Impact of Geography Greece consists of mountainous peninsula and numerous islands

1. Impact of Geography • Greece consists of mountainous peninsula and numerous islands • About the size of Louisiana • Mountains and sea important geographical resources • Mountain ranges caused small, independent communities to develop different ways of life • Ports, inlets, and islands- many became seafarers • Aegean Sea, Mediterranean Sea, and the Black Sea- set up colonies and trade

3. The Minoan Civilization • 2800 B.C.- a Bronze Age civilization called the Minoan civilization established in Crete • Named after legendary king of Crete, Minos, by the British archaeologist Arthur Evans who discovered ruins on Crete • Flourished between 2700-1450 B.C. • Arthur (English archaeologist) discovered the remains of rich trading culture based on seafaring at the city of Knossos • Sailed to southern Greece and Egypt for trade • Palace at Knossos- contained brightly colored living rooms, workshops for making vases, ivory figurines, and jewelry, and bathrooms with drains. • One of the Greeks most advanced civilizations\ • 1450 B.C.- suffered catastrophe: some historians believe a tidal wave caused a volcanic eruption on the island of Thera, others believe the civilization was destroyed by mainland Greeks, Mycenaeans

4. The First Greek State: Mycenae • Mycenaean comes from Mycenae: a fortified site in Greece first discovered by the German archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann • Thrived between 1600-1100 B.C • Made up of an alliance of powerful monarchies, each living in a fortified center within large stone walls • The rest of the civilization lived outside of these walls • Large, beehive shaped tholos tombs where the royal family was buried • Warrior culture: hunting and fighting shown in murals • Developed an extensive commercial network • Pottery found throughout the Mediterranean • Conquered Greek islands, maybe even Crete

5. Mycenae (cont.) Homer: CREATED history rather than RECORDED history Home was a poet that wrote a famous excerpt about the city of Troy The Mycenaean states began to fight one another and earthquakes damaged their civilizations Collapsed in 1100 B.C. after new waves of invaders moved into Greece from the north

6. The Dark Age • 1100-750 B.C. • Few records from this period exist, thus it is called the Dark Age • Population and food production fell • 850 B.C.- farming revived and the basis of a new Greek civilization began to be formed • Greeks immigrated to Ionia (modern day Turkey) • Aeolians: settled in northern Greece- Lesbos • Dorians: Peloponnesus and southern Greek islands • Iron replaced bronze = improving weapons and farming • Adopted Phoenician alphabet- 24 letters, both consonants and vowels

7. Dark Age (cont.) • Homer: epic poems • Iliad and Odyssey • His poems set values and showed an ideal past

8. Chapter 4 Section 2 Notes Greek City-States

9. Polis: center of Greek life A. By 750 B.C. the polis (city-state) became the central focus of Greek life “polis” = politics B. usually on a hill, topped with a fortified area called the acropolis 1. sometimes a refuge or religious place 2. below was the agora: open area for people to assemble; market C. city-states varied in sizes 1. Athens population exceeded 300,000 D. Most of all, the polis was a community of people who shared an identity and goals

11. 3 Classes in Greek Society Citizens with political rights (adult males) Citizens without political rights (women and children) Non-citizens (slaves and resident aliens)

12. Polis (cont.) E. Responsibility comes with rights 1. Aristotle: “we must regard every citizen as belonging to the state” a. this made each city-state very patriotic, thus competitive and distrustful of each b. this warring eventually brought Greece to ruins F. New military system based on hoplites developed 1. Infantry foot soldiers who carried a shield, sword, and spear 2. Fought shoulder to shoulder in a formation called a phalanx 3. MADE THEM A VERY POWERFUL FORCE!!!

14. II. Greek Colonies • Between 750- 550 B.C. many Greeks left the homeland to settle distant lands • Greeks also settled along the shores of the Black Sea • a. Bosporus and Hellespont • b. most notable: Byzantium • 2. Increased trade and industry created a new wealthy class of merchants who wanted political power • a. this was difficult because of the ruling aristocracy

15. III. Tyranny in the City-States • Sudden rise in this new wealthy class led to tyrannts • Tyrant: leader who seized power by force from ruling aristocratically • a. the peasants supported tyrants • b. hired soldiers • c. built new temples • By the end of the 6th century they fell out of favor! B. Greeks believed in rule of law 1. the end of tyranny allowed the rise of new classes of society to participate in government a. democracies: ruled by man b. oligarchies: ruled by few *2 BIG EXAMPLES: ATHENS AND SPARTA

