1. Ancient Greece

2. 3 Major Periods of Ancient Greek Civilization
1. Early Civilizations: Minoans (Crete) and Mycenae (mi se ne)
2. Classical Greece (flourishing of arts, literature, philosophy; domination by Sparta and Athens)
3. Hellenistic Age: Macedonia Empire and Alexander the Great

3. What are the characteristics of Ancient Greece’s geography?

4. Geographic Features
Sea: heavy influence on physical environment of Greece (Aegean Sea, Ionian Sea)
Mountains (with narrow valleys): cover more than ¾ of Greece’s surface area and islands: more than 2000 islands (Crete being the largest)
3. No major rivers on Greek mainland but fertile soil
Climate: winter= mild climate; summer= hot climate with rainfall from October to March = long growing season
1. Sea is most consistent influence on physical environment of Greece = creating a seafaring tradition and was the link to trade and cultural exchange
2. Mountains (with narrow valleys) cover more than ¾ of Greece’s surface area= creating an isolationist effect and preventing effective communication
3. Greece includes more than 2000 islands; Crete being the largest
4. Greece was organized into polis (independent city states)
5. No major rivers on Greek mainland
Greek soil was fertile but rocky
Winter= mild climate; summer= hot climate with rainfall from October to March = long growing season

5. RESOURCES
grain
fine cheese made of goat’s milk
timber
wild game
wool of sheep = cloth
MOST IMPORTANT CROPS
olives = oil
grapes = wine
clay = pottery

6. Effects of Geography
Seafaring tradition: reliance on navy and fleets for power and protection
sea provided link to trade and cultural exchange with Mediterranean communities
Isolationism: protection but lack of effective communication
Greece was organized into polis (independent city states) separated by seas and rugged mountains
Emergence of dominant city states (Athens, Sparta)

7. Greek Myths FUNCTIONS Explained the world Means of Exploration
Provided authority and legitimacy
Entertainment

8. Early Greeks: The Minoans c. 3200 -1100 BCE
Lived on island of Crete
Great navigators and farmers
Developed Linear A
Palace led political, social and economic organization at Knossos
Artistic expressions and grand construction
Advancements in bronze
Built sanctuaries
Minoans were the earliest Greeks
Lived on island of Crete
Great navigators and farmers
Developed writing called Linear A
Palace led political, social and economic organization at Knossos
Artistic expressions and grand construction
Advanced metal working skills (bronze) created new tools and weapons
Built sanctuaries (temples or altars to honour the gods)
Arthur Evans excavated at Knossos which predated the Myceneans called Minoans.

9. Palace of Minos at Knossos (K-NOSS-oss)
Knossos-most powerful monarch for Minoans
Palaces controlled all agricultural goods and products by storing in large storerooms
Palaces became the centres of exchange for Minoan economy
Palaces had dozens of interconnecting rectangular rooms on two or more storeys which were grouped around a large open courtyard (administrative and religious)

10. Finest rooms were decorated with colourful wall frescoes depicting
processions of gift bearers, scenes of nature or charging bulls
Art work (drawings, murals or frescoes) at Knossos shows dangerous sports such as leaping over the backs of charging bulls as well as dancing, athletics and festivals

11. Myth of the Minotaur Minoan Myth of King Minos at Knossos
Theseus defeats the Minotaur (half man half bull) and escapes from the maze like structure called the labyrinth, saving the youth of Athens

12. THEORIES FOR DECLINE OF MINOANS
1750 BCE- earthquake destroys Minoan palaces
1628 BCE- volcano erupts at Thera
1400 BCE- War between Minoans and Myceaneans led to decline of power

13. Enter the Mycenaeans c. 1700 – 600 BCE
1490 BCE- Minoan palaces had been rebuilt however all were destroyed except at Knossos by Mycenaean warriors
Mycenaeans took control of Crete at Knossos by 1500 BCE
Myceneans controlled mainland Greece = main political centre was Mycenae
More interested in war as pottery and grave sites reflect hunting, weapons, armour and war as well as fortified palace walls
Developed Linear B
Slowly Minoan culture and traditions disappeared

14. THEORIES FOR DECLINE OF MYCEANEANS
Shift in climate leading to drought forcing Myceanans to migrate to more fertile lands
Tribe of nomadic warriors from north of Greece (Dorians) destroyed Mycenaeans

