeus-HeraRole of women is prominentBorrowed heavily from Minoan culturePriest class subjugated to the kingSanctuary found at Mycenae for a snake-goddessMycenaeReached the peak of its power after to came to dominate the gold trade routes from Eastern Europe1400s construction of the citadel:Massive Lions Gate above the main entrance to the cityCyclopean walls massive stone block constructionCistern dug under the city water supply could withstand long sieges

Mycenaean burialsPeribolos walls surround a series of graveshafts 2 circlesCapital city discovered in 1870s by Heinrich SchliemannHe thought he had found the grave of Agamemnon himself due to the amount of gold it contained.2 grave circles contained 19 bodies 8 men, 4 women, 7 children men were all wearing gold, approx. 6ft. Tall- indicating high wealth, status, and good nutrition throughout their lives.

Mycenaean burials - TholoiBy 1400 Tholos tombs become common Treasury of AtreusJust outside the walls of MycenaeCircular beehive construction - corbel largest interior dome for the next 2000 yearsLintel stone over 118 tonnesUsed for multiple burial but the treasures were raided obvious, not hidden.

Mycenae2500 BCE earliest evidence of settlement at Mycenae1600 BCE Wealth comes to Mycenae, probably result of mercenary activity hired by Egyptians1200 BCE economic recession, loss of markets, force Myceneans to attack northern allies Trojans1180 BCE according to Homer Helen, a Mycenaean priestess and wife of Menelaus, brother of Agamemnon is abducted by Paris of Troy sparking the Trojan War.

MycenaeansMycenaeans are victorious, but have eliminated an ally on their northern frontier and have exhausted the royal treasury in the process.1125 BCE Mycenaeans are overrun by the Dorian invasion.

Bronze Age endsTrojan War develops 1180 begins the decline in power of Mycenae as settlements are raided and destroyed - eg. Palace of Nestor at Pylos 1200 BCEMycenaean collapse 1100 BCEThe Truth About Troy

Dark Ages - c1200 BCE to 480 BCEAfter the fall of Mycenae a Dark Age begins in Greece. No culture surviving, no written recordsFederal system is destroyed palaces burned, Knossos, Mycenae, Pyloscivilization drops significantly, very few historical records exist because writing stopped sometime between 1100 and 1000 BCE

Dark Age societyAristocratic Age heroes, great men honour becomes social focus and prime motivation. Stress of the type not the individual.Trade collapses produces closed household economies. Each household aims to consume all it produces. Exceptions iron, saltSocial stratification diminishes becomes more simpleSimilar to Egyptians, idealized conceptual art dominates the Greek world. Geometric design develops.

Population CollapseEg. Pylos population falls to 10% of Late Bronze Age levelsCentralized government, population, literacy, urbanization, all disappear from Greek life for 400 yearsExact cause is still unknown

Possible Causes?Dorian Invasion from the north possible but not sufficient to destroy the entire cultureDecline in Hittite and Egyptian kingdoms would disrupt trading networks that made Mycenae so powerfulVolcanic or other natural disasters could have caused agricultural failures

Historians now think that the Mycenaean Collapse was internal:Fragile culture based on military elites dominating maritime commerceOverpopulation in a land that could not support too many peopleOverspecialization on certain cash crops like sheep and wheatRivalry among city states lead to mutual sacking of city palacesFather will have no common bond with sonNeither will guest with host, nor friend with friendThe brother-love of past days will be gone...Men will destroy the towns of other men...

Hesiod (c800 BCE)

What kind of society is depicted here?How reliable is this as a source?The Greeks scatter across the MediterraneanEvidence of mercenary service in the Egyptian militaryMany turned to piracy.Many migrated out of mainland Greece to the islands and west coast of Asia Minor (Turkey)Each of these migrations develops a separate nationality for their region. Different dialect of Greek is spoken:Dorian - PeloponesseIonion West coast of Asia Minor and islandsAeolian Attica and scattered mainland settlementsTechnologyIron replaces bronze as copper and tin become difficult to import. Quality of iron tools begins to improve as techniques are mastered over time.Pottery quality declines, decoration is simple and geometricPictorial representations of humans and animals almost disappear and there is little to no luxury items being produced. What gold from this period that has been found dates from the Mycenaean Period and was probably robbed from original tombs.

