Greece and RomeUnit 2 Notes
Government in GreecePolitical Units:
– Polis: city-state of ancient Greece; fundamental political unit
– Acropolis: fortified hilltop where citizens gather and discuss city government
Athens and SpartaA. Athens:
1. Attica Peninsula2. Democracy: rule by the people
1. Wealthy boys only ones educatedB. Sparta:
1. Southern Greece/Gulf of Corinth2. Helots3. Military state4. Boys and Girls trained
Sparta• Sparta was small with a huge slave
population called helots• All boys and girls educated- women
considered equals• Military education, Farming economy• Closed society- very paranoid- did not like
outsiders• No wall around city• “Come back carrying your shield, or come
back on it.”• Government: Oligarchy
– Small group voted on ideas
Athens• Athens was larger• Education for wealthy boys only- liberal arts• Society was based on trade and open to
outsiders• Many of the Greek artistic and intellectual
achievements came out of Athens• Women were subordinate and kept out of
public• Created the foundations for
democracy
Religion• Polytheistic – 12 Chief Gods who
were believed to live on Mount Olympus– Zeus, Hera, Athena, Apollo, Ares,
Aphrodite, Poseidon, Hades• Believed in Oracles – where gods
revealed their plans to the priest• Festivals were often held to please
the Gods
The Olympic GamesAncient Olympics
• Honored Zeus• In Olympia• Chariot races, boxing,
javelin, discus , etc.
• Statues of cheaters
Greek Art• Golden Age: growth of intellectual
and artistic learning • Classical Art: portrays ideal beauty;
serenity, gracefulness• Tragedies – Examined problems such
as the struggle between good and evil– Oedipus Rex
Greek ArtDrama:
1. Tragedy: serious drama with a tragic flaw2. Comedy: humorous
Homer: greatest storyteller of Greece• The Iliad• The Odyssey
Myths: traditional stories about Greek gods
Philosophers• Philosophers: “lovers of wisdom” ;
determined to seek truth wherever they were led
PhilosophersSocrates
• Believed the goal of education was only to improve the individual
• Socratic Method – uses a question/answer format to lead his pupils
• Was accused and convicted of corrupting the youth by teaching them to think for themselves.
• He was sentenced to death - Poison
“The unexamined life is not worth living”
PhilosophersPlato• Student of Socrates• Fascinated with Reality
– How do we know what is real?
• The Republic – Establishes his ideal gov’t
– Upper-class: Kings & Philosophers - Wisdom
– Warriors - Courage– The Masses - Desires
Philosophers Aristotle• Applied method of problem solving to
psychology, physics, and biology (scientific method)
• Mind and body separate• Ideas result of experience
Day 2 – Greek Wars
Persian WarsPersian Wars
– Greece vs. Persia at Ionia; coast of Anatolia
– The Persians were seeking revenge for the Athenians assistance in helping a Persian city-state revolt
– 10,000 Greeks (Athenians) vs. 25,000 Persians
– Athenians arranged in Phalanx: ea. Soldier stood side by side with spear and shield
– Athenians (Greeks) win– Pheidippides runs from Marathon to
Athens
Second War: Land and Sea Invasions by Xerxes
• To revenge his father’s shame, Xerxes in 480 BCE launched a massive land and sea invasion of Greece.(250,000 soldiers)
• Fought three major engagements- Thermopylae (Stand of the 300 Spartans), Salamis (naval battle near Athens), and Platae (Sparta’s revenge).
• Invasion failed and Xerxes lost most of his army.
Legacy of Persian Wars• Greece now considered a Mediterranean
power. Athens and Sparta become the dominant city states.
• Athens enters a “Golden Age” of intellectual and artistic achievements.
• Jealously over Athenian dominance of Delian League led to 25 years of civil warfare in Greece. Athens vs. Sparta (Peloponnesian Wars)
• Leaves Greece open to foreign invasion- Macedonia under King Philip invades and unites Greek city-states under one king.
