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Classical Persians and Greeks

Classical Persians and Greeks. Classical Era. During the Classical Era, early civilizations spread beyond river valleys Some of these civilizations achieved enough power to conquer their neighbors and create giant empires

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Classical Persians and Greeks

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  1. Classical Persians and Greeks

  2. Classical Era • During the Classical Era, early civilizations spread beyond river valleys • Some of these civilizations achieved enough power to conquer their neighbors and create giant empires • This was also a time when civilizations also began to reflect more on morality and the meaning of life • As a result, many of the world’s major religions emerged • These civilizations developed institutions, systems of thought and cultural styles that still influence us today • Their art, music and literature set the standards against later works would be judged

  3. Apply it! • How is the Classical Era significantly different from the Development Era?

  4. The Persian Empire (2,000 BCE-100 BCE) • The Persians lived in Southwest Asia on the Iranian Plateau between the Caspian Sea and the Persian Gulf • The Persian ruler Cyrus the Great united the people of this area and then expanded Persia by conquering territories as far as the Indus River

  5. Building an Empire • Darius (grandson of Cyrus) unified the Persian Empire further by: • Building a network of public roads • Introducing a uniform set of weights and measures • Establishing several capital cities • Utilizing coin or “money economy” • Establishing a Postal Service • Divided empire into provinces, each with a local officials local to the Persian King

  6. Persian Religion • Zoroaster creates Zoroastrianism • Taught there were two gods • Ahura Mazda (good and light) • Ahriman (lies and evil) • This was closer to monotheism, but not quite because both were considered gods

  7. The Glory of Greece • Ancient Greece consisted of a large mountainous peninsula, the islands of the Aegean Sea, and the coast of present-day Turkey • Because of Greece’s hilly terrain, farming the land was difficult and most of the soil was only suitable for pasture

  8. The Glory of Greece • Ancient Greeks relied on trade and produced wine, olive oil, and pottery which they traded with other peoples of the Mediterranean • Through these trade contacts, the Greeks became exposed to key achievements of other ancient civilizations, such as the alphabet (Phoenicians)

  9. Apply it! • What “forced” Greece to create city-states? • What did Greece’s geography mean for their economy?

  10. Early Greek Civilization • Minoans • Early Greeks that flourished on the island of Crete from 2000BCE to 1400BCE • Developed their own form of writing, used copper and bronze and were skilled at shipbuilding • Mysteriously disappeared around 1400BCE

  11. Early Greek Civilization • Mycenae • A second ancient Greek Civilization thrived around Mycenae (on Mainland Greece) and the coast of Asia Minor from 1400 to 1200BCE • Around this time the Dorians, a group of people from northern Greece, conquered the Greek mainland

  12. The Rise of Greek City-States • Mountains and the sea caused Greek centers of population to be cut off from one another • As a result, separate city-states developed, each with its own form of government and system of laws • In Greek, the word for city state was polis

  13. Apply it! • Why were city-states a “natural” thing for the Greeks?

  14. The Rise of Greek City States • Greeks did share a common culture • Language • Religion • Myths • Traditions • Economic ties

  15. Military Sparta • Sparta is located in the southern part of Greece, called the Peloponnesus • In 725BC, the Spartans conquered their neighbors • They then forced the helots to farm for them • The Spartans had to constantly use force to maintain control over the helots • Due to this threat, life in Sparta was organized around military needs • Individualism and new ideas were discouraged • Strict obedience and self-discipline were highly valued

  16. Democratic Athens • The city-state of Athens developed a unique system of government: Democracy • Every citizen could participate in the government directly by voting on issues to be decided by the city-state • The main governing body of Athens was the Citizens Assembly • Only a minority of residents in Athens were citizens • Women, foreigners, slaves, were not citizens and could not participate

  17. Other Government Types • Theocracy • Government by a religious leader, or group • Aristocracy • Government by a small group of wealthy land owners • Oligarchy • Government by a few (usually business owners) • Monarchy • Government by hereditary rulers (king or queen)

  18. Apply it! • How was Athenian Democracy different from American Democracy today? • How was Sparta’s expansion and subsequent militarism a catch 22? • How were Athens and Sparta able to develop so differently?