16. Sparta • Needed more land = conquered neighboring Laconians and Messenians • These people became serfs who worked for Spartans – helots (capture) • Military state • 800- 600 B.C.- lives were rigidly controlled and disciplined • Boys entered military at 20, lived in barracks until age 30 • Ate all meals in public dining halls • Foul pork broth boiled in animal blood, vinegar, and salt • Able to marry at age 20 • Vote in assembly at age 30 • Stayed in the army until 60

17. Sparta (cont.) • Women lived at home, while their husbands lived in the barracks • Women had more freedom of movement and greater power than women in other Greek city-states • Expected to remain fit to bear and raise healthy children • Expected their sons to be brave in battle, to win or to be killed

18. Government of Sparta • Two kings who led the Spartan army headed the Spartan oligarchy • 5 men known as ephors were responsible for the youths’ education and the citizens conduct • A council of two kings and 28 men over 60 years of age decided on the issues the assembly would vote on • Assembly did NOT debate, only voted • Sparta closed itself off to the outside world- travel and travelers were discouraged, except for military reasons • Spartans frowned upon new ideas and the arts- only the art of war mattered

19. Athens • A king ruled EARLY Athens, but by 7th century B.C. it was ruled by an oligarchy of aristocrats whop owned the best land and controlled political life • There was an assembly of all citizens, but it had few powers • End of 7th century B.C., Athens had serious economic and political troubles • Many Athenian farmers were sold into slavery for nonpayment of their debts to aristocrats • People urged to cancel debts and give land to the poor • Athens was on the verge of a CIVIL WAR

20. Athens (cont.) • Reformist aristocrat – Solon was appointed leader in 594 B.C. to handle these problems • He cancelled the debts, but did not give land to the poor because the poor could not obtain land, internal strife continued • Led to tyranny • Pisistratus seized power in 560 B.C.- helped the merchants and gave land to the poor • Athenians revolted against his son and ended the tyranny in 510 B.C. • Appointed Cleisthenes in 508 B.C. • created a new council of 500 to propose laws and supervise the • treasury and foreign affairs • the assembly of all male citizens had final authority to pass laws • after free and open debate • *Cleisthenes reforms laid the foundation of Athenian democracy!!

21. Chapter 4 Section 3 Notes The Culture of Classical Greece

22. The Challenge of Persia • Greeks came into contact with the Persian Empire to the east • The Ionian Greek cities in Western Asia Minor revolted unsuccessfully against the Persians in 499 B.C. • Darius, the Persian ruler, sought revenge • 490 B.C.- Athenians were outnumbered, yet still defeated Persians at the Battle of Marathon • 26 miles from Athens • Where we get the definition “marathon” today

23. The Challenge of Persia (cont.) After Darius died, Xerxes became Persian king- he vowed revenge Athenians begin re-building their army- by 480 B.C. about 200 Xerxes invaded with massive army- about 180,000 troops and thousands of warships and vessels 7,000 Greeks held them off for 2 days at Thermopylae However, a traitor showed the Persians a mountain path to outflank the Greeks Athenians abandoned their city Near the island of Salamis, the swifter Greek navy outmaneuvered the Persians and defeated them A few months later, at Plataea, the Greeks formed their largest army ever and defeated the Persians

24. The Growth of the Athenian Empire and the Age of Pericles • After the Persians defeat, Athens became the leader of the Greek world • Athenians formed a defensive alliance- Delian League- headquartered on the island of Delos • 2. Athenians were the league officials • 3. This league leadership led to the Persians being entirely expelled from Greece • 4. 454 B.C.- treasury of league was moved from Delos to Athens B. Under Pericles, the prime figure in Athenian politics from 461-429 B.C. 1. Athens expanded its empire 2. Democracy and culture strived at home 3. “Age of Pericles”- height of Athens power and brilliance

25. The Age of Pericles • Pericles expanded the involvement of Athenian democracy • Direct democracy- people participated in government decision-making through mass meetings • Every MALE citizen could participate in general assembly and vote major issues 2. Assembly- not ALL residents were citizens a. the assembly was made up of 43,000 male citizens over 18 years old b. only a few thousand attended regularly c. passed all laws d. elected public officials e. made final decisions on war and foreign policy f. speaking was allowed but only the respected leaders did so

26. Pericles (cont.) 3. Pericles made it possible for poor citizens to take part in public affairs a. wanted Athenians to be proud of their democracy b. lower class male citizens were eligible for paid public office positions 4. 10 officials known as generals directed the policy of the Athenian government a. could be re-elected 5. Athenians developed ostracism to protect from overly ambitious politicians a. Athenian vote of banishment- if 6000 members voted so, a person was banned from the city for 10 years 6. Pericles used the Delian League’s treasury to re-build Athens after the Persians looted and burnt it *Athens became the center of Greek culture a. New temples and statues b. art, architecture flourished Pericles boasted that Athens had become the “school of Greece”

