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The Rise of Greek Civilization

The Rise of Greek Civilization. Chapter 6, Section 1. Greece’s Geographic Setting. Greece is a peninsula made up of peninsulas. Peninsula  an area of land surrounded by water on three sides Mountains are the major landform of Greece. Only small patches of farmland Traders and sailors

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The Rise of Greek Civilization

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  1. The Rise of Greek Civilization Chapter 6, Section 1

  2. Greece’s Geographic Setting • Greece is a peninsula made up of peninsulas. • Peninsula  an area of land surrounded by water on three sides • Mountains are the major landform of Greece. • Only small patches of farmland • Traders and sailors • Greece’s islands are mostly mountain peaks. • The ancient Greeks were all islanders.

  3. Greece’s Geographic Setting • Some ancient Greeks lived on real islands completely surrounded by water or on small peninsulas. • Others lived on “land islands” – cut off by mountains. • The geography of Greece made it hard for people from different communities to get together. • Ancient Greek communities thought of themselves as separate countries. • Own customs and beliefs • Each believed its own land, traditions, and way of life were the best  often fought wars against each other • However, they all shared a common heritage, spoke the same language, and worshipped the same gods.

  4. MapOfAncient Greece

  5. Greek Beginnings • All Greeks shared a wealth of stories and myths about their origins. • Creation, nature, Greek heroes and gods, beginnings of cities and traditions • Some of the most important stories were told about the Trojan War  long struggle between Greece and the city o Troy on the west coast of Asia Minor. • All the great heroes from both regions joined in the war.

  6. The Trojan War • According to the myths, a prince named Paris, from the wealthy city of Troy, was the guest of a Greek chieftain named Menelaus. • Paris broke the law of the gods and kidnapped Menelaus’s wife, Helen, and took her to Troy. • To get Helen back, the Greek chieftains sent a huge army to attack Troy. • The war lasted 10 years, and during this time, many heroes on both sides perished. • The Greek conquered Troy by a trick – the Trojan horse. • The Greeks burned and looted Troy and then returned home.

  7. The Trojan War

  8. The Trojan War • Two epics (long poems) were written about the Trojan War. • the Iliad and the Odyssey written by poet Homer • Iliad  tells about a quarrel between Greek leaders in the last year of the war • Odyssey  describes the adventures of the hero Odysseus as he struggles to return to his homeland from Troy • The poems were important to the Greeks because they taught what their gods were like and how the noblest of their heroes behaved.

  9. The Dark Ages of Greece • Civilization in Greece collapsed after the end of Troy. • Life went on, but poverty was everywhere. • No longer traded – had to depend on what they could raise themselves • Some were forced to move to islands and the western part of Asia Minor. • The art of writing disappeared.

  10. The Dark Ages of Greece • 1100s B.C. to 750 B.C. = Dark Ages • Without writing, people had to depend on word of mouth to keep their traditions and history alive  oral tradition • During this time, families gradually began to resettle in places where they could grow crops and raise animals. • Some family farms turned into villages. • When they chose places to build their farms, people favored places near rocky, protected hills where they would be safe from attack  acropolis (high city)

  11. Governing the City-States • Around 750 B.C., villages in a small area probably joined together to form a city in the shadow of an acropolis. • Each city began to develop its own traditions and its own form of government and laws. • Each one was not only a city, but also a separate independent state. • City-states  tiny nations including a city and the villages and fields surrounding it.

  12. Aristocracy: Nobles Rule • Chieftains or kings who were military leaders = earliest rulers of city-states • By the end of the Dark Ages, most city-states were ruled by aristocrats (members of the rich and powerful families). • Controlled most of the good land • Could afford horses, chariots, and the best weapons to make themselves stronger than others

  13. A New Type of Ruler • City-states became richer as the Greeks sailed to foreign ports trading olive oil, marble, and other products. • A middle class of merchants and artisans developed. • Wanted some say in the government of their cities • Could not afford to equip themselves with horses/chariots for war • Could afford armor, swords, and spears  large group of soldiers could fight effectively on foot • Gradually, military strength in the cities shifted from aristocrats to merchants and artisans.

  14. A New Type of Ruler • As a result of these changes, aristocratic governments were often overthrown and replaced by rulers call tyrants. • Tyrant  a ruler who seized power by force • Usually supported by the middle and working classes

  15. Democracy: Rule by the People • Eventually, the people of many city-states overthrew tyrants who were too harsh. • A few cities moved to a form of government called democracy (govern themselves). • Athens was the city-state where democracy was fully expressed.

  16. Democracy: Rule by the People • 594 B.C. Athenian leader named Solon, well-known for his fairness, won the power to reform the laws. • Laws  reformed Athen’s economy and government • Canceled all debs and freed citizens who had been enslaved for having debts • Allowed any male citizen of Athens 18+ years to have a say in debating important laws. • These laws and others allowed Athens to become the leading democracy of the ancient world.

  17. Democracy: Rule by the People • Not everyone living in ancient Athens benefited from democracy. • 1/5 Athenians was a citizen • Women, foreigners, and enslaved did not take part in democracy • The men who were citizens of Athens were free and self-governing.

  18. Democracy

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