1. Mediterranean Society: The Greek Phase
Chapter 10
Mediterranean Society: The Greek Phase

2. Classical Greece, B.C.E.

3. Early Development of Greek Society
Minoan society
Island of Crete
Best example of Minoian culture: Knossos
Ca B.C.E.,
center of maritime
trade
Scholars unable to decipher Linear A script

4. Decline of Minoan Society
Series of natural disasters after 1700 B.C.E.
Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tidal waves
Foreign invasions
Crete falls under foreign domination

5. Mycenaean Society
Indo-European invaders descend through Balkans into Peloponnesus, ca B.C.E.
Influenced by Minoan culture
Major settlement: Mycenae
Military expansion throughout region

6. Chaos in the Eastern Mediterranean
Trojan war, ca B.C.E.
Homer’s Iliad
Sequel: Odyssey
Political turmoil, chaos from 1100 to 800 B.C.E.
Mycenaean civilization disappears

7. The Polis City-state – main political structure of ancient Greeks.
Urban center, dominating surrounding rural areas
Highly independent character
Monarchies
“Tyrant,” not necessarily oppressive, usually general or politician who gained power by irregular means
Early democracies

8. Sparta Highly militarized society Subjugated peoples: helots
Serfs, tied to land
Outnumbered Spartans 10:1 by sixth century B.C.E.
Military society developed to control threat of rebellion

9. Spartan Society Boys removed from families at age seven
Received military training in barracks
Active military service follows
Marriage, but no home life until age 30
Some relaxation of discipline by fourth century C.E.

10. Athens Development of early democracy
Free adult male citizens only
Women, slaves excluded
Contrast Athenian style of government with Spartan militarism

11. Solon and Athenian Democracy
Aristocrat Solon mediates crisis
Aristocrats to keep large landholdings
But forgive debts, ban debt slavery
Removed family restrictions against participating in public life
Instituted paid civil service

12. Pericles Ruled 461-429 B.C.E. High point of Athenian democracy
Aristocratic but popular
Massive public works
Encouraged cultural development
Athens became most sophisticated Polis

13. Classical Greece and the Mediterranean Basin, 800-500 B.C.E.

14. Effects of Greek Colonization
Trade throughout region
Communication of ideas
Language, culture
Political and social effects

15. Persian Wars ( B.C.E.)
Ionians revolt against the Persian empire, 500 B.C.E.
Athens supports with ships
Athenians rout Persian army in 490 B.C.E at battle of Marathon.
Successor Xerxes burns Athens, but driven out and Persian navy shattered at Salamis.

16. Engineering an Empire Disk 1 here

17. The Delian League
Poleis create Delian League to forestall more Persian attacks
Led by Athens
Massive payments to Athens fuels Periclean expansion
Resented by other poleis

18. The Peloponnesian War Civil war in Greece, 431-404 B.C.E.
Poleis allied with either Athens or Sparta
Athens forced to surrender
But conflict continued between Sparta and other poleis

19. Kingdom of Macedon Frontier region to north of Peloponnesus
King Philip II (r B.C.E.) builds massive military
350 B.C.E., encroaches on Greek poleis to the south; controls region by 338 B.C.E.

21. Alexander of Macedon “Alexander the Great,” son of Philip II
Rapid expansion throughout Mediterranean basin
Invasion of Persia successful
Turned back in India when exhausted troops mutinied

22. Alexander’s Empire, ca. 323 B.C.E.

23. The Hellenistic Empires
After Alexander’s death, competition for empire
Divided by generals
Antigonus: Greece and Macedon
Ptolemy: Egypt
Seleucus: Persian Achaemenid empire
Economic integration, intellectual cross-fertilization

25. The Antigonid Empire Smallest of Hellenistic empires
Tension between Antigonid rulers and the Greek cities.
Problems of land distribution
Where else have we seen this????
Heavy colonizing activity into the Seleucid empire

26. The Ptolemaic Empire Wealthiest of the Hellenistic empires
Established state monopolies
Textiles
Salt
Beer
Capital: Alexandria
Important port city, lighthouse
Major museum, library

27. The Seleucid Empire Massive colonization of Greeks
Export of Greek culture, values as far east as India
Bactria
Ashoka legislates in Greek and Aramaic

28. Trade and Integration of the Mediterranean Basin
Greece: little grain, but rich in olives and grapes
Colonies further trade
Commerce rather than agriculture as basis of much of economy

29. Panhellenic Festivals
Useful for integrating far-flung colonies
Olympic Games begin 776 B.C.E.
Sense of collective identity

30. Patriarchal Society Women as goddesses, wives, prostitutes
Limited exposure in public sphere
Sparta partial exception

31. Slavery Scythians (Ukraine) Nubians (Africa) Chattel
Sometimes used in business
Opportunity to buy freedom

32. Science and Mathematics
Use of observable evidence, rational thought
Thales predicts eclipse, 28 May 585 B.C.E.
Democritus, atoms
Pythagoras, systematic approach to mathematics
Hippocrates, human anatomy and physiology

33. Socrates (470-399 B.C.E.) The Socratic method Student: Plato
A very public but annoying person, condemned on charges of immorality
Forced to drink hemlock

34. Plato (430-347 B.C.E.) Systematized Socratic thought Republic
Philosopher kings
Theory of Forms or Ideas

35. Aristotle (389-322 B.C.E.) Student of Plato
Broke with theory of Forms or Ideas
Emphasis on empirical findings, reason
Massive impact on western thought

36. Greek Theology Polytheism Zeus principal god Religious cults
Eleusinian mysteries
The Bacchae
Rituals eventually domesticated

37. Hellenistic Philosophies
Epicureans
Pleasure, distinct from Hedonists
Skeptics
Doubted possibility of certainty in anything
Stoics
Duty, virtue
Emphasis on inner peace