Peloponnesian War• Civil War between Athens and Sparta
– Athenians planned to stay behind their walls and only send out an Army for protection
– Plague hit 1/3 of population dies– War last for 25 years– Both sides were weakened and
eventually leads to the civilizations downfall.
Alexander the Great• Peloponnesian War
weakened Greek city-states• Philip II becomes king• Killed at wedding
• Alexander becomes king (20 yrs old)• Student of Aristotle• Expands the empire: Persia, Egypt
(Alexandria), Mesopotamia, Indus Valley, Arabia
• Dies of Malaria (32 yrs old)
Alexander the Great• Alexander the Great’s Legacy
– 3 different Greeks gain control of the Empire• Antigonous of Macedonia• Ptolemy seizes Egypt• Seleucus took Old Persian Empire
– Adopts Persian customs– Hellenistic culture emerges
Hellenistic Culture• Hellenistic Culture
• Greek (Hellenic) blended with Egyptian, Persian, and Indian influences
– Scholars• Provided most
scientific knowledge
• Euclid: mathematician (geometry)
• Archimedes: pi, lever, screw, and pulley
– Art– Colossus of Rhodes– sculpture
Day 3 - Rome
Founded in 753 BC by Romulus and Remus (legend)
Located on the Tiber River, in what is today Italy, rolling hills and Fertile soil
Origins of Roman
• Between 1500 - 1000 BCE the Latins settled in the northern part of the Italian peninsula and brought with them the Latin language
• Between 750 - 600 BCE the Greeks established colonies and brought with them Greek culture
• After 650 BCE the Etruscans came and strongly influenced Rome with their Togas and short Cloaks, as well as the organization of the Roman army
Origins of Roman
Republic: Leader is not a monarch and certain citizens vote for leaders
• After the Republic was established the next 50 years were spent fighting and establishing the boundaries of Rome (the Greeks and Etruscans were pushed out)
Roman Government
Roman GovernmentParts of Roman Republic:
– Patricians: wealthy landowners (ruling class)– Plebeians: common farmers, artisans, and
merchants (majority)• Barred by law from holding important Govt.
positions
– 2 Consuls: led the gov’t and commanded the army; (similar to President of U.S.)
– Senate: legislative assembly (served for life)– Dictator: ruled in time of crisis (6 months)– Legions: large military units
The Twelve Tables – Rome’s first code of laws, applied to only Romans, evolved to a more sophisticated system on laws over time
– A person is innocent until proven guilty– People accused of wrongdoing have the
right to defend themselves before a judge
– Judges weighed info and made decision
Roman Republic
Rome Spreads its PowerPunic Wars
Rome vs. Carthage (North Africa)• 3 separate wars• 1st: was fought over Sicily (264- 241 BCE)
– Carthage captured part of Sicily; Rome came to help out.
– Also for glory and plunder– Fought mostly at sea
2nd: (218- 201 BCE)– It was the Carthagian’s bitterness over both the
agreement from the first war, and the Roman expansion following the next years (Corsica and Sardinia was taken from Carthage in 237), that brought it on.
– Hannibal: Carthage general; mastermind of war • Won several early battles but no decisive ones• The Romans used a tactic of delaying, and they had strong hold
on the communications over both land and sea. This would eventually result in declining morals in Hannibal’s troops
• In 204 the Roman sunder the leadership of Scipio invaded Ifriqiya (today's Tunisia), and despite strong resistance, a peace was almost arranged in 203, when Hannibal returned. Hannibal was beaten in Zama (near today's Tunisia) in 202. Peace was signed in 201. All claims on Spain were given up, and the Punic fleet was reduced to ten ships.
3rd: (149- 146 BCE)• The third war was entirely provoked by the Romans. After the
second defeat, Carthage managed once again to return to much of its former glory, the economy prospered, and the fleet increased. But the memory of the former Punic wars was strong in Rome; many hated the Carthaginians especially because there seemed to be nothing that could force them on their knees. Many Romans wanted to gain glory, and no enemy was more attractive than Carthage, even if the city state now longer aspired to become an empire.