15. Trojan War
Was the Trojan War a real historical event or merely a legend in Mycenaean history?

16. Trojan War Click here for a link to the story
Two epic poems by Homer “Iliad” and “Odyssey” describe the Trojan War
Approximately BCE
Greeks vs Troy
Helen of Sparta + Paris of Troy “the face that launched a thousand ships”
Achilles, Odysseus, Hector, Agamemnon and the Trojan Horse
Archaeologist- Heinrich Schliemann (claims that he found Troy and the early Greek civilization of Myceaneans)
The Iliad was the most famous epic poems of the Trojan War, set on the ninth year of the war. Along with the Odyssey, these two works were undoubtedly the greatest masterpieces in Greek literature.
The Iliad was composed by little known author named Homer, who probably lived in the 9th-8th century BC. It was not even certain if there was anyone named Homer, or that the two poems were written by the same person.
However, the Iliad influenced many writers throughout the centuries with its heroic and timeless themes.
LEGEND OF TROY -Iliad, long story poem by Greek writer HOMER -tells of Trojan War- a war between the Greeks and a rival city across the Agean Sea, Troy -Troy was a rich and powerful city on the east coast of the Aegean Sea, in what is now Turkey. Priam, was the king of Troy, and his son was Paris. On a visit to the Greek city of Sparta, Paris fell in love with Helen, the wife of Menelaus, king of Sparta. She was the most beautiful woman in the worl. Paris kidnapped her and took her back to Troy. Menelaus was enraged at this kidnapping of his wife and started a war with Troy. He enlisted his brother, king of Mycenae, the most powerful of the Greek citites. For many years the Greek soldiers tired to conquer Troy. But the great walls of the city could not be surmounted. The Greeks decided to play a trick and built a huge hollow wooden horse in which many of them hid in. The Greek leaders then told the Trojans that they were giving up and that the horse was an offering to Athena and pretended to sail back to Greece. The Trojans believed that the horse would bring them good luck, and hauled it into their city walls. The Greek soldiers inside the horse crept out and opened the city hates while the Trojans slept. The Greek armies burned the city down and took Helen back to Greece.

17. Archaic Period 750 – 500 BCE
Significant events 1) national literature (Homer)
2) resurgence of trade
3) colonization of Sicily and Italy
4) Olympic Games -776 BCE
5) stone sculptures of human
figure
6) rise of city states (polis)
Ended the Dark Ages (which lasted 350 years)
Significant events 1) national literature in Homer’s work (described glorious past, common view of gods)
2) resurgence of trade beyond the Aegean Sea (increased shipbuilding, metal working ideas, knowledge of geography and navigation, shared artistic and religious ideas and alphabet of Romans 3) colonization in Italy, Sicily and along Mediterranean coasts establishing new city states
4) Olympic Games in 776 BCE in honour of god Zeus that consisted of “all Greece” competitors and continued until 393 BCE when Roman Emperor Theodosius I banned all pagan festivals

18. Classical Greece (500 – 336 BCE)
Polis (city states) = all had its own form of government, laws and money (Corinth, Thebes, Athens, Sparta)
Dominance of Athens as political power (Delian League)
construction of Parthenon and Acropolis
Full development of democracy under Pericles of Athens
Classical age of Greece produced great literature, poetry, philosophy, drama, philosophical thinkers and art

19. Oracle of Delphi Dating back to 1400 BC, the
Oracle of Delphi was the most important shrine in all Greece as the sanctuary of Apollo
Built around a sacred spring, Delphi was considered to be the center (literally navel) of the world
questions about the future were answered by the Pythia, the priestess of Apollo
answers, usually cryptic or ambiguous
Arguments over the correct interpretation of an oracle were common, but the oracle was always happy to give another prophecy if more gold was provided
It is believed that pythias were high on hallucinative gases
Story of King Croesus of Lydia in 549 BCE in a war against Cyrus, king of Persia…
The Oracle at Delphi The Oracle at Delphi from The Greeks documentary
Dating back to 1400 BC, the Oracle of Delphi was the most important shrine in all Greece, and in theory all Greeks respected its independence. Built around a sacred spring, Delphi was considered to be the omphalos - the center (literally navel) of the world.