Cultural contributionsAll that is known from this period comes from archaeology and from epic poetry:Iliad older poem, dating from the 8th c BCEOdyssey dating from c750 BCEBoth are oral histories that originate in the previous Late Bronze Age Mycenaean period harkening back to the good old days where society was in a more perfect state. These oral histories transmit a desire to return to previous culture from generation to generation.The societies depicted in Homeric poetry are not truly Mycenaean, but more Dark Age. LiteratureLiterature begins in the Dark Ages essential in formation of Greek nationalism. word of mouth, historical accounts passed on from Mycenean ages as mythology in an effort to recapture the past.Heroic poetry Homer: Illiad and Oddessy Trojan War and Odysseus return to Ithica becomes the first exploration of human nature and the human conditionPhilosophy emergesDidactic poetry Hesiod cosmogony/theogenyPhilosophys first attempt to explain/understand the world around themNear the end of the period, the realization that religion and epic poetry are inadequate for this purpose. More is needed.

Social StructureSocial distinctions were based on ownership and military prowess.Aristocrats would own farmland and engage in combat with their own weapons and horses in coalitions with other aristocrats. Petty kings would dominate small populations of farmers, herders, kin and military alliances.Tensions were indicated in literature between emerging middle class peasants and aristocratic warrior classes.Change beginsBeginning in the 11th century influences from beyond the borders of Greek civilization begin to appear.Geometric pottery designs Egyptian?Iron works that have no precedent in mainland or island Greek cultureGreek forms of tomb burial change and cremation becomes commonChanges in art forms throughout the Dark Ages begins to indicate that it is coming to an end:Geometric Period 900-700 BCEGeometric style dominatesHumans and animals appear for the first timeDepictions of humans in funerals and mourningOrientalising Period 700 600 BCERendering of human form becomes more naturalisticEgyptian influence prominent in sculpture, pose, size, materials2 styles Attic mythological/fantastic storiesCorinthian imaginary/mythological animalsDevelopment of Doric and Ionic architectural styles

DoricCorinthian

Doric columns on the Greek temple at Segesta, Sicily, c. 424416 bc

Corinthian Coloumns at the Church of the Madeleine built from 1807 to 1845 byPierre Vignon.

What is means to be Greek.Awakening of Greek nationalities Dorian, Ionian, Minoan, AeolianWhile a different dialect is used, their common experience is Greek and they are all unified by the oral heritageFirst pan-hellenic Olympic Games 776 BCE at the festival of Zeus at OlympiaCity-states emerge at the end of the period Sparta and Athens dominate oligarchy and democracy

Archaic Period - c700 BCE c500 BCEOut of the Dark Age social structure of farmers and herdsmen loosely ruled by petty kings develops a radically new social structureNew political organizationNew military organizationNew artistic traditionsNew intellectual approachesNew alphabetC800 BCE Archaic Period beginsPopulation begins to increase, this stresses the land capacity. Coinage appears money. This intensifies social stratification, slavery appearsGrowing sense of individualism emerges manifested in the appearance of lyric poetry Sappho, women characters and emotional poetry is in stark contrast to male dominated epic poetryDrama appears as well.Artwork scale increases, figures become more lifelike and less Egyptian. 3 dimensionalBust inscribed Sappho of Eressos, Roman copy of a Greek original of the 5th century BC

Emphasis on the individual as valuable and distinct from their social role or positionMore spare time and stability allowing for abstract intellectual pursuits politics and philosophy.All of these developments become major themes in the development of Western Civilization

Signs of a rapid change in Greek societyHuge population increase in some regions (Attica 7x)Shift in herding to stable agricultureIncreased urbanization, larger settlementsPopulation soon outstrips carrying capacity of arable landIncreased division of labour

PoliticsThe old social structure of chieftains and tribes becomes inadequate for this more complex societyThese changes, combined with the geography of the region lead to a broad social class with the wealth and leisure time to pursue intellectual innovation included outside influences through trade.2 kinds of political organization emerge:Ethnos Peloponnesian/oligarchyPolis Aegean/ democracyPolisPolis habitation, house, collective group. The city-state arises out of these. Organized settlements separated by landforms and connected by the sea and trade. The result is a grouping of small administrations the city state, dominated by a large central permanent settlement.

