Themes of Classical Greece

1. Themes of Classical Greece • Early Greeks – origins and influence of geography • Cultural and Scientific Advancements • Athens VS Sparta – different cultures within Greece • Conflicts • Legacy

2. Origins of Classical Greek Civilization

3. MAIN IDEA • The roots of Greek culture are based on the interactions of the Mycenaean, Minoan, and Dorian cultures.

4. WHY IT MATTERS NOW • The seeds of much of Western cultural heritage were planted during this time period.

5. Influence of Geography Looking at the map, how do you think geography played a role in the development of Classical Greek Civilization?

6. Geography • Mountainous peninsula that juts out into the Mediterranean Sea • 2000 islands in the Ionian and Aegean Seas • Greece was surrounded by water

7. Geography – Importance of the Sea • Dependant on the seas • Rarely had to travel more than 85 miles to get to the coast • Important travel and trade routes – enabled the Greeks to get much needed natural resources that they lacked (i.e. timber, metals, and farmland) • Enabled the Greeks to become the most skilled seafarers of the time

8. Geography – Difficulties of the Land • Greece is roughly 75% rugged mountains • Mountains acts as natural borders between regions within Greece - led to the development of small communities rather than a single government • Travel overland was difficult • Stony landscape – very little was suitable for farming • There were small fertile valleys for small-scale farming, but the Greek landscape could never support a very large population – never reached more than a few million people • Landscape encouraged the Greeks to colonize elsewhere

9. Geography - Climate • Moderate climate (48 in the Winter; 80 in the Summer) supported an outdoor lifestyle • Huge influence on culture – outdoor public events

10. Notes on Greek Geography • Surrounded by water – travel and trade • Rugged terrain – isolated villages and limited farming • Warm climate • Limitations forced Greeks to expand empire

11. Mycenaeans – The First Greeks • Indo-Europeans that migrated to Greece in 2000 BCE • Main city was in Mycenae • Civilization flourished from 1600-1100 BCE • Dominated Greece through conquest – warring aristocracy

12. Mycenaean Culture • Written language • Elaborate burial rituals • Crops – grain, olives and grapes • Huge textile industry • Art – jewelry, frescoes, architecture, advanced weapons

13. Mycenaean Civilization Notes • From Mycenae, Southern Greece • Dominated Greece 1600-1100 BCE • Militant

14. Minoans – Other Early Greeks • Occupied the island of Crete and came into contact with the Mycenaeans around 1500 BCE • Influenced the Mycenaeans • Seaborne trade • Much more “civilized” than the Mycenaeans • Language, art, architecture, technology

15. Minoan Notes • Trade • Writing • Influenced Greek religion, art, politics and literature

16. Mycenaeans and Minoans - Notes • Set the groundwork for modern Western civilizations

17. And then came the Dorians… • After the collapse of the Mycenaean and Minoan civilizations, the Dorians moved in… they almost ruined a good thing. • Far less advanced • Economy and trade collapsed • Lost written language • No written records • Even though they weren’t too sharp, the Dorians played a huge role in the development of Greek culture • Loss of written language led to an oral tradition – epic poems • Most Greek myths/gods stem from epic poems

18. Dorians - Notes • Far less advanced • Lost written language, few records • Led to epic poems, mythology