The Rise of Ancient Greece

I. Background Information

• Mediterranean Empire• Mountainous terrain, Coastal plains

– Isolated and Protected

• Mild climate with rainy winters• Sea trade was the prevalent

occupation

Minoan CivilizationPalace at Knossos

II. The Minoans

• Located on Crete• King Minos’ palace was discovered

– Hallways formed a labyrinth (maze)

• Minoan information:– Minoan women had a higher status than

others– Minoans earned a living from the sea– By 2000 B.C. – controlled the Eastern Med.

Sea – Civilization peaked @ 1600 B.C.– Destroyed by either tidal waves or the

Mycenaeans

Knossos: Minoan Civilization

Minoan Civilization

The Mycenaean Civilization

The Mask of Agamemnon

III. The Mycenaeans• Originated in Central Asia – moved @ 2000

B.C• Intermarried with the Hellenes• Built hilltop fortresses surrounded by walls

– Served as administrative and business centers

• Minoans began to trade with the Mycenaeans– Resulted in cultural diffusion

• 1450s B.C. – conquered the Minoans• 1100s B.C. – inter turmoil led to self-

destruction• Invaded by the Dorian's (the “Dark Ages”)

– Thousands fled to Ionia (the coast of Asia Minor)

Homer: The “Heroic Age”

IV. A New Start• 750 B.C. – Ionians reintroduced culture,

crafts, and skills (Phoenician alphabet)• The new civilization flourished between

750-300 B.C.• Bards (story-tellers) kept culture alive• The Greeks began to record epic poems

that had been passed down by bards– The Odyssey and Iliad: taught in Greek

schools– Be proud of Greek heritage– A love of nature– Importance of husband-wife relationship– Meet fate with dignity

V. Greek Religion• Polytheistic = more than one god• Able to approach gods with dignity• Humanized the Gods

– Jealous of one another– Quarreled and played tricks on each other

• Gods lived on Mt. Olympus• Festivals to honor gods (Olympic

Games)• Gods and Goddesses (over 50 total gods)

– Mythography | Olympians - Greek Gods and Goddesses in Myth and Art

Olympia

Greek Art (emphasized the individual)– Murals were painted (nonexistent

today)– Pottery artifacts (red and black)– Scenes from everyday life– Sculptors

• Myron – idealized (Discus Thrower)• Phidias – in charge of the Parthenon’s

sculptures• Praxiteles – after the “Golden Age”

– Favored life-like opposed to idealized– Emphasized grace rather than power

The Classical Greek “Ideal”

The Ancient Olympics:Athletes & Trainers

VI. The Greek Polis• City-state: basic political unit of Hellenic

society• Typical polis (city-state):

– City and surrounding fields– Acropolis at the top of a hill (center of polis)– Agora at the bottom of the hill (public square)– Citizens were native born, landholding, freeman– Greek women had no political rights

VII. The Polis (continued) • Greek colonies and Trade

– 700 B.C. – not enough crop production– Colonies were set up in coastal regions

(support)– Economic Growth: trade throughout the region

• 600s B.C. – money system replaced barter system

• Political and Social Change– 700s B.C. – kings lost power to landholding

nobles– Aristocrats gave loans to farmers– Tyrants took control due to political unrest

• Seized power; single-handedly ruled– After 500 B.C. city-states became either:

• Oligarchy (Sparta): ruled by a few wealthy people• Democracy (Athens): government by the people

The Acropolis Today

The Parthenon

The Agora

Sparta

VIII. Sparta• Descendents of the Dorians (Peloponnesus)• Invaded neighboring city-states

– Helots (slaves) were acquired through invasion

• Perioecis worked for the Spartans• Combined the helots/perioecis outnumbered

the Spartans 20:1– 650 B.C. – helots revolted against their masters

• Military Society: only way to maintain power– Life revolved around the military– Newborns were examined by officials– Began military training at the age of 7

VIII. Sparta (continued)• Spartan Women:

– Wanted women to be healthy and strong– Married later than other Greek women– Had more freedoms than other women

• Spartan Government– Set up by Lycurgus in the 800s B.C.– Two kings ruled jointly; an Assembly passed laws

• Results of Militarism:– Maintained control for 250 years– Lagged behind other city-states economically– Were exceptional Olympic athletes– Played key roles in defending Greece against

invaders

Sparta

Helots Messenians enslaved by the Spartans.

IX. Athens• Descendants of the Mycenaeans (Attica)• Named in honor of Athena• Forced to reform government in (600s B.C.)• Metics – non-enslaved foreigners in Athens• Expanded citizenship to include more men

– 507 B.C – constitution stated that all free Athenian-born men were citizens

• Athenian Education:– Citizens educated their sons (Iliad/Odyssey)– Studied Math, Art, Music, Gymnastics– Served in the military for 2 years (age 18)

IX. Athens• Athenian Leaders:

– Draco: • 612 B.C.: Issued a code of harsh laws

(draconian)

– Solon: • Cancelled land debts• Extended citizenship to foreign artisans

– Peisistratus: • Divided estates among landless

– Cleisthenes: • Est. a democracy for Athens• The Assembly increased its’ power• Ostracism was established

