1. And the Mediterranean World
Ancient Greece
And the Mediterranean World
Chapter 10
Heather Barton
9AP WH Mrs. French

2. Greek city-states and Colonization
Polis- a citadel and its fortified site, led to city-state
Athens, Sparta
Non-centralized government
Colonization-
Helped relieve population pressure
400+ colonies in the Mediterranean and Black Sea
Greater Greek population in Italy than Greece itself
Colonies ruled themselves w/clan based government system
Led to more trade and interaction; spread Greek culture
Gave Greeks access to colonies’ natural resources
Lead to agricultural surplus in Greece

3. Persia Greek links created conflict with Persia Persian Wars
Darius controlled Turkey; attacked Greece
Athenian man ran 1st marathon to get aid/more troops
Xerxes controlled Athens for a time
Skirmishes between Persia and
Greek city-states for several years

4. Peloponnesian War
Delian League- alliances among poleis for protection from Persians
Athens led the Delian league; was funded by other poleis
Persians didn’t attack, Athens benefited w/money, other poleis resented it
Lead to Peloponnesian War ( B.C.E.)
Athens vs. Sparta (and their colonies)
Sparta wins
Weakens Greece; uses resources

5. Macedon Colony North of Greece
People followed clan government, recognized King
King Philip II overpowered clans, created dominant rule
Conquered Greece
Polis by Polis; they had no alliances
Philip II assassinated

6. Alexander of Macedon (Alexander the Great)
Son of Philip II; inherits throne at 14yrs
Conquers Ionia, Anatolia, Syria, Palestine, Egypt, Mesopotamia
Conquers Persia
Invades India, troops refuse to travel farther from home
Died 33yrs.
Left no master government for new empire

7. Rule after Alexander Alexander’s empire was divided into 3 regions
Antigonid- Greece, Macedon
Greeks fought for independence
Sent people to colonies to help over-population
Ptolemaic- Egypt
Peaceful; rulers stayed out of people’s lives
Alexandria- capital of Hellenistic world, huge port, mouth of Nile
Seleucid- Achaemenid empire (Anatolia to Bactria)
Peace, prosperous, cities

8. Greek Geography and Economy
Mountainous; bad for agriculture
Greeks grew olives, grapes; produced olive oil, wine
Traded for grain, fish, timber, pitch, tin, slaves

9. Olympics Began 776 B.C.E.; ran once every 4 yrs.
Best athletes go to the Polis of Olympia
Winners receive olive wreaths, recognized heroes
Stopped after one millennium

10. Patriarchal Society Men ruled society
Women were in charge of domestic affairs
Women had no rights/property; Had the option of Priestess
Men chose if their child lived (They couldn’t legally kill them, but they could abandon them in the mountains.)
Exceptions: Sparta
Both men and women could work businesses in Artisan families
Sappho-(she) taught young women, wrote poetry, homosexual

11. Slaves Debtors Prisoners of War Sold at slave markets
Considered property, investments
Personal life depended on their owner’s treatment
Possible to win freedom and citizenship by living an exceptional life

12. Philosophy Socrates-father of Philosophy Plato-posed questions
focused on human affairs
didn’t record ideas
questioned traditional morals/ethics of Greece
condemned to death; committed suicide
Plato-posed questions
intellectual aristocracy
Recorded ideas
believed people naturally led good lives and should value honor over superficial aspects
theory of Forms and Ideas: the ability to understand the true nature of a quality; our world’s an imperfect reflection
Aristotle-Studied biology, physics, astronomy, psychology, politics, ethics, literature
disagreed with Forms and Ideas

13. Leisure Religion Theater Polytheistic Pagan based
Cults- some focused on morals, some were women only; ex:Dionysian cult
Myths explain world and events
Creation myth: 1st chaos, then came earth, and sky, which created day/night/sun/moon, followed by natural phenomenon and wars, and ended with their god Zeus ruling over his court of lesser gods
Theater
44 plays survived out of thousands
Played into politics

14. Hellenistic Philosophy
Searched for peaceful satisfaction
Stoics-
Believed in universal family
Aid others and focus on virtue and one’s duties
Religions of Salvation
Promised eternal bliss
Must follow the rules/moral conduct of religion in order to obtain it
Saviors; god has a saving plan for the world
Monotheistic
Provided a sense of security