The Roman Empire• Empire emerges after Punic Wars; republic
becomes unstable• Economic Turmoil
1. Rich live on big estates (with lots of slaves)2. Small farmers had difficulty competing3. Civil War: Tribunes tried for reforms but made
enemies with senators• Generals start to gain power (recruiting soldiers
turned farmers—promising them land) and take over by force
• First Triumvirate is formed
Julius Caesar gains control of Rome• 60 BCE Caesar joined with Crassus and
Pompey; ruled as a triumvirate (group of three) for 10 yrs with Crassus and Pompey.
• Elected consul (ruled for 1 yr)• Excellent military leader • Appointed himself governor of Gaul (France)
—becomes very popular• 50 BCE he defies senate; they ordered him to
disband his legions and return home.• 49 BCE Crossed Rubicon River conquers
Greece, Asia, Spain, Egypt• 46 BCE returned to Rome, had support of
army and masses and was appointed Dictator• 44 BCE appointed dictator for life
The Roman Empire
The Roman Empire• Governed as an absolute ruler• Reforms: Roman citizenship to people in
the provinces; expanded the senate; built new public buildings that created new jobs for the poor
• Some senators feared losing their influence; some considered him a tyrant
• Caesar is killed by senatorsMarch 15, 44 BCE
The Roman EmpireBeginning of the Empire
1. More civil war; Roman Republic destroyed
2. Octavian, Mark Antony and Lepidus • Ruled for 10 yrs• Jealousy and violence• Lepidus retires, Octavian and Mark Antony
rivals3. Octavian rules; becomes Augustus
Caesar• Becomes 1st Emperor of Rome
4. Pax Romana (207 years)– After Augustus’ death, empire remained
stable
Art & Architecture• Art
– Adopted many features from the Greek style of Art
– Greeks sculpted the Ideal form and Romans were more Realistic
• Architecture– First to use the Arch– Used Concrete – Built roads connecting the Empire
Society and CultureLegacy
• Latin language; official language of Roman Catholic Church into 20th century
• Aqueducts; brought water to cities• Architecture; inspired public buildings• Roman Roads; made of stone, concrete, and
sand. Lasted until Middle ages• Laws; most lasting and widespread
• Fair and equal to all people• Influenced by philosophers• Equal treatment under law• Innocent until proven guilty
Day 4 – Fall of Rome & Christianity
Roman Religion• Polytheistic
– Focused on the worship of many Gods (Jupiter, Juno, Mars,)
• The Romans were tolerant of other religions throughout the providences
• As the Conquered land to the east, the religions would follow
Christianity• Jesus – believed that it was his
mission to complete the salvation that God had promised the Jews• The Messiah• Contained many ideas from Judaism• Stressed importance of people’s love for God
and each other• Promised salvation for those who repented
their sins• Crucified for defying the Roman government
Christianity Spreads• Christianity officially begins when his
follower claim that he was risen form the dead.
• Jesus’s apostles were charged with spreading his message – Jesus was the Savior
• With the help of Roman Roads and the followers of Jesus, Christianity began to spread throughout much of the Roman Empire
• Romans began to view Christianity as harmful to the Roman State
• Christians refused to worship the State Gods
Christianity SpreadsConstantine
• Ends persecution (occurred b/c people didn’t worship Roman gods—thousands were killed, exiled, or imprisoned)
• Converts to Christianity and become the first Christian Emperor
• Nicene Creed: basic beliefs of church – Helps commission the first Bible – Christian Holy Book
Fall of the Roman EmpireRome’s economy weakens
1. Inflation2. Plague3. Overworked soil4. Military in disarray
Rome splits (empire no more)5. West: remains Rome; Latin speaking
• Huns responsible for German invasions in West (Attila)
6. East: Byzantine Empire; Greek speaking• Constantine secures, moves capitol
(Constantinople)• Flourishes; preserves Greek and Roman
culture
Fall of the Roman EmpireWhen the Roman Empire Falls in 476 the world enters what would become known as the Dark Ages