Week 2-3: Ancient Greece

1. Week 2-3: Ancient Greece POL-110HA Revolution Now! Democracy in Troubled Times

2. History Tips

3. Things to Keep In Mind About Studying History • Bias and Point of View • everyone has a bias when they tell a story or relate events • based on things like background, family, experiences, economics, class, education, culture, religion, etc. • Missing/Incomplete Records • Exact information about ancient events is often scarce • Many records were kept on • materials that degraded over time

4. Ancient Greece Overview

5. Map of Classical Greece(c.450 BCE)

6. Greek Geography • many plains and river valleys surrounded by very tall Mountains • led to individual Greek communities developing in isolation • the copious amount of coastline • Greeks became known as skilled seafarers

7. The Greek City-State • Developed fully by the 8th Century BCE • Essentially self-contained mini-countries • Citizens identified as belonging both to their city-state and to Greece • Rivalries and occasional cooperation • primarily important during the Archaic and Classical Periods of Ancient Greek history

8. The Two Meanings of The Polis (plural Poleis) • City, town, or village would have a central meeting point for the people • If a hill, this was called the acropolis • Evacuation site and religious center • agora was located below • place for people to assemble and marketplace • Community of citizens

9. 3 Groups in the Polis • citizens with political rights • adult males • political rights and responsibilities • citizens without political rights • women and children of male citizens • non-citizens • slaves and resident aliens

10. What Makes Up Ancient Greece?

11. Ancient Greece Periods • Minoan • c.2000-1400 BCE or BC • Mycenaean • c.1600-1100 BCE • Dark Ages • c.1100-750 BCE • Archaic • c.750-480 BCE • Classical • c.480-338 BCE • Hellenistic • c.338-146 BCE • Roman • c.146-330 CE or AD

12. Ancient Greece Period:Minoan (c.2000-1400 BCE) • based on the Island of Crete • not ethnically, religiously or linguistically Greek • accepted as having an influence on Greek development • destruction is a matter of some debate • possibly tsunami • probably conquered by the Mycenaean force from mainland Greece

13. Ancient Greek Period:Mycenaean (c.1600-1100 BCE) • known for its large fortified cities called palace-centers • complex social structure • early form of written Greek • source/setting of Homer’s account of the Trojan War in the Iliad and the Odyssey • overthrown by Greek speaking invaders from territory to the north • massive loss of culture and structure would follow

14. Ancient Greek Period:Dark Ages (c.1100-750 BCE) • Massive reduction in farming • Cultural decline • Economic decline • Population shrinks • Mass emigration to Northern Greece, islands, and Asia Minor (modern Turkey) • Homer’s literary works emerge at the end of the period • Beginnings of the city-states, or polis

15. Ancient Greek Period:Archaic (c.750-480 BCE) • Resurgence of culture • Perfection of the polis, or city-state • New military system • Hoplites • Phalanx • Men responsible for buying own armor • This stabilized class struggle between the aristocrats and the peasants • Men who were able to fight for their own city-state began to desire a voice • possible beginnings of a form of democracy • in Sparta in c. 600 BCE (at the latest) and in Athens by c.508-507 BCE

16. Ancient Greek Period:Archaic (c.750-480 BCE)-Colonies • Reasons for colonies • To create centers of trade • To create centers to collect goods • To escape the issues on the mainland • Colonial format • Set up as a polis • Usually independent of the mother polis (metropolis) • Why was colonization important? • Spread Greek culture • Made Greece solidify its identity • Increased trade • Created a wealthy merchant class

17. Ancient Greek Period:Archaic (c.750-480 BCE)-Tyrants • Position of king was eliminated in most city-states by the end of the 8th Century BCE • Kings were replaced by aristocrats • The tyrant replaced many aristocrats • Tyrants often took control of a city-state a coup d’état • they did not have to obey any laws • backed by enemies of the aristocrats • kept power by paying for mercenaries • kept their backers happy • building projects that brought jobs • encouraged business • patrons of the arts and culture

18. Ancient Greek Period:Classical (c.480-338 BCE) • High point of: • art, drama, architecture, education, and philosophy • Democracy continues to develop • Peloponnesian Wars • between Athens and Sparta • Period ended 338 BCE • invasion of Philip II of Macedon • He ended the city-states’ power

19. Ancient Greek Period:Classical (c.480-338 BCE)-Playwrights • Tragedy • Aeschylus • 7 of 70-90 plays survive • Themes of justice, vengeance, and obedience • Gods were very important in his works • Sophocles • Themes of trying to escape fate and the tragic hero • More about characters than the myths • People bring themselves down—not the gods • Euripides • 18-19 of 92-95 plays survive • dealt with individuals and the internal conflict with good and evil