21. Athenian Democracy “Demos” = people; “kratos” = rule
Monarchy and Kings
Rise in power of aristocracy & oligarchy
Hoplites c BCE
Age of tyrants
Democratic Reforms by Solon and Cleisthenes = Three Pillars of Athenians Democracy: Council of Assembly Courts
Athens lived under a radically democratic government from 508 until 322 BCE. The People governed themselves, debating and voting individually on issues great and small, from matters of war and peace to the proper qualifications for ferry-boat captains
Hoplites= unifed mov’t of larger numbers of warriros, called hoplites -men w heavily armed large round shields, shin protectors , helmets, body armour and spears which were thrust vs thrown
-stood side by side 6-10 deep and could easily defeat old style of fighting
Needed larger numbers of warriros but not enough artistorcacy, therefore regular citlizens would join hoplites which in turn brought more power to regular citizens
The Council of 500 ( ἡ βουλὴ οἱ πεντακόσιοι ) represented the full-time government of Athens. It consisted of 500 citizens, 50 from each of the ten tribes, who served for one year. The Council could issue decrees on its own regarding certain matters, but its main function was to prepare the agenda for meetings of the Assembly. The Council would meet to discuss and vote on “Preliminary decrees” ( προβουλεύματα ), and any of these that passed the Council’s vote went on for discussion and voting in the Assembly.
The Assembly (Ekklesia, ἐκκλησία ) was the regular gathering of male Athenian citizens (women also enjoyed a certain citizen status, but without political rights) to listen to, discuss, and vote on decrees that affected every aspect of Athenian life, both public and private, from financial matters to religious ones, from public festivals to war, from treaties with foreign powers to regulations governing ferry boats.
Of almost equal importance to the Assembly and Council, and probably of greater importance (if not greater prestige) than the Areopagus was the People’s Court, the Heliaea and other courts where juries of citizens would listen to cases, would vote on the guilt or innocence of their fellow citizens, and vote on punishments for those found guilty.
Since Athenian law is the subject of this discussion series, the present introduction to Athenian democracy will not describe the lawcourts in as much detail as it has given to the Assembly and Council.
The Contribution of Ancient Athens to American Democracy.
  Ancient Athens is often referred to as the cradle of democracy.  The Athenians developed a unique  system of government in which citizens were allowed to take in the decision-making process. They called it democracy. One of their most famous leaders, Pericles, described their government this way : "Our government does not copy our neighbors, but is an example to them. It is true that we are called a democracy, for the administration is in the hands of the many and not of the few."

22. How effective was Athenian Democracy?
Ancient Athens is often referred to as the cradle of democracy
Democracy flourished during the Golden Age of Athens (4th Century BCE) under Pericles
Direct Democracy= All the male citizens would gather, discussed  the issues, and then voted on them
However, Athenian democracy was flawed. Only male citizens were allowed to take part in running the government (made up approx. 10% of population). Women, slaves and foreigners were excluded from public affairs. The policy of ostracism also created some instability as the Assembly could exile a speaker / leader by vote if they feel they are too powerful
The Athenian form of democracy was called Direct Democracy. All the male citizens would gather, discussed  the issues, and then voted on them. This was possible because the male population in Athens was small, about 40,000 men. This was an advanced form of government for again, as Pericles noted, most governments at the time were ruled by monarchs or small groups of people. The idea of giving people the power to make important decisions is an important democratic principle.
Democracy is a cornerstone of the American constitution. Our Founding Fathers realized that the Athenian form of democracy was not practical in large societies with millions of people such as the US. Nevertheless, they took the idea of democracy and came up with a form that was more suited for us. This form of democracy is called "representative democracy." Under this system, citizens do not directly take part in making policies. Rather, we elect representatives to make these decisions for us. It is for this reasons we have elections which are the mechanisms through which we elect our leaders.
Ancient Athens contributed the idea of democracy to our Constitution.   

