Ancient Greece

Geography of Greece Mountainous: allowed for the Greek polis or city-state to develop in isolation and independent of one another. Seas: Greek city-states and its people became seafarers due to the close proximity of the Aegean & Ionian Seas The warm climate promoted an outdoor life.

Mycenaean Civilization Develops Came into contact with the Minoans sometime after 1500 BCE either by trade or war. Preserved & spread aspects of the Minoan culture (writing system, art, literature, religion).

Cultural Diffusion Primarily through Trade Networks Concept will be repeated throughout history Two major types: ~ diffusion through choice where the group adopts new concepts because they want to do so ~ diffusion by coercion where the group is forced to adopt new concepts by war and domination of another culture

The Trojan War During the 1200s BCE, the Mycenaeans fought a ten-year war against Troy. Last great military campaign for the Mycenaeans. Fought over Helen who was kidnapped by a Trojan prince. Not long after the war the Dorians became the dominant Greek civilization & a period of decline began. Little is known of the Dorians because they kept no written records. Most of the time periods history was passed down through story telling. Homer: Iliad and the Odyssey

Ancient Sparta

Sparta Government & Society Spartan citizens elected officials who made up the Council of Elders which made laws. The major social classes of Spartan society were made up of citizens with history in Sparta, then non-citizens who were free and owned land and lastly the helots who were servants and slaves.

Daily Life The military was the central focus of Spartan society. They were the most advanced military of their time. At the age of 7 all males were sent to live in army barracks where they were trained to read, write and fight. At age 30 they were sent home to marry then they reported to the military front. At age 60 they were allowed to retire.

Daily Life Cont. Spartan women were also given military training and were fed more food than their Athenian counterparts. Spartan women had considerable freedom especially in running the household. Spartan women were strong both physically and mentally telling their husbands: “come back with your shield or on it.”

The Persian Wars Name given to a series of battles between the Greeks and Persian Empire. The Spartan army used a military tactic known as a phalanx. (Standing side by side) Victories at Marathon and Thermopylae helped the Greeks drive out the Persian army. Victory in the Persian Wars led a great confidence on the part of the Greeks and led to a brief Golden Age for Athens.

Four Forms of Government in Ancient Greece Monarchy: form of govt. in which the ruling power is in the hands of a single person. This was the case under the Mycenaeans who ruled Greece from 2000 to 1100 BCE. Oligarchy: Form of govt. in which the ruling power is in the hands of a few leaders. Between 1100 and 800 BCE small groups of people began to share the ruling power This was shared among aristocrats. People lacked full political rights

Four Forms of Government in Ancient Greece Tyranny: form of govt. in which the ruling power is in the hands of an individual who has seized control, often by illegal means. Tyrannies in Greece first arose during the mid 600s BCE. Many tyrants only ruled for short periods of time. Democracy: form of govt. in which the ruling power is in the hands of all the people. Democracy developed in ancient Greece around 500 BCE in the city-state of Athens, where many people began to oppose the rule of the tyrants. One important fact. Public officials did not have that much individual power.

Greek Golden Age Occurs during the leadership of Pericles in the 5th Century BCE. The achievements were mainly confined to the city-states of Athens where a strong economy and good government created the conditions necessary for such advancements. Pericles increased the number of paid officials in Athens.

Government The Ancient Greeks were the first to use democracy as a form of government.  Under Pericles, male citizens in Athens participated in the daily running of government.  This form of direct democracy excluded all non-citizens, such as women and slaves.  Today, many governments around the world practice some form of democracy.

The Peloponnesian War Fought by Athens and its empire against the Peloponnesian League, led by Sparta. More than 1/3 of the Athenians, including Pericles, died as a result of disease. Won by Sparta.

Philosophy Greek philosophers, or "lovers of wisdom," used observation and reason to study the world around them.  Socrates encouraged Greeks to question themselves and their moral character. ( Socratic Method). Tried for “corrupting the youth” & put to death. Plato wrote The Republic & favored a strong central government. Aristotle favored human reason as a way to solve problems. (Teacher of Alexander the Great.) Socrates

Literature Early Greek literature was in the form of plays developed for religious ceremonies. Famous writers, such as Aeschylus and Sophocles, wrote tragedies and comedies about human conflict and interaction between the gods and man. 

Herodotus – a Greek who lived in Athens for a time, pioneered the accurate reporting of events. His book on the Persian Wars is considered the first work of history. Greatest historian of the classical age was Thucydides. The approaches Thucydides used in his work still guide historians today.

Drama and History Greeks invented drama as an art form and built the first theaters in the west. Tragedy – a serious drama about common themes (love, hate, war, betrayal) and featured a tragic hero (important person and often gifted with extraordinary abilities). The hero’s downfall was often a tragic flaw such as hubris (excessive pride). Comedies contained scenes filled with slapstick situation and humor. Playwrights often made fun of politics, respected people, and ideas of the times.

Art & Architecture Greek artists portrayed the human figure in idealized realism.  Paintings and sculptures show humans in the perfect form.  Greek architects build elaborate buildings using marble and the Greek column.  The most famous example of Greek architecture is the Parthenon in Athens.  Many buildings around the world today use Greek architectural ideas.

Medicine Hippocrates, a 5th century BCE physician, studied the causes of illnesses and experimented with various cures.  He is also credited with creating a set of ethical standards for doctors called the Hippocratic Oath.

Math & Science Greek mathematician Pythagoras, developed a formula to calculate the relationship between the sides of a right triangle, a method still in use today.  Aristarchus, a Greek astronomer, discovered that the earth rotated on its axis, and revolved around the sun.  Eratosthenes discovered that the earth was round, and accurately calculated its circumference. Euclid wrote a book called The Elements, which is the basis for modern geometry.  A Greek scientist named Archimedes tried to use science for more practical matters, he showed how the use of a lever and pulley system could lift just about any weight.

Minoans By 3000 BCE, the Minoans lived on the large Greek island of Crete. The Minoans created an elegant civilization that had great power in the Mediterranean world. Bronze Age civilization. The Minoans were primarily a mercantile people engaged in overseas trade. (tin)

Epic A long narrative poem celebrating the deeds of legendary or traditional heroes

Hellenistic Relating to the civilization, language, art, science, and literature of the Greek world from the reign of Alexander the Great to the late second century B.C.

Mycenaean An Indo-European person who settled on the Greek mainland around 2000 B.C.

Myth A traditional story about gods, ancestors, or heroes, told to explain the natural world or the customs and beliefs of a society.

Oligarchy A government in which power is in the hands of a few people – especially one on which rule is based on wealth

Hellenistic Age Occurs under the leadership of Alexander the Great, who conquered an empire stretching from the Greek mainland all the way to the Indus River Valley.  Hellenistic society was a blending of Greek, Egyptian, Persian, and many other cultures that gave rise to advancements in math, science, art, and literature.

Accomplished by the age of 33. Undefeated as a battlefield commander.