Essential Question : What role did geography play in the development of classical Greece? Warm-Up Question : What do yo

Essential Question: • What role did geography play in the development of classical Greece? • Warm-Up Question: • What do you think of when I say “Greece”?

After the river valley era, a number of classical civilizations developed in the Mediterranean and in Asia The first major classical civilization was ancient Greece Classic cultures created high levels of achievement in art, science, & technology that impacted future ages

Impact of Geography on Greece:Identify 1 geographic feature & propose how it might impact the culture of Greece

Greece’s lack of natural resources & location on the Mediterranean Sea encouraged Greek trade with neighboring societies

Mountains covered about 75% of Greece which divided the people & made unifying the Greek people nearly impossible

The Greeks developed independent city-states, called polis, within each valley & its surrounding mountains A city-state is when a city acts like its own country with its own government, laws, military, customs, and culture.

Greek Culture • Despite their lack of unity, the Greeks shared some common characteristics: • Greeks shared the same language • Greek writing was influenced by the Phoenician alphabet & became the basis for Latin

Literature Invincible except for his left Achilles heal • The Trojan War forms the backdrop of the blind poet Homer’s the Iliad.An epic is a narrative poem that celebrates heroic deeds. The heroes in the Illiad are the fierce Achilles of Greece and the noble and courageous Hector of Troy.

Greeks were polytheistic & believed that the gods were immortal but had human qualities; Religion became the basis for Greek mythology • ZeusKing of the gods • AthenaGoddess of wisdom • AphroditeGoddess of love • Apollo God of sun & music • Ares God of war • HadesGod of underworld • HeraGoddess of family • PoseidonGod of the seas

Most Greek city-states had an agora that was the center for trade & government City-states had an acropolis, a temple on a hill dedicated to a sacred god

Differences Among Greek City-States Despite similar language & religion, the Greek polis were very different from each other, especially how they were governed

Differences Among Greek City-States Some polis had a monarchy, a gov’t ruled by a king

Differences Among Greek City-States Some polis had an aristocracy, a gov’t ruled by elite nobles Practiced in Corinth

Differences Among Greek City-States Some polis like Sparta had an oligarchy, a gov’t ruled by a small group of citizens

Differences Among Greek City-States Some polis like Athens had a direct democracy, a gov’t ruled by citizens who vote on decisions

The Greek city-states Athens & Sparta represented the differences among polis • Athenian society focused on wealth & culture: • Athens had a direct democracy in which both rich & poor citizens could vote & hold public office Under the leadership of Pericles, Athens grew to be a powerful city-state that flourished both culturally and economically

Athenian society focused on wealth & culture Architects built the Parthenon to honor the goddess Athena

Athenian society focused on wealth & culture Theater had both comedies & tragedies Artists created realistic sculptures

Olympic Games Most events tested the skills that were necessary for battle • Held every four years at Olympia to honor their Gods, began in 776BCE • Events included long distance running, wrestling, the long jump, the javelin, and the discuss throw. Women were allowed to compete against other women

The Greek city-states Athens & Sparta represented the differences among polis King Leonidas:"Spartans! Prepare for glory!" Daxos:"Glory? Have you gone mad? There is no glory to be had now! Only retreat, or surrender or death." King Leonidas:"It's an easy choice for us, Arcadian! Spartans never retreat! Spartans never surrender! Go spread the word. Let every Greek assembled know the truth of this. Let each among them search his own soul. And while your at it, search your own." Spartans society did have slaves called Helots. These slaves were responsible for farming duties. • Spartan society focused on military strength, not freedom & learning • Spartan men served in the military until 60 years old • Boys began military training at age 7 • Women ran family estates while men trained or fought Because of the presence of slaves, women were also given a military training so that when the men were away, they could protect the city.

Athenian society focused on wealth & culture Later became teacher to Alexander the Great Philosophers Socrates, Plato, & Aristotle questioned assumptions & the use of logic to find answers to questions

Athens & Sparta competed for influence in Greece & developed a strong rivalry that eventually led to the Peloponnesian War Sparta defeated Athens, but the war weakened the Greeks

Spartans showed their strength during the Persian Wars

Closure Activity • Where would you rather live: Athens or Sparta? Why?

Essential Question : What role did geography play in the development of classical Greece? Warm-Up Question : What do yo