27. Chapter 4 Section 4 The Culture of Classical Greece

28. Greek Religion A. Religion affected every aspect of Greek life 1. Temples dedicated to gods and goddesses were the major buildings in Greek cities 2. As depicted by Homer: a. 12 Chief gods and goddesses lived on Mt. Olympus 1. Zeus: chief/ father of the gods 2. Athena: goddess of wisdom and crafts 3. Apollo: god of sun and poetry 4. Ares: god of war 5. Aphrodite: goddess of love 6. Poseidon: (Zeus’ brother) god of seas and earthquakes

29. 3. Rituals were very important a. Rituals- ceremonies or rites involving prayers combined with gifts for the gods b. festivals also honored the gods at specific locations 1. Zeus at Olympus 2. Apollo at Delphi 3. the athletic games: first Olympic festival- 776 B.C. c. oracle- a sacred shrine where a god or goddess revealed the future through a priest or priestess 1. most famous oracle: The Oracle of Apollo at Delphi, located on the side of Mt. Parnassus overlooking the Gulf of Corinth 2. the priestess listened to questions and gave answers that could be interpreted in many directions

30. II. Greek Drama Plays were presented in outdoor theaters as part of religious festivals 1st Greek dramas were tragedies 1. Usually presented in trilogies (set of 3) a. the only complete trilogy to present is Oresteia, by Aeschylus: the story of Agamemnon (Trojan war hero) b. another famous one is Oedipus Rex, by Sophocles 1. Oracle of Apollo foretells Oedipus killing his father and marrying his mother C. Greek tragedies displayed universal themes such as good vs. evil, nature of divine forces, human nature, etc.

31. III. Greek Philosophy Philosophy: organized system of thought 1. Greek word meaning “love of wisdom” B. Many Greek philosophers tried to explain the universe on the basis of unifying principles 1. Pythagoras (Pythagorean Theorem) taught that the essence of the universe could be found in music and numbers C. Sophists 1. group of traveling teachers in ancient Greece that challenged the teachings of the noted philosophers a. they believed it was more important for self improvement b. stressed the importance of rhetoric (persuasive speaking skills) c. they believed there was no absolute right or wrong d. many believed that Sophists were harmful to society, esp. the young

32. D. Socrates • Critic of the Sophists, Socrates was a sculptor whose true love was philosophy • He left no writings of his own (there are only those of his student Plato • a. he taught him for no pay • 3. He believed the goal of education was only to improve the individual • a. his teachings were the Socratic Method • question/ answer format to allow students to find their own reasoning within themselves • “the unexamined life is not worth living” • 4. Socrates questioned authority which caused him to get in trouble • a. post- Pelopponesian war, the Athenians no longer trusted open debate • b. Socrates was convicted of corrupting the youth of Athens and was sentenced to death by poison

33. E. Plato Socrates’ student, considered by many the greatest philosopher of Western Civilization In contrast to Socrates, Plato wrote all of his thoughts and ideas down a. his favorite question: How do we know what is real? 3. One of his works about government: The Republic- detailing his lack of trust in Athens Democracy a. he believed in individuals living in a just and rational state b. this belief led to his idea that people were divided into 3 groups *upper class of philosopher: Kings *warriors who protected society *all the rest; the masses (artisans, trades people, farmers) c. Plato also believed that men and women should have equal access to education and positions

34. F. Aristotle A student of Plato at Plato’s Academy for 20 years He did not accept Plato’s theory of ideal forms a. his interests were in analyzing and classifying things based on observation and investigation 3. He wrote about many subjects like ethics, politics, logic, poetry, astronomy, geology, biology, and physics 4. Like Plato, he believed in an effective form of govt. a. he wrote “Politics” and found 3 good forms of government *monarchy *aristocracy *constitutional (which he favored)

35. IV. The Writing of History Herodotus, the author of “History of the Persians Wars” considered the 1st real history in western civilization 1. Played as a conflict between the Greeks and the Persians B. Many historians today consider Thucydides the greatest historian of the ancient world 1. he was an Athenian general who fought in the Great Peloponnesian War 2. his defeat in battle led the assembly to vote for his exile, during this time he wrote “The History of the Peloponnesian War” 3. he provided insight into human condition a. he didn’t believe that divine forces or gods were casual factors in history b. he believed history is a great value to understanding the present