X. Persian Wars• Persians were led by Cyrus II• Greeks aided the Ionians – angered Darius• Marathon: 490 B.C.

– Greeks were outnumbered 2:1; waited to attack– Surprise attack: 6,400 Persians died – 192

Greeks

• Thermopylae: 480 B.C.– Xerxes invaded from the north– Leonidas and the Spartans (200,000 to 300)

• Salamis:– Themistocles was able to lure the Persians into

the Strait of Salamis and trap the Persians– Persians then retreated to Asia Minor

Persian Wars: 499 BCE – 480 BCE

XI. The “Golden Age” of Athens

• 461-429 B.C: art and science achievements• Led by Pericles – rebuilt Athens

– Built the Parthenon as a temple to Athena

• Athenian Daily Life:– Public buildings were lavish– Men worked in the morning – afternoon

activities• Exercise, the Assembly, Symposiums

• Athenian Women– Stayed close to the home – few privileges– Aspasia, a metic woman, gave advice to women

• Was prosecuted for impiety (disloyalty to the gods)

Great Athenian PhilosophersSocrates Know thyself! question everything (absolute truth) only the pursuit of goodness brings

happiness.Plato The Academy The Republic philosopher-kingAristotle

Studied at the Academy Believed all government systems were

workable Preferred the power rest with the

middle class Tutored Alexander the Great

Golden “Age of Pericles”:460 BCE – 429 BCE

Athens: The Arts & Sciences

DRAMA (tragedians): Aeschylus - OresteiaOresteia Sophocles – Oedipus RexOedipus Rex Euripides – Trojan WomenTrojan Women

THE SCIENCES: Pythagoras a² + b² = c² Democritus all matter made up

of small atoms. Hippocrates “Father of

Medicine”

• Herodotus: “The Father of History”– Used the Persian Wars as his subject– Recorded his discoveries in Historia

•Offered supernatural explanations•Wrote about outstanding

individuals/events• Thucydides: first scientific historian

– Wrote about the Peloponnesian War– Was as accurate and impartial as possible

•Visited battle sites; firsthand accounts– Believed future generations could learn

from the past

Athens: Great Historians

Peloponnesian Wars

XII. The Peloponnesian War• Delian League formed to protect city-states

– Started by Athens (treasury was at Delos)– Athens dominated other city-states

• The anti-Athens Alliance – led by Sparta• Spartans deal with Persians

– Return Ionia in exchange for a fleet of warships• 430 B.C. – plague strikes Athens• Athenian allies switch sides• 404 B.C. – Athens surrendered to Sparta• Effects of the War

– Decline in population & rise in unemployment– 371 B.C. an alliance led by Thebes overthrew the

Spartans– 350s B.C. Greeks were defeated by the

Macedonians

Macedonia Under Philip II

Philip II: King of Macedonia

Spent three years in Thebes as a hostage– Gained appreciation of Greek culture and military

Three Goals as King1. Develop a standing army2. Unify Greek city-states under Macedonian rule3. Conquer the Persian Empire

Philip II married Olympias of Epirus– Alexander was there only son

Macedonian Phalanx

Alexander the Great

• Tutored by Aristotle• Imperial Goals:

– Punish Persia for its invasion of Greece– Unite Asia and Europe and combine cultures

• 334 B.C.E – led 35,000 men into Persia– Plan:

• Defeat weaker cities first • Stay close to the coastline• Acquire men and supplies with each victory

• Expanded his empire (Asia Minor & Egypt)– Was declared a pharaoh– Established Alexandria

XIII. Alexander the Great

Alexander the Great

• Defeated Darius at Gaugamela– Declared himself ruler of all of the Persian

Empire– Walked into Babylon, capital of the Persian

Empire in 330 B.C.E.

• 327 B.C.E. Married a Bactrian Princess– Roxane

• 326 B.C.E – reached the Indus River– Was forced by his men to turn back

• 323 B.C.E – died of malaria in Babylon

Alexander the Great’s Empire

The Hellenization of Asia

Pergamum: A Hellenistic City

Economy of the Hellenistic World

Hellenistic PhilosophersCynics: Diogenes

§ ignore social conventions & avoid luxuries.

§ citizens of the world.

§ live a humble, simple life.

Epicurians: Epicurus§ avoid pain & seek pleasure.

§ all excess leads to pain!

§ politics should be avoided.

Hellenistic Philosophers

Stoics: Zeno§ nature is the expansion of divine will.

§ concept of natural law.

§ get involved in politics, not for personal gain, but to perform virtuous acts for the good of all.

§ true happiness is found in great achievements.

Hellenism: The Arts & Sciences

Scientists / Mathematicians:§ Euclid: geometry

§ Archimedes: pulley

Hellenistic Art:§ More realistic; less ideal than Hellenic

art.

§ Showed individual emotions, wrinkles, and age!

Empire divided between 3 Generals– Ptolemy: ruled Egypt, Libya, and Syria

• The most “prestigious” domain • Later ruled by Cleopatra

– Seleucus: ruled part of Syria, Mesopotamia, Iran, and Afghanistan

• Forced to withdraw to Syria

– Antigonous: ruled Macedonia and Greece• City-states declared independence• Conquered by the Romans in the 100s B.C.E

Breakup of Alexander’s Empire

Breakup of Alexander’s Empire