 The Greeks continued to forge a common Hellenic identity, often with reference to sites of worship, divination of the gods’ will, and musical and athletic competition.  The Oracle of Apollo at Delphi offered advice to cities and individuals from around the Greek world and beyond, and the sanctuary of Zeus at Olympia became the site of athletic games held every four years in the god’s honor.  The Olympic Games celebrated the individual hero, testing speed, strength, dexterity, and endurance—and the common valuation of all of these virtues by the Greeks.

 Greece runs out of land—tensions, people spill out to colonies.  Sparta attempts to take land from Argos and is defeated—precipitates the Second Messenian Revolt at home.  Under tyranny, Corinth develops a friendship with Miletus—Milesian traders in Corinth and vice versa

 Treaties not to destroy each others’ cities or cut off water supply.  Ethnos of Thessaly elected an archon—briefly made it important but rivalries of towns and chiefs weakened it.  Thebes attempts a Boeotian League—but factitious as many towns of varying sizes did not want Thebes to lead it.

 Mega-alliances—History of 5 th c. is one of alliances.  Panhellenism  Zeus at Olympia; Apollo at Delphi  At Delphi pithia or priestess became possessed by god and uttered messages later but into hexameter verse by interpreters ( prophetai )  Everyone—tyrants, cities, some foreign kings consulted the Oracle.—storehouse of information about political conditions everywhere.

 Honor of Zeus—competitors from all over the Greek world  New games invented:  Pythian Games for Apollo at Delphi 582  Isthmian Games for Poseidon near Corinth c. 581  Nemean Games for Zeus at Argos c. 573  Four year cycle—but games at Olympia drew the most famous and celebrated.

 = Sacred truce—no war during month games were held.  Struggle of polis and ethnos often manifested itself in sport.  Initially no team events—only individual ones.  Kept alive the construct of hero—Olympic victory made you aristos.  Homeric qualities: speed, strength, endurance, dexterity

 Most prestigious event— stade (stadion-foot race of 210 yards).  New race by participants in full armor— recognition of hoplite warfare.  Wrestling, boxing and a pankration (combination of wrestling and boxing).

 Pentathlon—5 events  Stade, javelin throw, discus throw, long jump, wrestling.  Equestrian events—most spectacular was the 4- horse chariot race. Winner was the horses’ owner.  Separate events for boys (under 20) and men.  Women? Compete or attend? Later at Olympia at stade race for women for Hera.

 Olympics—olive leaves  Pythia—laurel  Nemea—wild celery  Isthmian—pine  More substantial prizes emerged with appearance of more games.  Return home, victors celebrated—rewards, triumphal procession, statues, civic honors, even money.

 Often athletics and culture combined.  Pythian games had competitions and prizes for choral, solo poetry, musical performances.  A growing awareness of Panhellenism throughout Archaic Period. Called by Herodotus— Hellenikon —the “Greek thing”— strong sense of cultural and identity.  Culminates in 5 th c. with Greek war for freedom against Persian tyranny.

 Helots  Metics  Whole communities denied rights— perioki in Sparta.  By 7 th c.—rallying cry of poor is redistribution of the land.  Mesoi —want the end of aristocratic dominance in gov’t.  Not everyone could emigrate

 Warfare also took on a different character in the Archaic period, as heavily armored foot soldiers called “hoplites” were arranged into a tightly packed formation called a “phalanx”.  Hoplite battle was ferocious, brutish, and of short duration.  The hoplite’s main weapon was his long heavy spear, a thrusting weapon that assisted in the initial assault. From that point, he used a shorter, slashing weapon and relied on his own (and his neighbor’s, in the formation) “ hoplon ”, or shield.  The hoplite army reflects the polis ideology, i.e. that each citizen is a component of the common good.

 Simple strategy: tight packed formation of men march into each other.  By 650—developed form  8 rows deep  Weapons: long heavy spear for thrusting  After initial collision—hoplite uses secondary weapon—short slashing sword.  Helmet, breastplate, greaves—in bronze  Distinctive feature— hoplon —3 foot shield— held by left arm in a strap

 “The pushing”  Causality rates light—15%  Usually one battle per year  Estimate that 60% of hoplites were mesoi.  Poor= light armed troops, or gear collected in battle.  Erodes Homeric conception of aristocratic warriors.  Fight together = desire for political participation by the mesoi.

SPARTAN HOPLITEHOPLITE ARMOR