36. V. The Classical Ideas of Greek Art • A. The western world has greatly been influenced by the Greeks *Classical Greek art expressed eternal ideals • The human being presented as an object of beauty • B. In architecture, the temple was the most important • 1. at the center were walled rooms that housed the statues of deities and treasuries (gifts to the gods and goddesses) • 2. wood columns surrounded these central rooms that later were built from marble • C. Some of the finest architecture was found in Athens • 1. the most famous was the Parthenon • a. built between 447 and 432 B.C. • b. dedicated to Athena (patron goddess of Athens) • c. shows the principles of classical architecture- the search for • calmness, clarity, and freedom from unnecessary detail • D. Greek sculpture • 1. Life-like statues of the nude male was the favorite subject of Greek sculptors • 2.sculptors did not aim to achieve realism, but rather a standard idea of beauty • 3. Polyclitus: 5th century sculptor- wrote down rules for proportions in an illustrated work called “Doryphoros”

38. Chapter 4 Section 5 Alexander and the Hellenistic Kingdoms

39. The threat of Macedonia • The Greeks viewed their neighbors to the north, the Macedonians, as barbarians • They were rural people organized simply by groups • By the 5th century., they emerged as a powerful kingdom • a. 359 B.C.- Philip II (king) built a powerful army and turned Macedonia into the “powerhouse” of the Greek world • b. Philip II longed to unite all of Greece under Macedonia • c. Athenians did not like this idea, thus the battle of Chaeronea happened near Thebes- 338 B.C. • d. Macedonians massacred the Greeks putting Philip II in control and insisting that Greek states unite and all go to war with Persia • e. Yet, he was assassinated before plans got carried out and left the task to his son, Alexander

40. II. Alexander the Great He was 20 years old when he became King of Macedonia, carefully prepared by his father, Philip II 1. Philip II taught Alexander military leadership 2. Alexander quickly planned to follow through with his father’s dream of invading Persia a. he was highly motivated to avenge Persian burning of Athens in 480 B.C. B. Alexander entered Asia Minor with 37,000 men (Macedonians and Greeks) 1. The Calvary – 5,000 2. By the next year he had freed the Ionian Greek cities from Persian take over 3. 332 B.C.- he headed to the south a. built Alexandria as the Greek capital of Egypt b. still remains one of the most important cities in Egypt today c. the first city to be named after Alexander

41. 4. 331 B.C. Alexander turned east and fought a decisive battle with the Persians not far from Babylon a. after this victory, Alexander took possession of the rest of the Persian Empire b. he still wasn’t satisfied 5. Over the next 3 years, he continued to push northeast a. 326 B.C. his soldiers were completely exhausted and refused to go any further b. he finally agreed to return home where he planned more campaigns 6. In June 323 B.C. exhausted from wounds, fever, and too much alcohol, he died at age 32 7. Alexander was one of the greatest military leaders, a master of strategy and tactics of war a. he was always willing to risk his own life in battle b. he sought to imitate Achilles and even was known to keep a copy of Iliad and a dagger under his pillow

42. 8. He created a legacy extending Greek and Macedonian rule over a large area a. this brought a lot of riches to them stimulating their economy 9. He also left lasting cultural legacy with the spread of Greek culture through much of southwest Asia

43. III. The Hellenistic Kingdoms A. Alexander created a new age, the Hellenistic Era 1. the Greek translation: “to imitate Greeks” 2. expansion of Greek language and ideas to the non- Greek world: southwest Asia and beyond B. 4 Hellenistic Kingdoms 1.Macedonia 2.Syria 3.Pergamum 4.Egypt C. Unlike Alexander, Hellenistic monarchs included only Greeks and Macedonians in ruling class

44. IV. Hellenistic Culture Time of considerable cultural achievement: esp. in science and philosophy Most important cultural center was Alexandria: home to scholars of all kinds-philosophers, scientists, writers 1. Alexandria’s library was the largest of its kind, with over 5,000 scrolls C. Time of architecture and sculptor: re-building D. Advancements in math and astronomy 1. Aristarchus: the sun is the center of the universe and that the earth rotates around the sun 2. Eratosthenes: the Earth is round and nearly calculated the correct circumference of the Earth 3. Euclid: wrote a textbook on plane geometry, The Elements, that was used up to modern times

45. Hellenistic Culture (cont.) E. Archimedes: one of the most important Hellenistic scientists 1. value of pi 2. important work in geometry of spheres and cylinders 3. invented machines to repel attackers during the city’s largest siege 4. Archimedes screw: used in pumping and irrigation 5. Levers were significant: “Give me a lever and a place to stand and I’ll move the Earth” F. Athens remained the center for philosophy 1. Epicureanism: believed that human beings were free to follow their self- interest a. happiness was the goal of life and it was achieved by pursuing pleasure, the only true good b. not physical pleasure, but rather the freedom from anxiety that comes from a mind at rest c. achieving this meant removing oneself from public life, but not social life 2. Stoicism: founded by Zeno a. happiness was gained by living in harmony with the will of God b. if you did this, life’s problems would not disturb you c. public service as noble and did not remove themselves from public life