20. Ancient Greek Period:Classical (c.480-338 BCE)-Philosophers • Socrates • None of his writings remain • Executed with hemlock • For corrupting the youth and disrespecting the gods • Known for ethics and logic • Critic of democracy • Founder of Western philosophy • Socratic Method • Plato • Student of Socrates • Teacher of Aristotle • Founder of the Academy in Athens • Best known for his Dialogues • Discusses mathematics, ethics, logic, philosophy, rhetoric, and religion • One of the founders of Western philosophy

21. Ancient Greek Period:Classical (c.480-338 BCE)-Philosophers • Aristotle • Student of Plato • Teacher of Alexander the Great • contributed to the disciplines of physics, poetry, metaphysics, theatre, music, logic, ethics, rhetoric, biology, zoology, linguistics, and politics • Many of his writings have been lost • Those that remain are called the Corpus Aristotelicum

22. Ancient Greek Period:Classical (c.480-338 BCE)-Physician • Hippocrates • Father of Western medicine • Hippocratic Oath • One of the oldest “binding documents” in history • First appeared about 100 years after Hippocrates’ death

23. Ancient Greek Period:Classical (c.480-338 BCE)-Statesman • Pericles • Most influential statesmen and general in Athens between the Persian and Peloponnesian Wars • Basically turned Athens into an empire • Champion of Athenian democracy • Understood the importance of culture and the arts • Civic improvements • Including new buildings on the Acropolis • Known for giving Pericles’ Funeral Oration • As recorded by Thucydides

24. Ancient Greek Period:Classical (c.480-338 BCE)-Historians • Herodotus • Widely considered to be the “Father of History” • First to attempt a systematic collection of reasonably verifiable historical facts • Some concern that some of his information might be fiction • Thucydides • Widely called the “Father of Scientific History” • More concerned about systematically verifying evidence and analysis without reference to the gods • History of the Peloponnesian War

25. Ancient Greek Period:Classical (c.480-338 BCE)-Delian League • Confederacy of Greek city-states • Led by Athens • Founded in 478 BCE • Marketed as mutual defense against Persians • Actually a vehicle for Athens to grow their empire

26. Ancient Greek Period:Hellenistic (c.338-146 BCE) • Greek empire reaches its largest size • Alexander the Great • King of Macedon • Son of Philip II • Student of Aristotle • Considered be one of the greatest military commanders in history • Conquered the Persian Empire • Spread Greek culture farther East than it had yet gone • Particularly Egypt • Largely ended democratic rule in Greece (particularly Athens)

27. Ancient Greek Period:Roman (c.146 BCE-330 CE) • Greece after it was conquered by Rome • Ends when the Emperor Constantine made Constantinople the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire

28. Athens

29. Athens Before Democracy • Started as a monarchy • Monarchy changed to rule by the aristocracy • Councils • Areopagus had the most power • Lesser council was made up of 9 Archons • Each had a term lasting 1 year • Ecclesia • Citizens’ assembly with little power • Only “full citizens” could participate • Economic troubles • So severe that farmers sold themselves into slavery to pay their debts

30. Solon • Chosen by the ruling aristocracy to be the sole Archon • Economic changes • Forgave all current land debt • Outlawed using people as collateral for loans • Freed people who had been forced into slavery by debt • Created a slave class • Political changes • Created the Council of 400 • Made wealth—instead of birth—a condition for political office • Allowed for upward mobility • 4 classes of wealth with the 1st 2 eligible to be Archon • Heliaea • Men of all classes could vote and sit in new popular court

31. Tyranny Comes to Athens • Fall of Aristocratic Power • After Solon, various aristocrats competed for power • Pisistratus • Declared himself tyrant in 560 BCE • Did not make many obvious changes • Instituted programs designed to make him popular with specific groups of voters • Hippias • Son of Pisistratus • More extreme policies than his father • Resulted in his exile

32. Cleisthenes the Reformer • In power 508-501 BCE • Stopped aristocratic takeover and unrest • Wanted to reform the system • Shifted power to the demes • Villages and townships • Placed the demes into 10 tribes cross-secting regions and social classes • 50 men from each sat on the Council of 500 • Assembly was made up of all male citizens (maybe 30,000) • Final authority on all laws after open debate • Laid the foundations for democracy • Increased political participation throughout geography and social classes • Tied to military participation

