Mediterranean Societies: The Greek Phase Chapter 10

Pre-Classical Greece: Minoans (2200-1100 BCE): Crete Palaces (esp. at Knossos) Linear A (undeciphered script) commerce (ships, colonies) Exports: wine, olive oil, wool Imports: grains, textiles, manufactured goods After 1700 BCE: decline due to natural disasters By 1100, under foreign domination

Pre-Classical Greece: Mycenaeans (1600-1100 BCE): Peloponnesus Trade with Minoans Adopted Linear A, then created Linear B Stone fortresses and palaces with agricultural communities around them Overpowered Minoans (est’d craft workshops in palaces and colonies throughout E. Med)

Pre-Classical Greece: Mycenaeans 1200 BCE: Trojan War in Anatolia 1100-800 BCE: chaos in E. Med = invasions, civil disturbances -> unstable gov’ts and unproductive agriculture Decline in palaces, population, abandoned settlements, writing disappeared

Classical Greece The polis (=city-state): no centralized empire; centers of Greek society Various forms: monarchies, collective rule, military tyrants Most important = Athens and Sparta

Classical Greece: Sparta Peloponnesus: 9th and 8th centuries BCE – economy and population grew, took control of area Neighboring groups (helots) used as serfs Egalitarian, austere lifestyle (“spartan”), distinctions based on achievement Focus on military values and order(physical fitness)

Classical Greece: Athens Economic and population growth -> need for order -> democratic principles Citizenship to all free adult males As trade increased, aristocratic landowners benefited (controlled land and gov’t) Many small landowners had to sell due to debt (some became slaves) By 6th century BCE: majority were poor and very unhappy

Classical Greece: Athens Solon’s solution: aristocrats kept land, cancelled debts, forbade (and freed) debt slaves Allowed commoners to serve in gov’t (if they could afford it) and later, paid salaries Pericles: most popular leader of his time Supported construction to create jobs Led Athens to sophistication (science, philosophy, poetry, art, architecture, etc.)

Greece and the Larger World 700s BCE: resource strain on peninsula -> colonies along Med. and Black Sea coasts By 6th century BCE: more lived in colonies than in Greece Not controlled by central gov’t or the polis => increasing communication, interaction, and exchange -> spread Greek language and culture and complexity

Conflicts with Persia and Its Results 500-479 BCE: Persian Wars Anatolian Greeks rebelled, were aided by Greece Darius retaliated by attacking Greece (Athenians won at Marathon) Xerxes tried to avenge the loss -> captured and burned Athens (but, Greek fleet defeated Persians at Salamis) Skirmishes continued

Results of Persian Wars Delian League: group of city-states with Athens providing military and others $ Athens used $ for itself -> resentment Tension -> Peloponnesian War (431-404 BCE) – Athens, et al. vs. Sparta, et al. Athens surrendered, but tensions continued, weakening the Greek poleis

The Macedonians North of Greece: agriculture/pastoral semi-nomads; monarchy, but with semi-autonomous clans Philip II of Macedon (r. 359-336 BCE): built powerful military, consolidated Macedon, annexed N. Greece poleis Assassinated in 336 BCE

The Macedonians Alexander took over and continued Philip’s plan Excellent military strategist and leader: conquered all of E. Med., Persia, NW India Troops refused to go further, returned to Mesopotamia to celebrate and he died (323 BCE) Early statecraft: cities, wanted to marry officers to Persian women, relied on est’d institutions What would have been next?

The Hellenistic Empires Empire divided among his generals: Greece and Macedon (Antingonus), Egypt (Ptolemy), and Persia (Seleucus) Hellenism: expansion of Greek influence beyond Greece (Hellas) Integrated economies and culture

The Antigonid Empire Tension between rulers and cities recognized rule in exchange for tax relief and local autonomy) Land issues, social issues -> many left to become Seleucid colonists

The Ptolemaic Empire Wealthiest Did not interfere with political, economic organization Est’d monopolies on lucrative industries (textiles, salt, and beer) Alexandria: capital, cosmopolitan (melting pot, museum and library), cultural capital of Hellenistic world

The Seleucid Empire Colonial cities: garrison cities/admin. centers -> commercial centers Bactria withdrew and became kingdom (250 BCE), heavy Greek influence (but old traditions continued)

Greek Economy Early: depended on trade for food and other resources (land didn’t grow grain, but grapes and olives) More trade -> more colonization -> more Greek influence Commercialization of trade: -partnerships between shipowner, merchants, and money lenders spread risk Later: caravan trade and maritime trade

Family and Society Patriarchal: fathers made all decisions Upperclass women had more rights (e.g., Sappho) Could own small businesses, be priestesses Women had more rights in Sparta Slavery: for labor mobilization Included different groups and different jobs = chattel slavery

The Cultural Life of Classical Greece Greeks also learned from cultures they came into contact with (Egyptians, Mesopotamians, Phoenicians) Philosophy: Socrates (470-399 BCE): questions, ethics and morality, purposes and goals of life, found guilty of immorality and corruption -> drank poison

Cultural Life of Classical Greece Philosophy (cont.) Plato (430-347 BCE) Dialogues, The Republic Socrates’ influence, later theory of forms or ideas (this world is a reflection of a more perfect world) Philosophers should be kings because they understand Intellectual aristocracy

Cultural Life of Classical Greece Philosophy (cont.) Aristotle (384-322 BCE) Use senses to gain information and reason to sort it out Rules of logic Also studied other subjects: bio, physics, astronomy, psych, politics, ethics, lit. All 3 influenced development of European and Islamic thought - provided intellectual framework

Popular Religion Indo-European ancestors – worshipped natural elements Over time -> became gods and goddesses (with myths) with different responsibilities Religious cults provided sense of community (rituals, feasting, sacrifices) Eventually -> theater festivals (tragedies and comedies)

Hellenistic Philosophy Epicureans: pleasure as way to quiet salvation Skeptics: no certain knowledge -> no position on issues Stoics: all as universal family (lead virtuous lives and help others)

Hellenistic Religion Religions of salvation became popular: eternal bliss for observing rites and living in accordance with doctrine Spread along trade routes savior whose death and resurrection led to eternal salvation for followers single, universal god