  19. Persian Wars • Persians under Cyrus wanted to conquer the Greeks of the Balkan peninsula • He first sent messengers to ask the Greek city-states to surrender…most refused and so Cyrus invaded with plans to win by warfare

  20. Apply it! • How would the Persian Wars further bolster the pride of the Greeks?

  21. The Golden Age of Greek Culture • Following the Persian Wars, the Greeks enjoyed a “golden age” • Pericles of Athens championed democracy • He collected revenues from other city-states to rebuild Athens • Art, literature, and philosophy all flourished

  22. Apply it! • What is a golden age? • Why is it historically important that Athens had a golden age?

  23. Greek Philosophy • The Greeks believed that human reason was powerful enough to understand the world and solve its problems • 3 philosophers—Socrates, Plato and Aristotle, asked important questions and tried to find answers

  24. Socrates • Socrates questioned his students about the use of moral terms… • What is goodness? What is morality and justice? • In 399BC, Socrates’ enemies persuaded the Athenian Council to condemn Socrates to death for corrupting the young

  25. Plato • Plato, one of Socrates’ students, took the questioning even further • He concluded that values like goodness, beauty and justice actually exist as independent ideas that are more real than the changing “appearances” we see in daily life • In The Republic, Plato described an ideal city-state ruled by philosopher kings

  26. Apply it! • How does Plato’s world view match up with your own? • Plato believes that the one who rules should be the philosopher king…why?

  27. Aristotle • Aristotle was a student of Plato • He was less concerned with abstract concepts and instead collected and classified things from animals, to city-state constitutions and studied their relationships • Aristotle made a lot of observations and theories about science and astronomy

  28. Greek Art and Architecture • Greek sculptures and architects tried to design statues and buildings with ideal proportions • Greek buildings and statuses were not the white marble you see in museums today • They were brightly painted with bold colors • The Parthenon, a splendid marble temple with beautiful columns, was constructed on the hill known as the Acropolis • Inside was a giant statue of Athena, patron goddess of the city

  29. Apply it! • Why does Greek art give us an unrealistic view of what we should look like? • Why is it still awesome?

  30. Greek Science and Mathematics • Geographers like Eratosthenes showed the Earth was round and calculated its circumference • He also created a device (sieve) for discovering all prime numbers up to any limit • Archimedes is considered one of the greatest mathematicians of antiquity • He worked in geometry and also practical applications of levers and pulleys, volume and density, as well as catapults and water pumps

  31. Greek Music and Literature • Greeks listened to choral music and instruments like the stringed lyre and flute, and developed musical scales • Greek Historians like Herodotus and Thucydides, told the story of the past • And worked to avoid bias and emphasize proper research • Greek playwrights like Sophocles, completed the first known comedies and tragedies that Greeks watched from giant open-air amphitheaters

  32. Peloponnesian Wars • Following the Persian Wars, a rivalry erupted between Athens and Sparta • Athens had used their power and influence to force other city-states to pay them taxes • Sparta finally declared war on Athens in the Peloponnesian Wars • After 30 years of fighting, Sparta finally proved victorious by borrowing Persia’s Navy • The war weakened all the Greek City-States

  33. Apply it! • Why was the Peloponnesian War called the war between the Elephant and the Whale? • Why would Sparta’s victory be a blow to world-wide government advancement?

  34. Women in Greece • In general, men regarded women as inferior and excluded them from public life • Women were to manage the home, and were subject to their husband’s will • Spartan women, however, enjoyed greater status and freedom than elsewhere in Greece • Many were given an education and physical training • Athenian women could own clothing and slaves, but they could not own land or enter into contracts

  35. Apply it! • How did the status of women differ between city-states? • How did the status of women in Greece differ between that of Egypt? • In general, how do civilized societies treat their women? • How is this different from Paleolithic peoples?

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