PolisLike a large extended family:Athens 1000 sq miles, the size of P.E.I.Crete 3000 sq miles, 43 different poleisLesbos 6 different poleisWinnipeg would have 4 poleis for its sizeEach polis would have its own army, administration, leadership, social mores, its own religion, regional dialect, system of weights and measurements and its own calendar.Polis root of the word politics

Social HierarchyThese populations got even smaller only adult males were given full citizenship..Women subjugated to malesMetics resident aliens, also dont count. Displaced from one polis to anotherSlaves did not have citizenship.ChildrenThe Emergence of Political LifeAthens 250,000 people 20,000 free adult malesBy far the biggest polisOverall, Greek life takes place in a very small scale. Everything occurs on a public setting/family setting. Out of this environment comes political life a new development

Social StratificationVast wealth accumulations were rare in Greece gap between rich and poor is very small. With the climate, there is an abundance of leisure time a totally new development this leading to public life interaction among relatively equal members of small communities, political life develops.Small farms, a focus on individual cultivation, no mass agriculture is possible horticulture not agriculture.Silver mines are one of the only large scale industries Laurium just outside of Athens worked by slaves.Average lifespan of a slave was one year n the minesOstracismOstracism some individuals personal characteristics warrant extreme social isolation and segregation; people could be voted off the polisOstracism becomes necessary to maintain social order and to reduce tensions. There may be crime or guilt involved, simply social volatility could warrant ostracism.Aristotle man is a political animalOstracised individuals would be banished from their home polis and would be forced to live in exile or try to join another polis.

All of these developments lead to political and social stasis normal flows of political life are blocked. Tensions begin to buildSolutions:Infanticide killing of the less desirable young to curb population growth.Colonization finding new breathing spaces to support higher numbers up to 1500 are established all over the Mediterranean and parts of Persia brings Greeks into new conflicts.Colonization period 750 BCE to 550 BCETyranny someone who forces their way into power from outside the social structure, a sudden and radical political change from one order to anotherReligion when faced with difficult social pressures, religion begins to pervade daily life more and more.Social DevelopmentFrederick Jackson Turner American frontier historian developed the Turner Thesis of social developmentThe frontier is where innovations take place in a society social, technological, political, etc.The frontier culture and setting make the best laboratory for these kinds of developments. They are then passed into the central culture. This effect is exhibited in ancient Greek civilization in the Dark Ages as population pressures lead to colonization and the creation of a frontier culture in the western Mediterranean and the Southern Balkans

Greek religion during the Dark Ages polytheistic spectrumApollo calm acceptance: Know thyselfVsDionysius- Abandon self control Forget thyself

Dionysian approach to religion rooted in the notion of life cycle rebirthDualistic religion like the EgyptiansBased on mystery and religious hierarchy. Acceptance into the religion was granted only after approval and included ceremonies that were kept secret. This created a mechanism for compensation for de-individualization of economically strained erasEleusinian Mysteries based in the temple of Dionysus in Eleusis place where mysterious rites were performed that were fabled to grant eternal life.

Classical Greece (480 BCE 323 BCE)

This period lasts through the creation of a Greek empire, by Alexander the Great. Characterized by most of the cultural wonders that we associate with ancient Greece. The period of the height of democracy, the flowering of Greek Tragedy, and the architectural marvels at AthensBegins either with the fall of the Athenian tyrant Hippias, in 510 B.C., or the Persian Wars, which the Greeks fought against the Persians in Greece and Asia Minor from 490-479 B.C. When you think of the movie 300, you're thinking of one of the battles fought during the Persian Wars.This period ends with the death of Alexander the Great in 323 B.C.