33. The Persian WArs • First Persian War (490-479 BCE) • Turned Athens into an Empire • Gave the Council of 500 and the Assembly more important things to talk about • The Greeks saw the major difference between them and the Persians as: • CITIZEN vs. SUBJECT • First Persian attack was met by Athenians at the Plain of Marathon • 26 miles from Athens • Made the idea of citizen soldiers who bought their own armor important

34. The Persian Wars (cont.) • Athens gets a navy in between Persian invasions • Themistocles • convinced the voters that a navy would be a good addition to their military readiness • Invasion of Xerxes (480 BCE) • Persians had • About 150,000 troops and 700 warships • Greeks planned to hold the only road • so that the Athenian navy could deal with the Persian navy • Greeks were led by King Leonidas of Sparta with 300 Spartans • Athens was evacuated • Greek navy, led by Athens, won the Battle of Salamis

35. The Delian league Makes Athens an Empire • Greek alliance • Controlled by Athens • Created to fight the Persian Empire • Begun 478-477 BCE • Liberated all remaining Greek city-states and essentially ended the Persian threat by 469 BCE • Some city-states wanted to leave (or secede from) the League • Athens response was to invade • destroyed walls • took navy • removed their freedom • required to pay tribute to Athens • League basically became an extension of Athens • Turned them into an empire

36. 5 Changes Imperial Status Brought To Athens • 1)Council of 500 and the Assembly had larger and more significant matters to deal with • 2)the empire paid tribute to Athens which allowed Athens to pay some political posts for the first time • 3)Athens had the power to force the spread of democracy where possible • a few oligarchies were allowed to remain • 4)Athens became more elite • resulted in a large number (10s of thousands) of disenfranchised people • 5)money and power the empire brought kept the wealthy Athenians happy enough • It would be a while before they considered oligarchy

37. Ostracism • Allowed the removal of any official who had lost the people’s respect • Citizens wrote the name of the person they felt was most hurting the polis • If at least 6,000 votes were cast, the man with the most votes was exiled for 15 years • He could be brought back if the city needed him • Democratic alternative to actual tyranicide • Allowed the people to remove bad or unsympathetic leaders • Gave power to regular citizens • Made leaders answerable to the people

38. The Age of Pericles • Pericles began to lead Athens around the 450s BCE • Aristocrat • Wanted Athens to break ties with old rival Sparta • Height of Athenian power, culture, and democracy • Democracy increased in popularity with the people • Full citizens above age 18 could participate in the Assembly • May have been as many as 43,000 • Only about 6,000 could fit in the meeting place (the Pnyx) • A few respected leaders did most of the talking • Routine administration and bureaucracy was run by the city magistrates • Chosen randomly to serve a one year term • 10 Generals Chosen to Guide the People • Amount of power determined by amount of respect given to them by the people

39. The Age of Pericles:The Peloponnesian Wars • Athens vs. Sparta • 1st Peloponnesian War(c.460-445 BCE) • Athens agreed to give up most of land empire • Sparta agreed to recognize Athens’ naval empire • Great Peloponnesian War(431-404BCE) • Athenian conflicts with Spartan allies • Sparta warned Athens to back off • Athens hoped for naval battles • Sparta hoped to fight Athenian army • Plague in Athens in the 2nd year • About 1/3 of the population died • Pericles died from the plague in the 3rd year

40. The Peace of Nicias And More Peloponnesian War • Peace of Nicias (421 BCE) • Negotiated by new Athenian leader (Nicias) • After the death of Pericles and those prominent generals who were in favor of the war • Both sides agreed to a 50 year truce • Phase #2 of the War • Began 6 years after the agreement to have a truce lasting 50 years • Started by Pericles’ nephew (Alcibiades) • Removed during the campaign for profaning religion • Sicilian attack was disastrous for Athens and Democracy • When they tried to take Syracuse • All of the troops were either killed or captured and sold into slavery

41. Athenian Democracy Wanes • As Peloponnesian Wars End • Democracy was abolished in Athens, and an oligarchy temporarily (411-410 BCE) took its place • Final loss occurred in 405 BCE with the defeat of the Athenian navy • Athens’ enemies laid siege to the city • They surrendered the following year • Sparta became the most powerful city-state • Sparta Spreads Oligarchy • With 10 man boards overseen by Spartan garrisons • The 30 Tyrants • Oligarchy with 30 members • Set up in Athens by the Spartans • Executed 1,500 democratic opponents • Sparta eventually allowed return to Democracy