23. Daily Life in Athens MEN
Only men could be citizens; men ran government
Open expression of homosexuality (words, behaviour, literature and visual arts) especially between older men and young boys
Advancements in culture, thinking, literature, philosophy, wealth, expansion, trade
Reliance on slaves and women opened up free time for men to discuss philosophy and participate in politics
WOMEN
Women could not vote, hold office or own property and did mostly household duties
Education involved spinning, weaving and domestic arts
At 15 years old, girls were considered ready for marriage
SLAVES
Ratio of slaves to free men was quite high as historians estimate that as much as 40% of people in Athens area were slaves
Slaves were household servants; had few rights; some could gain freedom from generous owners

24. Spartan Government: democratic timocratic monarchial oligarchy
Government ruled by a Council= made up of 2 kings (aristocracy) and 28 nobles (over age of 60) who made most political decisions and foreign policy and was supreme criminal court
Assembly of the Spartiate (democracy)- Spartan males over the age of 30 who could veto and approve decisions made by Kings and Council
5 Ephors (oligarchy)- led the council, ran the military and educational system and could veto any ruling made by the Council or Assembly
Spartan government was considered one of the most stable in all of Ancient Greece = led to a warrior and military state (state above individual)
Aries- God of war was a patron god of the city, of wars, battles, and warriors, and also of fearlessness in battle.
Sparta was landlocked on barren hills of Peloponnesian Peninsula
Did not have a port like Athens and could not trade as easily with other communities of the Mediterranean
ti·moc·ra·cy       n.   pl. ti·moc·ra·cies A state described by Plato as being governed on principles of honor and military glory.

25. Daily Life in Sparta MEN
At 30 men became citizens and could vote in Assembly, marry, own a house
Educated in reading, fitness and use of weapons
Boys started military training at the age of 7; joined military at age of 20; end of military service at the age of 60
Soldiers given land which was farmed by the helots
WOMEN
Girls taught reading and writing
Participated in running and wresting, foot races, staged battles
Wives of Spartan soldiers supervised farms
Expected and driven to produce strong and healthy children and be loyal to the state
Spartan women could own and control property but held no political rights
SLAVES
Slaves were called helots (agricultural slaves / peasants) made up 2/3 of population = defeated Messenian peoples
Attempted revolt in 640 BCE but was crushed (this forced Sparta to create a stronger army)
640 BCE= helots (peasants) of Sparta rebelled as they resented giving up produce to Spartan army
20 years later, Sparta’s army crushed revolt and focused all of its energy to creating a strong army
Helots made up 2/3 of population

26. Greek Architecture Parthenon Acropolis Statue of Athena
Public buildings
Columns
marble
Frieze

27. Greek Columns Greeks developed three different orders
Doric & Ionic = 6th century BCE
Corinthian= 5th century BCE and was further developed and used by Romans
The Doric style is rather sturdy and its top (the capital), is plain. This style was used in mainland Greece and the colonies in southern Italy and Sicily.
The Ionic style is thinner and more elegant. Its capital is decorated with a scroll-like design (a volute). This style was found in eastern Greece and the islands.
The Corinthian style is seldom used in the Greek world, but often seen on Roman temples. Its capital is very elaborate and decorated with acanthus leaves.

31. Greek Art
First to use 3-D on a flat surface by using different shades to give illusion of depth
Focus on the concept of the “ideal” (beautiful, life like youthful, calm expression)
Depictions of gods
Statues of nude forms (detailed and proportional)
Emphasis on elaborating on existing styles
Money devoted to building theatres, stadiums, gymnasiums, tombs

32. Greek Philosophers and Thinkers
Philosophers: Socrates, Plato, Aristotle
Establishment of philosophical schools that examine issues such as true knowledge, the soul, love, beauty and scientific learning
Logical thinking, rhetoric, politics
Playrights: Sophocles, Euripides, Aeschylus
Other: Hippocrates, Epicurus, Archimedes, Pythagoras

33. Hellenistic Era: Greece
Period between conquest of Persian Empire by Alexander the Great to establishment of Roman supremacy
The word, Hellenistic, is derived from the word, Hellene, which was the Greek word for the Greeks. The Hellenistic age "hellenized" the world
Spread of Greek culture and language throughout Near East, Mediterranean and Asia Minor
Exported Greek culture: architecture, politics, law, literature, philosophy, religion, and art as models of perfection

34. Trade and Coinage Trade by sea Most important crops: olive and grapes
Items traded: olive oil, wine, silver, white marble, pottery, furniture, jewelry, textiles for grain, glass, ivory, timber
Trade by barter system
Coinage emerged from metallurgy that was weighed
8th and 7th century BCE, silver pieces were stamped by government
First mints 7th BCE in Lydia
By 5th century BCE, most common coinage in Mediterranean was Athens coin with owl on one side and Athena on other

35. Legacies of Greece City states (polis) Thought & Philosophy
Greek Language
Politics
Democracy
Great Thinkers
Art and architecture
Myths and literature