The Rise of DemocracyDemocracy didnt happen overnight. The process developed and changed over time. Besides war and conquest, in the Classical period the Greeks produced great literature, poetry, philosophy, drama, and art. the genre of history was first established. It also produced the institution we know of as Athenian democracy.Democracy lasted beyond the Classical period and had its roots in the earlier time, but it still characterized the Classical age.

Oligarchy vs. DemocracyIn the Archaic Age, Athens and Sparta had followed different paths. Sparta had two kings and an oligarchic (rule by a few) government

A Spartan woman had the right to own property, whereas in Athens, she had few freedoms. In Sparta, men and women served the state; in Athens, they served the oikos 'household/family'.

Oligarchy

oligos 'few' + arche 'rule'Democracy

demos 'the people of a country' + krateo 'rule'

DemocracyOligarchy

TyrannyMonarchy

Anarchy

EconomyEconomy = oikos 'home' + nomos 'custom, usage, ordinance' Men were trained in Sparta to be laconic warriors and in Athens to be public speakers.

Persian WarsDespite an almost endless series of differences, the Hellenes from Sparta, Athens, and elsewhere fought together against the monarchical Persian Empire. In 479 they repelled the numerically mightier Persian force from the Greek mainland.

Peloponnesian and Delian AlliancesFor the next few decades after the end of the Persian Wars, relations between the 2 major poleis'city-states' deteriorates The Spartans, who had earlier been the unquestioned leaders of the Greeks, suspected Athens (a new naval power) of trying to take control of all of Greece. Most of the poleis on the Peloponnese allied with Sparta. Athens was at the head of the poleis in the Delian League. Its members were along the coast of the Aegean Sea and on islands in it. The Delian League initially had been formed against the Persian Empire, but finding it lucrative, Athens transformed it into its own empire.

Public OfficePericles, foremost statesman of Athens from 461-429, introduced payment for public offices so more of the population than just the rich could hold them. Pericles initiated the building of the Parthenon, which was supervised by the famed Athenian sculptor Pheidias. Drama and philosophy flourish

The Aftermath of Peloponnesian WarTensions between the Peloponnesian and Delian alliances mount The Peloponnesian War breaks out in 431 and lasted for 27 years. Pericles, along with many others, dies of plague early in the war. Even after the end of the Peloponnesian War, which Athens lost, Thebes, Sparta, and Athens continued to take turns as the dominant Greek powers Instead of one of them becoming the clear leader, they dissipated their strength and fell prey to the empire-building Macedonian king Phillip II and his son Alexander the Great.

Alexander the GreatPhilip II and his son Alexander (of Macedonia) put an end to the power of the individual city-states and spread the culture of Greece all the way to the Indian Sea. Born around July 20, 356 B.C.E. Tutored by Leonidas (possibly his uncle) and the great Greek philosopher Aristotle. During his youth, Alexander showed great observational powers when he tamed the wild horse Bucephalus. In 326, when his beloved horse died, he renamed a city in India/Pakistan, on the banks of the Hydaspes (Jhelum) river, for Bucephalus. In 340 B.C.E., while his father Philip went off to fight rebels, Alexander was made regent in Macedonia. During his regency, the Maedi of northern Macedonia revolted. Alexander put down the revolt and renamed their city after himself. In 336 after his father was assassinated, he became ruler of Macedonia.

The Gordian KnotOne legend about Alexander the Great is that when he was in Gordium, Turkey, in 333, he undid the Gordian Knot. This knot had been tied by the legendary, fabulously wealthy King Midas. The prophecy about the Gordian knot was that the person who untied it would rule all of Asia. Alexander the Great is said to have undone the Gordian Knot not by unraveling it, but by slashing through it with a sword.

DeathIn 323, he returned to Babylonia and becomes suddenly ill and dies. cause is unknown. It could have been disease or poison.It might have had to do with a wound inflicted in India.

Alexander the Great

Iron Maiden: Alexander the Great