Ancient Greece

1. Ancient Greece

2. Ancient Greece Balkan Peninsula

3. The Geography of Greece • Mainland is a peninsula. • Mainland is surrounded by dozens of islands. • Trading and fishing • Farming – wheat, barley, olives, and grapes • Fiercely independent due to being divided by mountains and seas

4. The Minoans • Island of Crete • Earned living by shipbuilding and trade • Collapsed about 1450 B.C. • Theories—destroyed by either tsunami or Mycenaens

5. Palace at Knossos

6. Wall painting from Knossos

7. The First Greek Kingdoms • Built by the Mycenaeans who were originally from central Asia • Warriors became nobles who ruled the people they conquered. • Gained power from trade and war.

8. Mycenaean Kingdoms and Lifestyle • Palace on a hill (Greece is very “hilly”) • Large farms (estates) belonged to nobles—slaves and farmers lived on the estates • Copied Minoans bronze work, astronomy for navigation, and worshipped their chief goddess, Mother Earth

9. What was the Dark Age? • 1200 B.C. – earthquakes and fighting among the kingdoms destroyed hilltop forts • 1100 B.C. – Mycenaean civilization collapsed. • 1100 – 750 B.C. were difficult for Greeks • Trade slowed and poverty took hold

10. What was the Dark Age?(Continued) • Stopped teaching how to write and craftwork • Positive – population shift • Dorians • Peloponnesus • Increase in trade brought new way of writing • Greek alphabet

11. English words that came from Greek:geometry, physics, astronomy, star, galaxy, atom, music, melody, chorus, drama, comedy, poet, character, history, metropolis, athlete, and stadium

12. A Move to Colonize • Couldn’t grow enough food to feed everyone • Colonies traded grains, metals, fish, timber, and enslaved people with the mainland in exchange for pottery, wine, and olive oil • 600 B.C. – mint coins • No more barter

14. The Polis • City-states known as polis • Hill • Acropolis • Agora • Varied in size and population • Athens – nearly 300,000 people (500 B.C.)

15. Athens

16. What was Greek Citizenship? • They ran the city-state. • 1st to develop this idea. • Only free native-born men who owned land • Women and children might qualify but were limited in their rights. • Rights: vote, hold office, own property, and defend themselves in court

17. Citizens as Soldiers • Hoplites • Took pride in their fighting for their city-state • Foot and armed: • Round shield (help to create a protective wall) • Short sword • 9 foot spear • Rows

18. Review • What made the Minoans wealthy? • How was a Greek city-state different from a city? • What changes occurred in Greece during the Dark Age? • Name 3 rights granted to Greek citizens that Americans have today. • Why did the use of money help trade grow?

19. Minoans Mycenaeans

20. Minoans Mycenaeans • Lived on Greek • mainland • First Greek • kings • Built fortified • palaces on • hills • Borrowed ideas • from Minoans • Lived on • Crete • Built first • civilization • in Greece • Worked in • bronze Earned wealth from trade

21. Sparta and Athens

23. Tyranny in the City-States • Nobles seized power from kings • Tyrants – take power by force and rules with total authority • Building new marketplaces, temples, and walls • Oligarchy – Sparta • Democracy - Athens

24. Sparta

25. Sparta • Founded by Dorians • Instead of settling colonies, they conquered and enslaved their neighbors. • Helots—Sparta’s captive workers. Helots comes from a Greek work that means “capture.”

26. Why was the Military So Important? • Fear of being taken over led to firm control and training for war • 7 years old live in barracks • 20 years – enter regular army • 30 years – returned home • Girls were trained in sports. • Women were freer

27. Sparta’s Government • Oligarchy • 2 kings headed a council of elders • All men over 30 • Ephors • Discouraged foreign visitors

28. Athens

29. Life in Athens • School • Citizen at 18 • Girls

30. Building Democracy • Early Athens – landowning nobles – oligarchy • Solon • Peisistratus • Cleisthenes

31. Cleisthenes • All male citizens • New powers • Council of 500 • Proposed laws • Dealt with foreign countries • Oversaw treasury • Members were chosen by lottery every year. • Non-citizens were excluded. • Credited with making Athens a democracy

32. Riddle • Men in Athens liked to go to fancy dinner parties where they told riddles. • “When you look at me, I look at you. When you speak, I open my mouth and move my lips, but you cannot hear me and I cannot see you. What am I?” • A Mirror

35. Review • Who were the helots? • Why did tyrants fall out favor with the Greeks? • Why did Athenians choose officials by lottery? Would there be drawbacks to this method? • How did the Greek nobles gain power?

36. Review • Why was Solon popular among farmers and unpopular among others? • How did Athenian democracy keep one person from gaining too much power?

37. Persia Attacks the Greeks

38. The Persian Wars Both Sparta and Athens played roles in defeating the Persians.

40. The Battle of Marathon • 490 B.C. – Persians landed on Marathon • 20,000 soldiers – 10,000 Athenian soldiers • Athenian victory

41. Statute of Pheidippiedes along Marathon Road

43. Another Persian Strike • Darius’ son, Xerxes • 480 B.C. – revenge • Greece unites

44. Thermopylae • Narrow pass through the mts that was easy to defend • 7,000 Greek soldiers held them off for 2 days • Traitor • Persian victory

45. Salamis • Strait • Greek ships - smaller, faster, and easier to steer • Greeks destroyed almost the entire Persian fleet

46. Plataea • Greeks crushed the Persian army here. • Turning point • Saved Greece from invasion

47. Ancient Greek warships --- triremes

48. Scythians • Grassland north of the Black Sea • Hit-and-run tactics

49. Fall of Persian Empire • Greek defeat weakened it. • Internal problems • Remained intact for 150 more yrs • Alexander the Great – 334 B.C.

50. Review • Why was Cyrus considered a fair ruler? • The Persians wanted revenge against the Greeks. Describe an event in your own life or on the news where revenge was involved. What was the outcome?